Restoring iMac to Factory Settings (Late 2012)

I am assuming you are running Mountain Lion if it is a late 2012 iMac? (Your profile shows you are running 10.6.7).

If so, your Mac has a built in recovery - use Command + R while restarting or Command + Option + R (either should get you to internet recovery with a new model) and make sure you are connected via WiFi. Restart with the keys held down and you can erase and reinstall the OS from Apple's servers.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718

If it is a Late 2012 model then you have Mt Lion installed. To do what you want at startup hold down the Command+r keys and that will boot you to the Recovery HD partition. From that you use Disk Utility to Erase the Macintosh HD partition and then exit ** and select Reinstall Mac OS X. OS X Mt Lion will be downloaed from the internet and when the download is finished the system will Reboot and the install will start. Once that is done and the system reboots again you will have a Mac that acts like you just took it out of the box.

Hi there,

Any other option to get OS X Mt. Lion aside from on the internet? Like Alf Joroensen I would like to restore a newly acquired imac to it's factory settings. (Original botched migration resulted in two users etc.) I've read your instructions - seems simple enough but I presently have no internet connection. Thought I'd be able to tether my iphone to the new imac (as I've done with all 'laptop macs) but doesn't seem to be a plug and play as with the laptops.

Any suggestions? I won't not have an internet connection until I get a SIM card from my modum another few days. ...... presently accesssing the internet through a 'laptop' mac.

Thanks for your help,

Onalayah

I wouldn't attempt such a large download (4+ GB) with anything but a stable internet connection; using your data plan from your cell phone carrier may not work (and they do prefer that you pay for access for your computer through an ISP).

Restart the computer with the Command and R keys held down, use the Disk Utility to erase the partition holding Mac OS X, and install a new OS onto it.

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If the Mac shipped with 10.7 or newer, it's true.

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Please read the other posts to this thread. It is all covered.