how do I transfer ownership of my iMac?

If you purchased the iMac after July 2011 or if it didn't come with DVDs, call Apple to deauthorize your iMac from your Apple ID > http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57 Then, your daughter will be able to authorize it with her Apple ID, so she will be able to reinstall OS X and iLife applications for free.

If you want, you can erase the hard drive and reinstall OS X, but if you think it's not necessary, just create a new user account for her in System Preferences > Users & Groups.

If your Mac came with DVDs, simply give them to your daughter. In this case, I recommend you to check which OS X version you have in  > About this Mac, and if it's 10.7.x or newer, I recommend you to erase the hard drive and reinstall Mac OS X with these DVDs

rollerblady wrote:

I am giving my iMac to my daughter.

Apple What to do before selling or giving away your Mac

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

What model year is your Mac? If it is a late 2011 or newer you use the Online Internet recovery system to reinstall the original version of OS X that came on it. To boot the computer to that system hold down the Command + Option/Alt + r keys until you see a globe on the screen. From the Mac OS X Utilities page that comes up use Disk Utility to Re-Partition the drive as One Partition. You "MUST" do that to get rid of the Mavericks Built In Recovery HD partition. Name the New One Partition Macintosh HD.

Once that is done you exit disk Utility and then select Reinstall Mac OS X and the original version of OS X will be downloaded from the internet and installed.

If your Mac came with DVD discs for reinstalling OS X you use them to do what I described above in the same order.

Rather than start a new thread, this one seemed pertinent enough to resurrect.

I will soon inherit an Intel iMac from my elderly father (who is unable to use it anymore). I live 1500 miles away, but my brother lives near him.

Is it possible my brother can simply box it up and ship it, and then I can do all the de-authorization here, rather than have my brother struggle with it? He's had his hands full caring for our dad.

I'm guessing it's from 2011, probably OSX 10.7 Lion. Model identifier is "iMac8, 1". Processor is an Intel Core 2 Duo. I have serial number, and hardware UUID. What I don't have is his Apple ID, and neither of us would know how to go about finding it. I imagine my dad's ISP service (email) will have been terminated if isn't already.

My G4 PPC tower is very old, and I'm not familiar with current authorization procedures, especially if there is something that needs to be done online; I try to stay disconnected from iTunes Store.

I intend to fully erase the HD, and re-install OS (not sure if there is an install disc or not, and won't know until it's time to ship). Was mostly wondering if there are any complications doing this from an entirely different ISP - if I have to be online at all.

If the lack of an Apple ID is a big hurdle, are there any workarounds? Ultimately this iMac will be used strictly for being online. All my old work apps still must be run from the G4; I'll set up a network if needed.

Thanks in advance.

A different ISP has nothing to do with it; what matters is the new licemsing restrictions and requirements:

Any Mac that came without install DVDs (Lion and later): the license obtained at the app store is not transferable and is tied to the original purchaser's Apple ID forever. So, you'd need your father's Apple ID and password to do any de-authorizing and reinstalling. And you do need to erase and reinstall because of the SLA restrictions. If the drive is not erased, you will have nothing but problems going forward.

By the way, any Mac that came with Lion and later needs to be de-registered here:

https://daw.apple.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/DSAuthWeb.woa/wa/classicLogin?appIdKey= 58ef9db8ff4d201409e7270a68e4408ae1678e1618204c476572a1b5e5fb3518&path&language=U S-EN

This procedure disassociates the Mac and the OS from the original owner and you can then associate it with your Apple ID. You also need the original Apple ID and password for this.

If it came with an install disk (Snow Leopard and earlier), it is easier: insert the disk, hit C key while restarting and use Disk Utility to erase the drive and reinstall the system from scratch.

Thanks babowa.

babowa wrote:

If it came with an install disk (Snow Leopard and earlier), it is easier: insert the disk, hit C key while restarting and use Disk Utility to erase the drive and reinstall the system from scratch.

To clarify, if there is a Snow Leopard install disc available, can erase-and-reinstall be accomplished without my dad's Apple ID and password?

ID and password might be very difficult to find. Dad kept a badly disorganized desktop; he's near death, and we must pay attention to that first. But I also don't want to see a perfectly usable iMac got to waste for neglect.

To clarify, if there is a Snow Leopard install disc available, can erase-and-reinstall be accomplished without my dad's Apple ID and password?

Yes you should be able to: boot from the install disk by hitting C key while restarting; choose Disk Utility in menu bar right after the language selection. Choose to erase the hard drive and quit Disk utility. The installer should then reinstall the OS. After updating to 10.6.8, you can purchase/download anything at the app store with your own Apple ID.

Thanx babowa.

Followup: I did find some old email that shows he bought this around Feb 2009. So probably goes back to Leopard, and a disc should be available. The retailer installed the OS, and it's almost certain my dad never upgraded.

If needed, I guess I could go to Apple to request his password, using my dad's e-mail address (which might be the ID), and have my brother access it at my dad's. If internet is still hooked up.

I'll find a way, thanks.

If you mean call Apple - no, they would not have his computer password as the owner/user sets this up for him/herself. Apple can help with the iTunes ID and password, but if he is on an old system, he would not even have access to that.

Depending on which OS he is on, you may be able to use these instructions:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1274

Thanks again!

Having the machine's serial number, call AppleCare and request replacement installation discs. They should be available for a nominal S&H charge. Then, when you get them, just boot the machine w/disc 1, erase the HD, and reinstall the OS, followed by installing the stuff on disc 2. Snow Leopard's available from Apple for $20 USD: http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard. If you want to go further up the chain, then you can get Mavericks for free via the App Store or get a redemption code from Apple for use at the App Store.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6106Z/A/os-x-lion

http://store.apple.com/us/product/D6377Z/A/os-x-mountain-lion

Since you're coming from a G4 tower, your PPC apps won't work with Lion or above.

Thanks baltwo.

Yeah, I'll probably stick with Snow Leopard; can't afford to upgrade from Adobe CS2 right now.

I can even use the G4 for CS2 if have to, maybe set up a network. The newer machine will relieve the G4 of online duty. Seems like it wants to die every time it goes on an internet that's so bloated (compared to 13 years ago).

Let us know how it turns out.

baltwo wrote:

Let us know how it turns out.

Checking in per request. This may not be all that helpful to others, because things were in place to make this super easy. Leopard Install disc was in the box. My dad had no admin password set up, so a simple Return got me in. From there it was only a matter of Erase and Install, same as anyone would do on a Mac. (Did not install Leopard Disc 2, however, as Baltwo had suggested; seemed unnecessary when I saw the contents.) Upgraded to Snow Leopard, everything works great.

Thanks again for the help, guys. Onward to figuring out networking.