Clearing Mavericks to sell

[Handle]

I am going to sell my 2009 iMac with OS X Mavericks.

I was wondering the best way to delete all of my stuff from the computer. Do I have to wipe everything and reinstall the OS or is there an easier way?

I don't have the original OS CD (or DVD?) so I don't know if I could even do that.

 

[Weaselboy]

I am going to sell my 2009 iMac with OS X Mavericks.

I was wondering the best way to delete all of my stuff from the computer. Do I have to wipe everything and reinstall the OS or is there an easier way?

I don't have the original OS CD (or DVD?) so I don't know if I could even do that.

That really is the best way. Follow the steps here then command-r boot to recovery and use Disk Util to erase Macintosh HD to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Then quit Disk Util and click reinstall OS X. Once the install is done and the system restarts, just power down.

You will be asked to enter your AppleID to get the Mavericks download, but this does not tie your AppleID to the system.

Just tell the new owner to login to the App Store with their own AppleID and "purchase" Mavericks in case they ever need to reinstall.

 

[satcomer]

Apple's document What to do before selling or giving away your Mac.

 

[Handle]

Thanks for both replies. So I don't have to purchase the OS over again? NICE! They really make this easy. The last time I reinstalled an OS I used a floppy disk and DOS to FDisk and I needed the OS on CD along with the product key

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for both replies. So I don't have to purchase the OS over again? NICE! They really make this easy. The last time I reinstalled an OS I used a floppy disk and DOS to FDisk and I needed the OS on CD along with the product key

Nope. Just wipe and reinstall.

 

[Handle]

Thanks. I'm just curious about this, Apple will give the full OS for free to anyone with a Mac computer?

 

[glenthompson]

Thanks. I'm just curious about this, Apple will give the full OS for free to anyone with a Mac computer?

The last two OS X upgrades have been free. Previous versions had a small charge. All Macs come with OS X installed as part of the system. It's a different business model than Windows.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks. I'm just curious about this, Apple will give the full OS for free to anyone with a Mac computer?

Since the last Mavericks update, yes it has been free.

 

[Handle]

Weaselboy, quick question.

When reinstalling Mavericks it asked where to install it, the 2 options where the MAC HD and Recovery HD. The Recovery HD had 650MB total and 119MB available.

Could there be any personal info on that Recovery partition?

 

[Weaselboy]

Weaselboy, quick question.

When reinstalling Mavericks it asked where to install it, the 2 options where the MAC HD and Recovery HD. The Recovery HD had 650MB total and 119MB available.

Could there be any personal info on that Recovery partition?

Nope... that is nothing but the recovery utility. None of your personal info is on there.

 

[Handle]

Excellent, thanks.

 

[jorgk]

How to use installer app

To follow on this thread, how does one, most easily, install Mavericks on a MacBook (but w/o USB-Stick, FW or Thunderbolt), just by having an external HDD, connected via USB ?

Got the installer (within the 'Install OS X Mavericks.app'), could place a Mavericks recovery volume on a external HDD, but how to install without making a dedicated partition ?
The aim is to get the same result as if starting with a fabric-new Mac.

All the advice I can find points to make a bootable installer, mostly on an USB-stick. That bootable installer is then booted into, to run it to make an installation onto the HDD.

Is there no direct way ? I mean, all the components are there:
- a recovery volume to start the machine (e.g. by a Command-R boot into the recovery volume on the external HDD),
- somewhere on that external HDD the installer ('Install OS X Mavericks.app')
[actually, that HDD is a CCC-clone of a Mavericks installed Mac],
- a free internal HDD (wiped via DiskUtil available from the recovery volume).

Thus, why can one only go via a new download (that is what the new installation choice in the recovery-menue will do)?

Shouldn't there be a way that is quicker if the installer is already there within the 'Install OS X Mavericks.app'.

Puzzling.

 

[Weaselboy]

Shouldn't there be a way that is quicker if the installer is already there within the 'Install OS X Mavericks.app'.

Puzzling.

There is not unfortunately. You need to either boot to the recovery partition and download the installer again to install, or make the USB key from the 'Install OS X Mavericks.app' you have.