New hard drive installing OS from different computer

[jsfpa]

A friends hard drive failed in her Mac mini. I am replacing it with a SSD drive. I just received the new drive and put it in an external case. I installed El Capitan on it from a downloaded copy from the App Store plugged into my computer. My question is, since it was downloaded from my AppStore account will the updates to the OS in the future be linked to my Apple ID. The Mac mini had a copy of El Capitan when it failed so it had a copy licensed to it.

 

[prisstratton]

I cannot profess to know all of the “in’s and out’s” of how your Apple ID might be linked in the future using your method. But, here is how I would do a clean install.

Create a bootable USB stick with the downloaded copy of El Cap.

Use this: http://diskmakerx.com

After this process is complete, option boot to the USB stick.

Before you proceed with the installation, use Disk Utility to create a new partition and format the drive (should be GUID and formatted as Mac OS X Journaled).

Now start the installation and point the installer at the SSD in the external enclosure.

When complete the drive will be a clean install with no links to anyone, just as if you took the box home fresh from the store.

Replace the drive in the mini with the fresh SSD and pass it back to your friend.

When she starts the mini it will go through the usual start up questions linking her Apple ID to the installation.