helltrader

Q: sell an imac

I want to sell my imac. How can I get sure that there remain no of my own data?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Nov 9, 2012 10:50 PM

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Q: sell an imac

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  • by mende1,

    mende1 mende1 Nov 9, 2012 11:00 PM in response to helltrader
    Level 10 (93,329 points)
    Desktops
    Nov 9, 2012 11:00 PM in response to helltrader

    Welcome to the Apple Support Communities

     

    If your computer came with OS X Lion or Mountain Lion, press Command, Option and R keys on boot, open Disk Utility, erase the disk and install OS X. When the installation finishes, turn off the computer.

     

    If yoru Mac came with Leopard or Snow Leopard, insert the OS X disc that came with the computer, press C key on boot, go to Utilities > Disk Utility, erase the drive and install OS X. When the installation finishes, turn off your Mac.

     

    Note that you must give the discs that came with your computer to the new owner if your computer came with them. If your Mac came without DVDs, the new owner must purchase GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto and OS X Mountain Lion or Lion in the App Store. All of them are registered to your Apple ID and he/she won't be able to reinstall those programs

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Nov 9, 2012 11:03 PM in response to helltrader
    Level 10 (123,795 points)
    Nov 9, 2012 11:03 PM in response to helltrader

    Sadly, 10.7 & beyond makes selling a Mac a Nightmare, license for the OS isn't transferable.

     

    In previous OSX versions...

     

      1. Insert the Mac OS X Install disc that came with your computer, then restart the computer while holding the C key.

       2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you must select your language first.)

          *Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*

       3. Click the Erase tab.

       4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.

       5. Select your Mac OS X volume.

       6. Highlight the drive, select Partition Tab, then Format type... MacOS Extended Journalled, select the Security Options button, choose Zero Out Data, Erase... after completion do a new install.

     

     

    Or...

     

    Open System Preferences>Accounts, unlock the lock, click on the little plus icon, make a new admin account, log out & into the new account.

    In the same pref pane highlight your old account, click the little minus icon, then use Disk Utility to Secure Erase Free Space.

  • by AnaMusic,

    AnaMusic AnaMusic Nov 9, 2012 11:03 PM in response to helltrader
    Level 9 (57,234 points)
    Nov 9, 2012 11:03 PM in response to helltrader