Selling iMac & lost install disks

[TWHH]

Hi there

I've just replaced my 2009 iMac with a newer machine and need to sell the older one.

I'll do a 7-pass erase of the hard drive first. Problem I've got is that I can;t for the life of me find the original OSX install disk or iLife (whichever version it originally was) disks.

Is my machine unsellable, or will the 7-pass erase keep the OS and original iLife software in place for the new user to upgrade as they please?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[maflynn]

Pick up some disks off ebay.

You can sell it, though you risk the buyer possibly recovering some of your data. I'd also be very explicit in stating that it does not include the system disks.

 

[TWHH]

OK think I may have found the disks... but they were in a box with other disks that may well have been from my even older G5 iMac...

Can anyone shine any light on which disks should have come with an early 2009 iMac?

I have one labelled 'iMac Mac OS X Instal DVD' and a second labelled 'iMac Applications Install DVD'

Both are dated 2009... The first has Mac OS version 10.5.6 (which is the OS that the iMac should've shipped with) printed on it. The second disc also has 'AHT version 3A159'. If I open up the installer and inspect what's in there the applications names do not note which iLife suite they are part of. The Mac shipped with iLife 09.

Thanks

 

[macthefork]

10.5.6 is the OS that iMac shipped with. The apps, incluting the iLife apps, should be on the second disk with the AHT (Apple Hardware Test).

If you do a seven pass security erase, you won't have to worry about someone (other than maybe the NSA with scanning microscopes) to be able to see your previous data.

Then just install the OS. During the install it should ask for the second disk to be inserted so the additional apps, including iLife can be installed.

 

[Fishrrman]

[[ I'll do a 7-pass erase of the hard drive first. ]]

You don't need to "do seven times".
One zero-out pass will be enough.
Who are you selling to, an agent from the NSA?

 

[yjchua95]

[[ I'll do a 7-pass erase of the hard drive first. ]]

You don't need to "do seven times".
One zero-out pass will be enough.
Who are you selling to, an agent from the NSA?

Even if the buyer was an NSA bloke, he'd still be able to recover everything from it. The NSA have always got an ace up their sleeve, so it's safe to assume that they've cracked everything.

 

[TWHH]

You don't need to "do seven times".
One zero-out pass will be enough.
Who are you selling to, an agent from the NSA?

Just thought it would be safer than the standard 1 pass. As long as it doesn't take a week to run it can't do any harm can it?

There are some crafty buggers out there - they don't all work for the NSA!

 

[macthefork]

One pass would actually do it. Data can easily be accessed if you just do a delete and empty trash. All that does is delete the directory. The data is still left intact. A single pass overwrites zeros or random data (whichever you choose) over the entire disk making it almost impossible to obtain the original data. Seven times overwrite usually meets mil specifications for releasing a spinning type HDD. But, this us usually overkill for other than National Security data and such.

The above does not apply to a SSD.

 

[monkeybagel]

You could always do the 35-pass erase if it would make you feel better.

I agree that 99% of the folks out there could recover anything from a one-pass erase.

One thing that the new buyer would have an issue with is upgrading to Mavericks. Unless they have a Snow Leopard Upgrade DVD, they will not be able to use the App Store, so they could not get that free update. It might make it worth a little more if you create the Mavericks Recovery Disk, and use that to wipe the HDD and install a new copy of 10.9 on the computer. Also, include the disks.

I don't think you would be violating any EULA since Mavericks is free.