I want to sell my present iMac .
Need to format it .
I don't know so much but I think I can reinstall macOS from recovery HD after restart .
( Didn't try it )
A few days ago I upgrade macOS to 10.14.4 from combo .
Why do I see these messages ?
Is there an option that I don't have a recovery HD ?
If so how can I easy reinstall ?
Thanks
reinstall
iMac 21.5", macOS 10.14
I believe if you just select that option you will get a new copy of the OS but user data will be left intact, which is not ideal if you are selling the unit.
You really need to BackUp any user data, Sign Out of the various Apple Accounts, Erase the disk and then Reinstall macOS (basically four stages).
This article may be a little easier to follow, print it off first so you can refer to it as you proceed.
I believe if you just select that option you will get a new copy of the OS but user data will be left intact, which is not ideal if you are selling the unit.
You really need to BackUp any user data, Sign Out of the various Apple Accounts, Erase the disk and then Reinstall macOS (basically four stages).
This article may be a little easier to follow, print it off first so you can refer to it as you proceed.
Did you follow the link in section 6?
To add to the above, if you split the various stages down and do them a day at a time that might make it a little easier.
You don’t have to erase the disk and install the new OS at the same time, because macOS Utilities will remain untouched and can be booted into at any time.
Also before attempting read through what’s been posted in the links a few times, again things might slowly fall into place.
The iMore article appears to me to give a little more (no pun intended) help by leading you by the hand than the typical Apple articles, which you may appreciate.
If unsure please do not rush into this, spend some time reading and if necessary come back and ask further questions, I’m sure all that have posted will be only too happy to advise further.
You could also consider making an Apple Genius appointment to see if they could do this for you, I’ve never done that before but they might be happy to put the machine back to an “out of the box state”, plus they probably have a faster network than yours.
If the Store is local you could pop in and see what they say.
Thanks
Regarding section 6 - ???
It’s too complicated for me.
I only want to format my local data and leave macOS to the new owner.
to do so. Can I reinstall from disc utility as :
Thanks - Wish I can also add solve my question
I will update after .. (If I will have an iMac to do so ... )
Thanks
I’ve sold the iMac after erasing it.
The buyer is a small local dealer. He knows how to reinstall.
Thank you for your help
very appreciated.
Glad you got it sorted.
Rony, if you select "Reinstall macOS", that will simply install Mojave on top of your current installation. What that means is that all of your personal data in your Home folder -- the house icon that bears your account name -- will remain intact, and will be viewable by whoever purchases your computer.
That is why you need to carefully follow the instructions on the page that dialabrain pointed you to, and erase the disk first, using Disk Utility. Once you have erased/reformatted the disk, THEN you can reinstall Mojave using the "Reinstall macOS" option in the macOS utilities menu.
It is not as difficult as it sounds. You already know how to boot into Recovery Mode, obviously, so just use Disk Utility, select your internal hard drive in the left side of Disk Utility's window, erase the disk, and then follow the instructions on that page to reformat it. Once that is done, as I already said, choose the "Reinstall macOS" option in the menu. In all, it will take maybe 45 minutes, or less. It depends a lot on your Internet connection, and how busy Apple's servers are.
You can do it, my friend. Press on! :)
Recovery HD
