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Wiping a MacBook Air without wiping it?

H

Hengest

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 11, 2011
16
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My girlfriend has a macbook air (specs below) that she is intent on selling, but unfortunately she bought it second-hand without any of the usual resources to re-install the OS. All I can do to wipe it, as far as I know, is go through and delete programs, settings, documents, etc. manually as thoroughly as possible. However, I know that many programs will retain her settings (including usernames and passwords) when re-downloaded even if I delete all their files.

My question is this: is there any way to manually wipe this computer so that it is safe to sell? If so, what files should I make sure to delete? Any advice from people more knowledgeable than me would be most appreciated.

Specs:

2011 (I think) Macbook Air 13"
OS X 10.6.8
1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
 
Hengest said:
My girlfriend has a macbook air (specs below) that she is intent on selling, but unfortunately she bought it second-hand without any of the usual resources to re-install the OS. All I can do to wipe it, as far as I know, is go through and delete programs, settings, documents, etc. manually as thoroughly as possible. However, I know that many programs will retain her settings (including usernames and passwords) when re-downloaded even if I delete all their files.

My question is this: is there any way to manually wipe this computer so that it is safe to sell? If so, what files should I make sure to delete? Any advice from people more knowledgeable than me would be most appreciated.

Specs:

2011 (I think) Macbook Air 13"
OS X 10.6.8
1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Click to expand...

I'd begin by updating it to El Capitan (OS X 10.11.6). This is a free update through the App Store.

Once El Cap is installed, turn off the Mac. Turn it back on and immediately hold CMD+R on startup. This will boot into OS X Utilities.

Erase the drive using Disk Utility. Then select "Reinstall OS X". Point it to the newly erased drive.

Once it installs, it'll go to the setup menu where you choose your user name, etc. From here you can just hold the power button to turn it off. Turning it back on will just take you to the same setup menu.

So you'll have a wiped drive with a machine on the latest OS, ready to setup for the new owner. Feel free to quote this if you have any queries or concerns!
 
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Hengest said:
2011 (I think) Macbook Air 13"
Click to expand...

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202313

Assuming you are correct about the model, that Mac has Internet recovery. So just reboot and hold command-option-r at startup. After selecting your wifi network, you will see a spinning globe while the recovery utility downloads. Then you will see the recovery screen. From there start Disk Utility and erase the internal drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then quit Disk Utility and click reinstall OS at the top. Once the install is done and it reboots, just power down and leave it.
 
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Weaselboy said:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202313

Assuming you are correct about the model, that Mac has Internet recovery. So just reboot and hold command-option-r at startup. After selecting your wifi network, you will see a spinning globe while the recovery utility downloads. Then you will see the recovery screen. From there start Disk Utility and erase the internal drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then quit Disk Utility and click reinstall OS at the top. Once the install is done and it reboots, just power down and leave it.
Click to expand...

I didn't suggest that as the OP said they had SL. Had no idea you could use Internet Recovery on systems that shipped with 10.6; I thought it was Lion & later only! Ah well, you learn something new every day.

I'd listen to Weaselboy on this one, OP :D
 
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keysofanxiety said:
I didn't suggest that as the OP said they had SL. Had no idea you could use Internet Recovery on systems that shipped with 10.6; I thought it was Lion & later only! Ah well, you learn something new every day.

I'd listen to Weaselboy on this one, OP :D
Click to expand...
Since the machine shipped with 10.6, it will not have Internet Recovery by default. However, a firmware update is available which adds it. But the next problem is that 10.6 is not available via IR. IR will prompt for an Apple account and password; this account needs to already have one of the newer releases purchased.

In short, don't wipe the hard drive until you're sure that you can recover from it!
 
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keysofanxiety said:
I didn't suggest that as the OP said they had SL. Had no idea you could use Internet Recovery on systems that shipped with 10.6; I thought it was Lion & later only! Ah well, you learn something new every day.

I'd listen to Weaselboy on this one, OP :D
Click to expand...
Yeah... many of the Macs on that list shipped with Snow Leopard and no Internet recovery, then a firmware update came out that enabled Internet recovery on those models and it will get you Lion.
 
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"Wiping a MacBook Air without wiping it?

The correct technical query to above brain teaser is, "How to return laptop to factory setting." - for next time. :)
 
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keysofanxiety said:
I'd begin by updating it to El Capitan (OS X 10.11.6). This is a free update through the App Store.

Once El Cap is installed, turn off the Mac. Turn it back on and immediately hold CMD+R on startup. This will boot into OS X Utilities.

