On 30/01/2010, at 9:11 PM, Paul Weaver wrote:
I'm wondering about best to prepare an iMac before disposal or sale?
It depends if you just want to throw it out or pass it on to someone
else...
If you want to just dispose of it and clear your data off it, then
BACKUP your data first!!!
Then boot from your Mac OS X Installer Disc and select Disc Utility
from the menu.
Select the Internal Hard Drive
Tell Disc Utility to do an Erase, been sure to go into the Security
Options and select either Zero Out data or the 7-pass Erase (You can
do the 35-pass if you really want, but either of the other two options
should be fine)
This will wipe the drive and write zeros to every block on hard drive,
making it more difficult for some to recover your data.
If you want to give away or sell the machine, then still do the above.
Then install Mac OS X as per normal.
Now you have TWO options when you get to the Registration screen:
1) Quit then and there
This will enable the new owner to enter all their own personal details
and they'll have a machine like new.
Which also means they'll have to perform all the System Updates and
install any apps they need when they get the machine home.
2) Register the machine and setup a generic user like "Admin" with a
password of something simple to remember but not too obvious.
(Be sure to tell the new owner what this password is)
Continue with the install and then install all the latest Software
Updates and things like iLife (assuming you have the original
installers and will be passing these on to the new owner)
When the new owner collects the machine, let them turn it on and see
that works.
If they are happy, then go into System Preferences, Accounts and setup
a New User Account using their name and initials and let them set
their own password. Set this account as an Administrator. Then
depending on the new owners preferences, set this account to
automatically login or have it display one of the login menus.
You can then either DELETE the Admin account you created earlier... or
just leave it there as an emergency troubleshooting account.
ps: pass on a copy of any flyers that promotes WAMUG so they have
another source of assistance, rather than calling you back all the
time for help :)
Hope this helps.
--
Nicholas Pyers ([email protected])
"Heaven on Earth?"
"No, Earth on Earth. The Just Earth!"
-- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List --
Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml>
Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml>
Unsubscribe - <mailto:[email protected]>
