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Q: How do i delete all the info on my mac before i can sell it

I wanna sell my Mac Air and i wanna delete all the information before i can sell it.

Thank you for the info!

MacBook Air, iOS 7.0.3

Posted on Mar 15, 2014 3:37 AM

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Q: How do i delete all the info on my mac before i can sell it

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  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Mar 15, 2014 4:13 AM in response to Apple with Rizwan
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 4:13 AM in response to Apple with Rizwan

    What model year is it? When did you buy it?

     

    Did it come with a System Reinstall USB thumb drive?

  • by turbostar,

    turbostar turbostar Mar 15, 2014 4:32 AM in response to Apple with Rizwan
    Level 4 (2,925 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 4:32 AM in response to Apple with Rizwan

    What OS do you have? If at least Lion, boot holding command+R then at the menu, use disk utility to completely erase the HD. Exit, then choose the option to install OSX on this HD.

  • by dominic23,

    dominic23 dominic23 Mar 15, 2014 5:00 AM in response to Apple with Rizwan
    Level 8 (41,472 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 15, 2014 5:00 AM in response to Apple with Rizwan

    Giving away / Selling your Mac / Resetting  the computer to the factory condition

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189

     

    http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-prepare-your-mac-for-sale/

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Mar 15, 2014 7:58 AM in response to turbostar
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 7:58 AM in response to turbostar

    That is incorrect information. The system has to returned to the original version of OS X that came with it when it was new before it is sold or given away.

     

    Any newer version of OS X that the original owner installed on it is tied to that persons Apple ID and can not be transferred to someone else.

    turbostar wrote:

     

    What OS do you have? If at least Lion, boot holding command+R then at the menu, use disk utility to completely erase the HD. Exit, then choose the option to install OSX on this HD.

  • by turbostar,

    turbostar turbostar Mar 15, 2014 11:12 AM in response to LowLuster
    Level 4 (2,925 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 11:12 AM in response to LowLuster

    Sigh, ok, LowLuster, feel free to go on eBay and flag every auction you see.

     

    I would guess maybe 5% of people return their used Mac's to the original OS. Half the time one is lucky to even get a clean installed OS much less the original OS clean installed.

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Mar 15, 2014 3:07 PM in response to turbostar
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 3:07 PM in response to turbostar

    It doesn't matter what MOST people do. Most people are doing it incorrectly. If you actually knew anything you would realize that.

     

    Just to clarify something for you. All OS X version that anyone buys from the Mac App Store are TIED to the persons Apple ID that bought it and can't be tranferred.

    turbostar wrote:

     

    Sigh, ok, LowLuster, feel free to go on eBay and flag every auction you see.

     

    I would guess maybe 5% of people return their used Mac's to the original OS. Half the time one is lucky to even get a clean installed OS much less the original OS clean installed.

  • by turbostar,

    turbostar turbostar Mar 15, 2014 6:15 PM in response to LowLuster
    Level 4 (2,925 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 6:15 PM in response to LowLuster

    Nice, thanks for the personal attack. GL in your war against all that is wrong.

  • by Apple with Rizwan,

    Apple with Rizwan Apple with Rizwan Mar 15, 2014 7:53 PM in response to LowLuster
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Peripherals
    Mar 15, 2014 7:53 PM in response to LowLuster

    Thank you for your suggestion, i shall try this, and i donot have a reboot drive from the box, i wanna ask another thing is that after i have used the disk utility, can i use the data cable to down load the os instead of wifi.

    Thank you for your patience.

  • by LowLuster,

    LowLuster LowLuster Mar 15, 2014 9:55 PM in response to Apple with Rizwan
    Level 6 (12,074 points)
    Mar 15, 2014 9:55 PM in response to Apple with Rizwan

    Then it came from the factory with either Lion, Mt Lion or if it is brand new Mavericks. You must reinstall the version of OS X that originally came on it when it was new before you sell it.

     

    Here are the instruction to do what you want.

     

    You have to boot to the Online Internet Recovery system.

     

    At startup hold down the Command + Option/alt + r Keys and keep them held down until you see a globe on the screen.

     

    You will be ask to logon to a WiFi network so have the password for your WiFi ready.

     

    Once the Mac OS X Utilities screen load select Disk Utility and click the Continue button. In Disk Utility select the Top most entry in the left column, the one that lists the drive model and size, and the Partition tab on the right.

     

    Select One Partition from the Partition Layout area drop down and set the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and name it Macintoch HD. Click the Options button and make sure GUID is selected then close the Options window. Then click the Apply button.

     

    Once that finishes close Disk Utility and select "Reinstall Mac OS X" from the original screen and again click the Continue button. Lion OS X will be downloaded from the Internet and when that finishes the system will restart to start the actual install of Lion. At some point it will come up with a screen for where to install to. Select, if not already selected, the Macintosh HD.

     

    Once OS X is reinstalled the system will again restart once that happens just hold down the power button until the system turns off, approximately 10 seconds+.

     

    When the new owner get it and turns it on for the first time is will be just like it was new and taken out of the box for the first time.

     

     

    Also you should login to your Apple Support profile and remove that Mac's serial number from your profile so the new owner can put it on theirs.