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What to do before selling MBA without restore CD/USB

I have a late 2008 MBA that I'm trying to sell.


I believe it came with Leopard but it's running OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion now.


I bought Mountain Lion on the App Store and I believe it's not transferrable. (Or is it? If it is, would it solve everything?)


Anyway, before selling it, I want to reset it to factory setting so that the buyer can start fresh as if it were new.


But I don't have the original Leopard restore CD or USB (whichever it came with since it has no CD drive).


Do I somehow have to get a copy of the Leopard CD or USB?


I know Genius Bar would do it for me but I have no time.


Is there a way around this?


Thanks in advance.

Posted on Feb 24, 2013 6:00 PM

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Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Feb 24, 2013 9:25 PM

Dinky87 wrote:


I bought Mountain Lion on the App Store and I believe it's not transferrable. (Or is it? If it is, would it solve everything?)


It's not transferrable. OS X Mountain Lion is registered to your Apple ID and only you can use OS X Mountain Lion.


Dinky87 wrote:


Do I somehow have to get a copy of the Leopard CD or USB?


In this case, you have to call Apple to get replacement DVDs > http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 After receiving the DVDs, you will need a PC or Mac to reinstall Mac OS X (erasing the disk with Disk Utility first) using Remote Install Mac OS X. Or an easier thing: buy an external optical drive, connect it to your Mac, insert the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 and hold the C key while your Mac is starting to start from the disc.


To erase the disk after starting from the disc, go to Utilities menu > Disk Utility, select the hard disk at the top of the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the disk

5 replies
Question marked as Best reply

Feb 24, 2013 9:25 PM in response to Dinky87

Dinky87 wrote:


I bought Mountain Lion on the App Store and I believe it's not transferrable. (Or is it? If it is, would it solve everything?)


It's not transferrable. OS X Mountain Lion is registered to your Apple ID and only you can use OS X Mountain Lion.


Dinky87 wrote:


Do I somehow have to get a copy of the Leopard CD or USB?


In this case, you have to call Apple to get replacement DVDs > http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 After receiving the DVDs, you will need a PC or Mac to reinstall Mac OS X (erasing the disk with Disk Utility first) using Remote Install Mac OS X. Or an easier thing: buy an external optical drive, connect it to your Mac, insert the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 and hold the C key while your Mac is starting to start from the disc.


To erase the disk after starting from the disc, go to Utilities menu > Disk Utility, select the hard disk at the top of the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the disk

What to do before selling MBA without restore CD/USB

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