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Clean Install question

V

volntitan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 4, 2005
374
0
So my father passed away 3-4 years ago and I was given his 27" imac. My father, being an older "dog", got the imac and then had parallels installed so he could run windows. Yep. Got the imac because it looked cool, but ran it 100% of the time in windows.

So I've always wanted to wipe off the window's partition and change "ownership" name, but just never got around to it. So thought with the new OS, it would be a good time to do that. Problem is, not sure how to wipe everything clean and start anew. I can follow clear instructions, but seems everyplace I look, it kind of says different things. I did upgrade to Mavericks btw.

Any "ultra clean install for dummies" instructions anyone could point me to?

Thanks!
 
D

deviant

macrumors 65816
Oct 27, 2007
1,187
275
volntitan said:
So my father passed away 3-4 years ago and I was given his 27" imac. My father, being an older "dog", got the imac and then had parallels installed so he could run windows. Yep. Got the imac because it looked cool, but ran it 100% of the time in windows.

So I've always wanted to wipe off the window's partition and change "ownership" name, but just never got around to it. So thought with the new OS, it would be a good time to do that. Problem is, not sure how to wipe everything clean and start anew. I can follow clear instructions, but seems everyplace I look, it kind of says different things. I did upgrade to Mavericks btw.

Any "ultra clean install for dummies" instructions anyone could point me to?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Sorry about your dad. It would be something like
1)Download Yosemite
2) download diskmaker X, insert empty usb 8gb stick or more and create Yosemite usb installer
3) reboot, press alt/option after you hear the long doooooo, go into Yosemite installer
4) click disk utility, format the drive
5) install Yosemite ;)
 
JPamplin

JPamplin

macrumors 6502
Mar 12, 2009
320
63
Nashville, TN
WHOA. One step everyone forgets...

Sorry about your Dad passing - mine died in Nov. 2011.

Before you wipe anything on that machine - go to http://supportprofile.apple.com using HIS Apple ID and password (and if you don't know the password, use his hopefully-still-active email account to retrieve it).

Then remove this iMac from being registered under his ID. That way, when you do a clean install (yes, I'd clean install 10.9.5 after grabbing his data and wiping the drive, then upgrade to 10.10 after you set all your user preferences - the reason for this will come out in the next couple of days), you will be able to register the iMac under YOUR Apple ID and all will be right with the world.

JP

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deviant said:
Sorry about your dad. It would be something like
1)Download Yosemite
2) download diskmaker X, insert empty usb 8gb stick or more and create Yosemite usb installer
3) reboot, press alt/option after you hear the long doooooo, go into Yosemite installer
4) click disk utility, format the drive
5) install Yosemite ;)
Click to expand...

Sooooo Diskmaker 4.0b2 works OK with the Yosemite GM? You verified this?
 
D

deviant

macrumors 65816
Oct 27, 2007
1,187
275
JPamplin said:
Sooooo Diskmaker 4.0b2 works OK with the Yosemite GM? You verified this?
Click to expand...

I believe i read it does, but it's 4.0b3. I just use terminal though .. it's easier and in the end that's what disk maker x does as well, so..

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app --nointeraction

Where usb disk is named Untitled
 
ABC5S

ABC5S

Suspended
Sep 10, 2013
3,395
1,646
Florida
Right now Terminal is best since 4.0b2 is problematic, at least I got the error. Until diskmaker comes out with the update for Yosemite final, I would have issues using it. Terminal is so much easier..

DiskMakerX 4b4 is now out and being used

https://twitter.com/liondiskmaker
 
Last edited:
V

volntitan

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 4, 2005
374
0
Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any way to find out what his apple ID was other than guessing. Even if he was still around, he wouldn't probably know. If I don't do the "unregister" deal, will that prevent me from doing the clean install?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,602
California
volntitan said:
Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any way to find out what his apple ID was other than guessing. Even if he was still around, he wouldn't probably know. If I don't do the "unregister" deal, will that prevent me from doing the clean install?
Click to expand...

Not at all.
 
A

Allograft

macrumors 6502
Oct 19, 2014
334
238
what about some of this stuff that I read about as far as clearing PRAM and the like. Does the clean install do enough that none of those extra steps need to be taken. I understand than clean installs are more those of us that have been traumatized by Windows, but I also find clean installs work better with iOS so I'd like to continue to positive mojo
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,602
California
Allograft said:
what about some of this stuff that I read about as far as clearing PRAM and the like. Does the clean install do enough that none of those extra steps need to be taken. I understand than clean installs are more those of us that have been traumatized by Windows, but I also find clean installs work better with iOS so I'd like to continue to positive mojo
Click to expand...

Nothing really in PRAM you need to clear out. If Internet recovery was ever used on that machine, the wifi password used would be remembered in PRAM, but it does no harm to leave it there. No harm in resetting PRAM either though if it would make you feel better.
 
A

Allograft

macrumors 6502
Oct 19, 2014
334
238
thanks, anything else that i could do to make myself feel better? I do like feeling better and I'd like to step every step possible to that end when doing a major upgrade like the OS :cool:
 
ABC5S

ABC5S

Suspended
Sep 10, 2013
3,395
1,646
Florida
Possible borked USB thumb drive/terminal install, but attempting a clean install of Yosemite, I thought everything was going fine until the very end when I got a dark screen upon final boot up with a question mark in a white circle. Dumped the install and use DiskMaker for the clean install and all went well

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