How to prepare my partitioned Macbook Pro 15 to sell

[DaBoss22]

Hi guys...

I'm trying to sell a partitioned Macbook Pro 2011 15". It has Windows 8.1 Pro and Microsoft office on both partitions. Does anyone know how to prepare it to be sold/ know a good market to sell it on? I feel like Ebay isn't the best place for such a thing.

Thanks!

 

[chabig]

Here is what I do:

Before you do anything:

1) Deauthorize the computer in iTunes:
- iTunes
- Audible
- SRS iWOW

2) Deauthorize other software:
- Adobe CS3
- Sign out of iCloud in System Prefs
- Sign out of the App Store

3) Remove Open Firmware passwords

4) Shut down any VMs you might be running

5) Turn the brightness full up and volume nearly so


To create a clean installation:

1. Install OS X and set it up the way you want it--Boot to the Recovery Partition and install the clean system. Create an admin account, update all applications. You'll see later how to delete accounts and re-enable setup assistant to run on first boot.

2. Boot to single user mode (cmd-s)

3. Mount the filesystem
mount -uw /

4. Clean up the image (use the GUI or these terminal commands):
rm /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/var/db/BootCache.playlist
rm /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/var/db/volinfo.database
rm -r /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/var/vm/sleepimage
rm -r /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/var/vm/swap*
rm -r /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temp
rm /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/var/db/.AppleSetupDone

5. Shut down
shutdown -h now

Of course, you will have to repartition before you install OS X.

 

[DaBoss22]

So I will be getting rid of the partition all together?

Thanks for the other advise. Very helpful.

 

[chabig]

I would get rid of the partition and make the machine look just like a buyer would find it coming out of an Apple box.

 

[p3ntyne]

There is no need to go through that.

Simply go to recovery (CMD + R on boot), click disk utility and then the internal hard drive. Click one partition, name in Macintosh HD and confirm the partitioning. Then click reinstall OS X and once finished and at the setup screen, shut it down.

That's how I've always done it (post-10.7). It's worked perfectly and automatically deactivated my software.

 

[maflynn]

There is no need to go through that.

You still should deauthorize your music and software

 

[p3ntyne]

You still should deauthorize your music and software

Really?

For me, that's never been the case...

 

[maflynn]

Really?

For me, that's never been the case...

Definitely makes life easier if you're close to the limit on the number of computers for your iTunes stuff and for Adobe you don't run into licensing issues. Of course with the creative cloud, maybe that isn't needed any longer.

 

[p3ntyne]

Definitely makes life easier if you're close to the limit on the number of computers for your iTunes stuff and for Adobe you don't run into licensing issues. Of course with the creative cloud, maybe that isn't needed any longer.

Interesting. I have CS 6 and have reinstalled after clean installs plenty of times without licensing issues (limited to 1 desktop and 1 laptop).