resetting everything?

Discussion in 'iMac' started by fr3n2y, Sep 10, 2012.

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  1. fr3n2y, Sep 10, 2012

    fr3n2y macrumors newbie

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2011
    Location:
    New Forest, Hampshire UK
    #1
    Hello,

    I have just bought a new MBP and will no longer use my iMac as my main computer.

    I want to wipe everything from my iMac apart from my itunes and iphoto libraries. Basically put it back to how it was when I bought it but keeping the above.

    I updated to Mountain Lion via the app store recently but do not have a disc for it?

    I am a fairly new Mac user, from my pc days it was a simple back up files, chuck in the xp disc, install, then copy everything back to it. I'm hoping its even easier on a mac?

    I have an external 500gb usb harddrive that is doing nothing so could copy files to that, I do not have time machine or anything else.

    Could someone point me in the right direction to how I would go about doing this?

    Thanks in advance


    Mel
     
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  2. fr3n2y, Sep 11, 2012

    fr3n2y thread starter macrumors newbie

    Joined:
    Apr 17, 2011
    Location:
    New Forest, Hampshire UK
    #2
    anybody?
     
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  3. Tankmaze, Sep 11, 2012

    Tankmaze macrumors 68000

    Tankmaze

    Joined:
    Mar 7, 2012
    #3
    its quite easy if you have an external HD, your external HD is 500 gb which is the same as the imac HD ? so just setup the time machine and choose the ext HD.

    after that use the migration assistant in the mbp and choose the source from the time machine ext HD.

    good luck.
     
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  4. forty2j, Sep 11, 2012

    forty2j macrumors 68030

    forty2j

    Joined:
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    Location:
    NJ
    #4
    Time Machine is an application. It's on your Mac already. You don't have a Time Capsule, but you don't need that to use Time Machine. Time Capsule is basically a WiFi router and an external hard drive in one box. You can hook your external hard drive up and Time Machine to it.

    Once you're backed up, you can redownload ML from your purchases in the App Store, and select "clean install" (rather than "upgrade") when you install it. This will turn it into fresh computer. When it boots up after the ML install, it will ask if you have stuff on another Mac or on a Time Machine backup you'd like to bring over.. you can then select your user profile and anything else you want to keep.
     
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  5. mmomega, Sep 11, 2012

    mmomega macrumors demi-god

    mmomega

    Joined:
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    Location:
    DFW, TX
    #5
    If you have an external HDD and somewhat fast internet the process is very simple.
    Backup what you want to preserve and reboot while holding the Option key down and select the Reinstall OSX partition.
    Use Disk utility to erase the drive and reinstall OSX.
     
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  6. tech0925, Sep 11, 2012

    tech0925 macrumors member

    tech0925

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2009
    #6
    This is the tactic that I use. It is very easy to do. :D
     
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  7. mojothemonkey, Sep 11, 2012

    mojothemonkey macrumors regular

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2005
    #7
    The rumors about this gentleman using his iMac for photos and music are TRUE.
     
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