"Computer account creation failed" due to JamfConnect.pkg

[0ne-nine9]

Hello community,

I've seen a tremendous number of posts related to this issue. During DEP enrollment using a PreStage Enrollment configuration, the local MacOS account hangs for a while then fails with the error "Computer account creation failed".

A high number of posts refer to the potential fix as being related to any of the following, which I've diligently tried to no avail:

• Complete wipe and reinstall of MacOS, removing any potential leftover files, users or authorization keys that might lead to the issue.
• Ticking and unticking of the "Setup Assistant Options" in the PreStage Enrollment configuration, which allows administrators to skip configuration steps during first-time enrollment.
• Skipping the local account creation altogether, creating a standard account or creating an administrator account through the PreStage Enrollment "Account Settings" page.

None of these worked. However, I've tried creating a new, empty PreStage Enrollment, and adding back my desired settings, configuration profiles, and packages until something failed. The breaking point was when I added the JamfConnect.pkg file. Until then, I had already added separate .pkg files for the asset pack and JamfConnectLaunchAgent.pkg.

It seems that JamfConnect.pkg is either too large to be transferred in time, or there may be another issue at large.

I'm writing this post to either inform anybody else who might be experiencing this about the root cause, to see if we align, or if anyone has yet to discover a fix for this. I have yet to try packaging my own JamfConnect.pkg into a .dmg file instead of using the one I downloaded from Jamf Account.

If anyone has any ideas on how to deliver JamfConnect.pkg before the first-time enrollment finished, it would also be helpful as a bypass. Thank you guys!

[0ne-nine9]

Bump!

[0ne-nine9 · Accepted solution]

This was happening because I was not skipping local account creation in the Pre-Stage Enrollment, while also telling Jamf Connect Login to create a new separate local account password. This made Jamf Connect try to create a password for a local account that didn't exist yet, because I was delivering the packages for Jamf Connect and their associated configuration profiles during the same Pre-Stage Enrollment, and it was kicking in before I had a chance to land on the local account creation menu on the MacBook.

Solved by skipping account creation in the Pre-Stage Enrollment and delivering the Jamf Connect packages (all 3) and configuration profiles through the same Pre-Stage Enrollment.