I just sold my iMac and I'm going to install OS X for the new owner. Is it worth using the disc utility to completely write over the drive, or should I just reinstall OS X?
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Selling my computer, wipe or just reinstall?
- Thread starter SpookTheHamster
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Depends, of course, what's on it and what your tolerance for risk is.
If you have any other person's private data on it -- such as club or society member address lists, or personal financial data from any business you have done, you may be obliged by privacy legislation to wipe and overwrite it.
If you have any other person's private data on it -- such as club or society member address lists, or personal financial data from any business you have done, you may be obliged by privacy legislation to wipe and overwrite it.
1 or 2 passes is more than enough. Someone who buys a computer isn't the type that plans to hack old data from your period of ownership. Retrieving data from the former owner occurs most often with stolen computers.
Even if you did nothing and just re-installed OS X, it might won't matter because the new owner will probably create new files that overwrite everything you did anyway.
I myself have sold several Macs. Before shipping them to their new owners I only wiped the drive during the re-installation of OS X. I didn't bother with 1 or 2 passes to cleanse the drive, and I have never had any problems. Like I said, someone who buys your machine wants to use it, not hack your old files.
But just to be on the safe side a 1 pass would be good....otherwise its EASY to get data off of it. Atleast a 1 pass makes it harder.
I zero'd it. I thought it would take longer than it did and I was in hurry, but it only took about half an hour.