How to factory reset a late 2012 iMac for recycling

I just bought a new iMac and want to recycle my old iMac, late 2012, running Catalina 10.15.8. How do I reset my old iMac to factory settings?

iMac 24″, macOS 15.7

Posted on Mar 8, 2026 9:52 AM

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Posted on Mar 8, 2026 10:00 AM

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102773

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Mar 8, 2026 10:00 AM in response to Puedesayudarme

https://support.apple.com/en-us/102773

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Level 10

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Mar 8, 2026 10:35 AM in response to Puedesayudarme

+1 👍

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Mar 8, 2026 10:44 AM in response to Puedesayudarme

In addition to the good guidance provided, know that if your plan is to recycle the computer, then there is no need bother with reinstalling the OS after you follow the steps to wipe the drive.

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Mar 8, 2026 12:25 PM in response to Puedesayudarme

Thank you. That seemed to have done the trick!

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How to factory reset a late 2012 iMac for recycling

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