What do I need to do to restore my iMac to original settings?

[ssledoux]

I'm selling my iMac, and I need to get it cleared off and restored to original settings.

What do I need to do to get that done? I honestly don't think I've ever had to do this on one of my Macs before because I usually just passed them on to my kids.

 

[CoastalOR]

I'm selling my iMac, and I need to get it cleared off and restored to original settings.

What do I need to do to get that done? I honestly don't think I've ever had to do this on one of my Macs before because I usually just passed them on to my kids.

Here is Apple's instructions:

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

Reset your Mac to factory settings to prepare it for the new owner.

support.apple.com

 

[ssledoux]

Dang, that's not quite as simple as erasing an iPad. ;-p

Does it automatically reinstall the OS? Is that gonna take forever? I have AWFUL internet for stuff like that.

 

[CoastalOR]

Dang, that's not quite as simple as erasing an iPad. ;-p

Does it automatically reinstall the OS? Is that gonna take forever? I have AWFUL internet for stuff like that.

It does not automatically reinstall the OS. After you erase the Mac, Quit Disk Utility and select "Reinstall macOS" from Recovery macOS Utilities. Yes, it will take time since it has to download about a 6 GB installer and then install macOS. It could take a couple of hours. It is very important that you have a good backup before starting the process.

Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support

How to erase (format) the built-in startup disk of an Intel-based Mac.

support.apple.com

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

Use macOS Recovery, your computer’s built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

 

[ssledoux]

It does not automatically reinstall the OS. After you erase the Mac, Quit Disk Utility and select "Reinstall macOS" from Recovery macOS Utilities. Yes, it will take time since it has to download about a 6 GB installer and then install macOS. It could take a couple of hours. It is very important that you have a good backup before starting the process.

Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac - Apple Support

How to erase (format) the built-in startup disk of an Intel-based Mac.

support.apple.com

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

Use macOS Recovery, your computer’s built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system.

support.apple.com

There's nothing I need to backup. My photos have all been copied to USBs and my documents are in the cloud. I haven't done much with this iMac at all.

 

[Fishrrman]

It sure helps if you tell us
- WHICH iMac you have
- WHAT YEAR it was made
- WHAT VERSION of the OS is on it.

Things you need to do:
- DEauthorize iTunes, App Store, etc.
- Sign off from those places
- If the drive is encrypted, de-encrypt it
- Remove firmware password if you have set one

Then, if you can boot to INTERNET recovery (NOT "the recovery partition")...
- Boot to internet recovery
- Open disk utility and ERASE the internal drive (make sure you erase the ENTIRE drive)
- Open the OS installer and re-install the OS
- When you see the setup screen (choose your language), reach around and hold the power button in until the screen goes dark (this way, the next time it boots with the new owner, they get the setup screen "at first boot").