Selling my MacBook Pro (2009) and want to wipe the hard drive. Downloaded Mountain Lion from the App Store and don't have the original disc.

you need the disks, call Apple. also, a mid 2012 model does not come with install disks

That is for macs sold with 10.7 and later, not macs from 2009.

Per apples end user license agreement, you must sell a Mac with the original version of OS X that it shipped with.

MonumentMan wrote:

and yes I am using a MacBook Pro from mid 2009 that I had upgraded to Mountain Lion. Just so there is no confusion given other comments in this thread.

To prepare a Mac for Sale.

If you have Downloaded and Upgraded to Lion or Mountain Lion...

See...

Here is an excerpt of the SLA; the Lion license (purchased from MAS) is NOT transferable. The SLA is quite clear:

B. If you obtained your license to the Apple Software from the Mac App Store or on Apple-branded physical media, it is not transferable. If you sell your Apple-branded hardware to athird party, you must remove the Apple Software from the Apple-branded hardware beforedoing so, and you may restore your system to the version of the Apple operating systemsoftware that originally came with your Apple hardware (the “Original Apple OS”) andpermanently transfer the Original Apple OS together with your Apple hardware, provided that:(i) the transfer must include all of the Original Apple OS, including all its component parts,printed materials and its license; (ii) you do not retain any copies of the Original Apple OS, fullor partial, including copies stored on a computer or other storage device; and (iii) the partyreceiving the Original Apple OS reads and agrees to accept the terms and conditions of theOriginal Apple OS license.

You will need the Original Install Disc(s) to be Included in the Sale.

Now...

Boot from the original OS installer disk and do an Erase & Install.

When the Mac reboots into Mac Setup Assistant Quit... and shut it down.

When the New Owner Boots it up it's a brand new Mac... just like when you got it.

My first post!

I think I am in the same situation. Selling a MBPro from mid-2009, don't recall having any install discs (and certainly don't have them now). Want to sell it with the original OS. So it sounds like I can erase the hard drive and reboot to the recovery partition and it will find and install the original OS with a clean hard drive?

I had upgraded to Lion, which if I can get it on the mid-2009 MBPro fine, but if not I don't much care. I already deauthorized it from iTunes so I don't think it would recognize it anyway.

Please confirm for me that I don't need actual discs to reinstall the OS. Thanks.

read the above post by AnaMusic. You need the disks it came with. Macs came with OS X on disk until they were released with 10.7, Lion, which was July 2011.

MonumentMan said he didn't need the discs in one of his posts above. Confused. Do I need them or not?

re read my above post. I can't make that any clearer.

ok then.