Erase the drive using Disk Utility. Then select "Reinstall OS X". Point it to the newly erased drive.

Once it installs, it'll go to the setup menu where you choose your user name, etc. From here you can just hold the power button to turn it off. Turning it back on will just take you to the same setup menu.

So you'll have a wiped drive with a machine on the latest OS, ready to setup for the new owner. Feel free to quote this if you have any queries or concerns!
Click to expand...

I tried to download El Capitan, and it said that this computer (which I now think might be from 2009, not 2011) cannot run it. Does anyone know what is the highest OS X version a 2009 Macbook Air will run? I see that Lion is only $20, which would be worth getting if it will allow us to set it back to factory settings.
 
Last edited:
Hengest said:
Specs:
2011 (I think) Macbook Air 13"
OS X 10.6.8
1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Click to expand...
Hengest said:
I tried to download El Capitan, and it said that this computer (which I now think might be from 2009, not 2011) cannot run it. Does anyone know what is the highest OS X version a 2009 Macbook Air will run? I see that Lion is only $20, which would be worth getting if it will allow us to set it back to factory settings.
Click to expand...
I think you might have the Original (1st model) 2008 MBA since it does not support El Capitan (Max OS 10.7 Lion). Every model after that model will support El Capitan.
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook-air/specs/macbook-air-core-2-duo-1.6-13-specs.html
 
Hengest said:
My girlfriend has a macbook air (specs below) that she is intent on selling, but unfortunately she bought it second-hand without any of the usual resources to re-install the OS. All I can do to wipe it, as far as I know, is go through and delete programs, settings, documents, etc. manually as thoroughly as possible. However, I know that many programs will retain her settings (including usernames and passwords) when re-downloaded even if I delete all their files.

My question is this: is there any way to manually wipe this computer so that it is safe to sell? If so, what files should I make sure to delete? Any advice from people more knowledgeable than me would be most appreciated.

Specs:

2011 (I think) Macbook Air 13"
OS X 10.6.8
1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Click to expand...

It's a 2010 MBA 13" if it's core 2 duo.

Easiest way to do this is to make a new blank admin account for the person who buys it with no password, and then delete her admin account. The buyer then decides if they want a password on it or not.
 
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The original MacBook Air is also Core 2 Duo
It's also the only MBAir with DDR2 RAM.
So, more confirmation that OP has a first generation MacBookAir1,1 - model A1237
 
Weaselboy said:
Yeah... many of the Macs on that list shipped with Snow Leopard and no Internet recovery, then a firmware update came out that enabled Internet recovery on those models and it will get you Lion.
Click to expand...
Sorry I am snookered despite following above. reformatting High Sierra iMac - erased HD and now no HD is showing to re-install from TimeCapsule or internet. Tried root directory
 

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Which iMac do you have?
wil_thornton said:
Sorry I am snookered despite following above. reformatting High Sierra iMac - erased HD and now no HD is showing to re-install from TimeCapsule or internet. Tried root directory
Click to expand...
I assume that you have an iMac with the base 1TB, as that shows in your terminal window.
But, there's not a valid system installed...
Go to your Disk Utility.
Does your 1TB hard drive appear in the list on the left side of that Disk Utility window?
Select that, then try to erase again.
If the drive does NOT appear in the Disk Utility window at all, then your hard drive has likely failed.
And, this would be a good time to replace that spinning hard drive with an SSD.
Even if the erase works, and you can successfully install your macOS system again, you still should consider replacing with an SSD. There's just too many advantages over a spinning hard drive!
 
DeltaMac said:
Which iMac do you have?

I assume that you have an iMac with the base 1TB, as that shows in your terminal window.
But, there's not a valid system installed...
Go to your Disk Utility.
Does your 1TB hard drive appear in the list on the left side of that Disk Utility window?
Select that, then try to erase again.
If the drive does NOT appear in the Disk Utility window at all, then your hard drive has likely failed.
And, this would be a good time to replace that spinning hard drive with an SSD.
Even if the erase works, and you can successfully install your macOS system again, you still should consider replacing with an SSD. There's just too many advantages over a spinning hard drive!
Click to expand...
2009 iMac with a Hitachi HDE721010SLA330 Media HD which is in the Internal drive. Present in the Left hand slot
 
Rebooting so I could access the backup drive let me unlock the HD and reinstall High Sierra on the Hitachi. I’ll see in 90min if that works!
 
STILL would recommend replacing that spinning hard drive.

Partly because installing High Sierra will modify the drive format to APFS -- and APFS format is not particularly happy running on a spinning hard drive.
 
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