I have 50+ macs that I need to restore to factory settings to sell. What I think I'll do is install a fresh os on a disk I have, install iLife, and then clone it to each of the computers. I know there are some system files that you can delete to restore the computer to factory settings so setup assistant runs on the first startup, but I'm not sure which ones they are. I'll be working with Lion and ML. What are these files, and is there anything else I should know?
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Restoring 50+ macs to sell
- Thread starter Rokeneer
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If you do not boot the drive after the fresh install then once you clone to the machine you are working on then its first boot it will be in factory default mode, it just starts running the first time setup you normally get.
Edit: Also you should be able to attach the drive to another Mac once mounted open the iLife via if it has one the installer to install to that mounted location or drag and drop the app's into the mounted drives Application folder. While you at it may as well do the same with the combo update for the operating system if ML then 10.8.3.
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Don't I need to boot on the drive I want to install iLife from? Is there any way to put it on a DVD from the App Store? Is it possible to use my computer to download and then install on the bare drive without ever actually booting it?
That does not sound like you have the install disks for these machines if they had any. With that many Macs laying around there should be a disk or two somewhere or some kind of agreement from Apple for the software installed. You need to figure out what software version the machines came with and install that, Apple really is the only one to be able to tell you. I would suggest a list of serial numbers from each sent to Apple explaining you are going to sell and need to know the versions of software that they are legally entitled to have on them and where you locate/find the installer for that software.
if you have server or system image utility, create an image you'd like to deploy to the machines. set-it up on one machine and send it down the line.
you can use firewire, thunderbolt or ethernet/network. if you have a few machines done you can create another main deploy system from one of the newly created clones.
with ilife depending...with lion and mt lion they need to accept them from the appe store, otherwise you can install ilife on the master image and deploy it with the os at the same time updates included.
you can use firewire, thunderbolt or ethernet/network. if you have a few machines done you can create another main deploy system from one of the newly created clones.
with ilife depending...with lion and mt lion they need to accept them from the appe store, otherwise you can install ilife on the master image and deploy it with the os at the same time updates included.
Personally I'd drop the $20 for Mountain Lion Server (If you don't have it already) make a NetRestore image exactly how you'd like it then restore the machines over gigabit ethernet.
If you have the infrastructure (and especially if your server has the NetRestore image on an SSD) this would be the fastest and easiest method.
If you have the infrastructure (and especially if your server has the NetRestore image on an SSD) this would be the fastest and easiest method.