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FormerNerd Author

Level 1

4 points

Asking How to wipe old iMac after migration to new iMac

Hello. My first iMac lasted me a whopping fifteen years. Since it is showing signs of diminished dependability, it was time to upgrade. The migration tools worked perfectly and I am happily using the new iMac.

What I want to do is effectively remove all of my data without compromising anything that is in the cloud.

I restarted the old iMac - turned off iCloud and wifi and bluetooth. And now I want to ask the forum "what is the smartest way to clean up this old computer before it goes away?

Thanks in advance - FormerNerd

iMac 24″, macOS 15.3

Posted on Sep 27, 2025 7:59 AM

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

148,617 points

Posted on Sep 27, 2025 8:03 AM

Follow the steps in this article:

if you ever expect anyone to use that computer again, be sure to install the original 'shipped in the box' version of macOS, as detailed in the article.

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

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