Renaming a MacBook Pro and OSX Recovery

Question

Renaming a MacBook Pro and OSX Recovery

Hello. I am preparing my 2010 Macbook Pro to sell.

I have erased the HDD and used Recovery information at

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

to install Yosemite from one of my Time Machine back ups.

He did not want El Capitan.

I will then Erase HDD again BUT how do I change the owner's name of the MacBook. I keep seeing my name as Admin.

Basically, I want to wipe EVERYTHING off this laptop and allow the buyer to set up from new in his name.

Thank you.

MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2010), OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), lives with iPad, eMate, PowerBooks 540c, 160 and a Newton 2000

Posted on Feb 2, 2016 10:16 PM

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Answer 1

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

Feb 3, 2016 8:53 AM in response to Michael Vallance

If the MBP came with an installation DVD (e.g. 10.6 or below), that should be used to erase the drive and reinstall the version of OS X that the MBP originally came with. If the buyer wants to install a newer OS X version, then the buyer should be held responsible for installing that OS. I doubt your 2010 model came with OS X Yosemite. Then shutdown the Mac without going through Setup. Let the new owner set it up.

Same as above if the MBP did not come with an installation DVD. The MBP should be restarted into Internet Recovery (Command+Option+R) and erase then install that version of OS X (e.g. 10.7 and above) that came pre-installed. Then shutdown the Mac without going through Setup. Let the new owner set it up.

Completely erasing the hard drive and reinstalling the OS will remove all prior user accounts, data, settings, user installed apps.

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Answer 2

Eric Root

Level 10

684,039 points

Feb 3, 2016 9:51 AM in response to Michael Vallance

Selling old Mac (4) Apple support

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Answer 3

Feb 4, 2016 6:01 PM in response to Eric Root

Thank you so far but still having trouble.

I erased the HDD and then tried to install OS X.

re. (Command+Option+R) and erase then install that version of OS X (e.g. 10.7 and above) that came pre-installed.

BUT .. it wants to install El Capitan which is horrid and slow on the MacBook and I want Yosemite. What is my next step?

Restore from old back up - which was Yosemite system - and maybe I can download Yosemite again and reinstall that way?

I have to do this for the new owner. No choice.

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2016 6:23 PM in response to Michael Vallance

According to MacTracker, that MacBook Pro came with either Snow Leopard (and Snow Leopard DVDs with are available from Apple, call Apple Support and ask for one, if you no longer have the one that came with the system), or maybe with Lion (bootable USB, look for Lion in your Mac App Store previous purchases list).

Erase the disk with that.

Any other versions and any upgrades past what that MacBook Pro was originally shipped with are the buyer's responsibility to license and download and install. This is how the Apple EULA works.

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