About to pass along my 2009 MBP...

[JPS]

...and I want to selectively erase everything but the applications and utilities, so that this person may migrate the contents of her old Mac and have the latest Safari, Mail, iTunes, etc. already in place.

How would I go about doing this without deleting everything on the hard disk?

 

[bluespaceoddity]

Wouldn't that complicate rather than simplify the life of the new owner since Software Updates are linked to an Apple ID / App Store account these days?

To me it seems simpler* for all involved to erase everything, re-install the OS, shut down but don't restart, send the Mac.

That way the new owner can use Set Up Assistant on initial start up to set up her own ID / User Accounts and import settings and files from her previous Mac / Time Machine **, run Software Update a few times to upgrade and update both free and previously purchased Software for her own account.

* and more secure for your own private info.
** If she already has a Time Machine backup then several issues for the continuation of those back ups can be avoided by using Set Up Assistant when she switches machines, see:
http://pondini.org/OSX/Setup.html


Edit:

...and I want to selectively erase everything but the applications and utilities, so that this person may migrate the contents of her old Mac and have the latest Safari, Mail, iTunes, etc. already in place.

How would I go about doing this without deleting everything on the hard disk?

... If you really want to go this route though ... perhaps you can accomplish this easiest by creating a new Admin account (in System Preferences > Users), log out of your current account, log into the new Admin Account and then delete all other Admins and Standard accounts that existed on the computer. Just in case Demote the old Admin to Standard account first. Delete the Home folders for the old accounts when prompted).

 

[mrsir2009]

Just do a fresh install of the operating system. It will be as clean as new

 

[CASLondon]

...and I want to selectively erase everything but the applications and utilities, so that this person may migrate the contents of her old Mac and have the latest Safari, Mail, iTunes, etc. already in place.

How would I go about doing this without deleting everything on the hard disk?

I agree that a clean install is the best idea, you can do one then (assuming you have a bootable clone back up, a good idea! use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper), create a new user, and migrate over the applications with Migration Assistant.

That way you've left behind no preferences, library files, etc, all the little clutter from your user.

 

[JPS]

I'm using, of course, Snow Leopard (10.8.2.), so there were no installation disks involved. Can I do a complete erase via Disk Utility, and then download the OS? And would that automatically install all the applications, such as Mail, Safari, and so forth?

I apologize for any or all ignorant comments. Just want to be sure before I ship it across the country!

 

[bluespaceoddity]

I'm using, of course, Snow Leopard (10.8.2.), so there were no installation disks involved. Can I do a complete erase via Disk Utility, and then download the OS? And would that automatically install all the applications, such as Mail, Safari, and so forth?

I apologize for any or all ignorant comments. Just want to be sure before I ship it across the country!

See point 3. "Transfer" of the 10.8.2 (Mountain Lion) Agreement here:
http://images.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/OSX1082.pdf

Your 2009 Macbook Pro shipped with either Leopard or Snow Leopard originally.
If you have a Snow Leopard Disk that you'll be sending the new owner you can use that otherwise you can use the original OS Disk that came with your computer to install Leopard.
The Additional Software Disk works under either one of those systems.

The new owner either has to buy a new Mountain Lion licence or use her own ID to re-download ML from the App Store / reinstall from a back-up ML version she previously created. (Or Lion for that matter)

You can't erase a start up volume. You can Boot from OS DVDs, an external drive (USB or Firewire ... ) or from the ML Recovery Partition and use Disk Utility on those to erase the (rest of the) drive and then re-install the OS.

 

[JPS]

Sorry, my mistake. Of course I meant I have Mountain Lion. If I wipe her disk (I assume through Disk Utility), can I re-download ML on my own account on what will be her MBP?

 

[sweetbrat]

Sorry, my mistake. Of course I meant I have Mountain Lion. If I wipe her disk (I assume through Disk Utility), can I re-download ML on my own account on what will be her MBP?

Legally, no. The software agreement specifically says that if you purchased your license from the Mac App Store, it's not transferrable. (Section 3B of the document bluespaceoddity posted.) Legally you need to remove the software and restore the computer to the version of the OS that came with your computer. Not only that, but if you did the update and then sent it off to her, I think all the software updates that come through the App Store will all be tied to your account—meaning that she would need to log in with your user name and password in order to do those updates. It's just not a great way to do things. She needs to purchase a ML license herself, and then she'll have a legal license and all updates will be tied to her own account.

 

[JPS]

Thanks for that. Much appreciated.

 

[JPS]

"If you really want to go this route though ... perhaps you can accomplish this easiest by creating a new Admin account (in System Preferences > Users), log out of your current account, log into the new Admin Account and then delete all other Admins and Standard accounts that existed on the computer. Just in case Demote the old Admin to Standard account first. Delete the Home folders for the old accounts when prompted)."

I've done this before with previous passed-along laptops. So if I do the above, and she Firewires her old laptop to my MBP, all that will be transferred will be her files, and the latest versions of Safari, Mail, iTunes, etc. will not be overwritten?

Is that correct?