How do I wipe the disk clean and restart

I am giving my MacBook to a friend. I want to wipe the disk of all my information and then
set it up in her name as a user. ??

Put your install DVD into the optical drive and reboot. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option key until the Install Disk shows up). That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
When it does start up, you'll see a panel asking you to choose your language. Choose your language and press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window.
Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. You should see your hard drive in the left hand column along with your other drives. Click on the drive and select the Erase tab. Set the format value to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click the Erase button. After that has finished select the Partition tab. Type in a Name for your hard drive and select how many partitions you want from the Volume Scheme. The usual setting is one partition. Click on the Options button after you've selected a partition to make sure it's set for GUID. Then click the Apply button and after the Partitioning is done quit Disk Utility.
You can now follow the instructions on the install screen

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How can I wipe the Launchpad clean and then repopulate it to my spec?

As I delete apps from my system they seem to linger on the LaunchPad. Some are easily removed by simply holding down the option key and clicking the 'x' that appears. But this does not apply to system apps or some others like Lightroom. How can I go about this?

This procedure will reset the state of LaunchPad to its default. Any customization that you did will be removed.
Back up all data before proceeding.
Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:
~/Library/Application Support/Dock
Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select
Services ▹ Open
from the contextual menu.* A folder should open. Inside it are one or more files with long names ending in ".db". Move those files to the Desktop, leaving the folder open. Log out, log back in, and test. If there's no change, put the files you moved back where they were, overwriting the ones that may have been created in their place. Then log out and in again. Otherwise, delete the files you moved.
*If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. In the Finder, select
Go ▹ Go to Folder...
from the menu bar and paste into the box that opens by pressing command-V. You won't see what you pasted because a line break is included. Press return.

How do i wipe the harddrive clean on my macbook Air 1,1

I have an Original MacBook Air 1,1 2008 I want to wipe the harddrive clean so i can sell it. I do not have access to an optical harddrive to do a remote install on it. What else can i do to wipe the harddrive clean? Also I still have the opriginal owners name on several different areas , the users is where it is and i have gone into everywhere i can to try and get it off with no luck, how do you remove his name?

Complete procedure for an Erase and Install of OSX Snow Leopard here Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard: How to Erase and Install
I assume that you bought the OSX Lion 10.7 Upgrade at the Mac App Store.
If so, then you can't sell it with your MacBook, since the license is tied to your own AppleID and not to the MacBook.
Stefan

How do I remove the Hard disk from computer? I have an old iMac, model M5521 circa 2000. I need to wipe the disk clean to DOD specs before donating it.

I have an iMac Model M5521, circa 2000, which I must wipe the hard drive clean to DOD specs before donating it.
I have the DOD software on another non-apple computer. I need to remove the hard disk drive from the iMac to do this.
How do I get to the hard drive? I find only two screws on the back of the monitor/case and they do not help. What am I missing?
Thanks

It's not too hard but you have to take off the bottom cover of the case. These instructions shoudl show what yo uneed to do.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/103447/iMac-G3-Disassembly-Guide
I pulled the original 10G hard drive from our M5521 and replaced it with a larger one. The whole thing took under 45 minutes, including the 15 minutes it took me to recover a screw that fell into the works.

Hi, i have a macbook air, but i want to upgrade to the new model. I want to sell my existing air, but can i wipe the memory clean of all existing content to sell it, but still update my new pc when it arrives?

Hi, i have an Air but want to upgrade to the new model. How do i wipe the memory clean of my existing Air so i can sell it, and ensure when i get my new PC it automatically assumes the existing settings? Any help appreciated...

First of all, as a rule you should have two backups before you do anything else. (most don't, and it's up to you).
I would have one backup done as a Time Machine backup on an external disk, which you will use to import all settings, data and apps to your new MBA via Setup Assistant on your very first boot of the new machine.
Second, I would have prepared, a bootable backup done via Carbon Copy Cloner or Super Duper on a second external disk. This you can use for unforseen problems that might be evident on the Time Machine backup (hey it happens).
After you have these two items in preparation, then use the original system disk or flash drive to reformat and reinstall the original operating system to the old machine, cleanly. After that, it is ready for sale. If the unit is not an SSD equipped MBA, you can perform a secure wiping of the disk when you perform the reformatting.
To reiterate.... You need a good Time Machine Backup as a source for you setting up the new Mac with Setup Assistant.

HT4528 Had to wipe my computer clean and my itunes will no longer sync with itunes because the phone is looking for the old computer... how do I fix this?

Had to wipe my computer clean and my itunes will no longer sync with itunes - I don't want it to wipe out the information I already have on my iphone? Can this be fixed?

See:
Syncing to a "New" Computer or replacing a "crashed" Hard Drive: Apple Support Communities

When copying raw files from Extreme IV card to hardrive, finder copies a few files then exits task and wipes the card clean of all images.

When copying raw files from Extreme IV card to hardrive, finder copies a few files then exits task and wipes the card clean of all images. Have tried new card and card-reader to no avail. Have done this many times on other macs with no problems.
Can edit files off the card, in CameraRaw, prior to 'copying' them, ie can 'save as' to the hard drive, so files seem okay on card, before I try to copy them using copy and paste.
Running OS 10.8.3 on a new macbook pro.

Rita,
The process for determining what is causing the files to be corrupt can be a tedious one depending on the following:
1. Can you review the images on your camera's LCD screen without problems? If not then the problem is most probably either a corrupted/faulty memory card or a faulty camera. If this is the case then your best bet at recovery (of sorts) is to use a program such as BrezzeBrowser from BreezeSys to extract the embedded jpeg versions of the corrupted RAW files from within each RAW file. Chances are, you won't manage to actually repair the corrupted RAW file but the jpegs are better than nothing.
2. If the images review ok on your camera but are corrupted when viewing on your computer and there seems to be no other problem with other files on your computer then it may be either a faulty card reader or usb/firewire cable between the card reader and the computer that is the culprit. Try the card reader with a different cable and also try a different card reader to determine the cause of the corruption.
3. If your symptoms are that you get different files corrupting over time when viewing them on your computer then the problem may be any one of either failing RAM memory, hard disk, hard disk controller or IDE/SATA hard disk cables. This is where the troubleshooting can be pretty tedious testing then eliminating each item from the list of suspicious pieces of hardware. Try the card and card reader on an altogether different computer to see if the files transfer correctly to that computer. If so then the problem lies with your computer hardware. If you haven't already done so at this stage, backup all your important data immediately (hopefully you keep backs anyway).
Hope this helps.

I think i have a virus on my Macbook Pro, OS X Yosemite, how do i wipe my computer clean without erasing photos and music etc?

i think i have a virus on my Macbook Pro, OS X Yosemite, how do i wipe my computer clean without erasing photos and music etc?

The update alerts are fake, and are intended to dupe you into installing malware or disclosing private information so that your identity can be stolen.
You might get the alerts when visiting a website that has been hacked. Don't visit the site again. If applicable, notify the site administrator of the problem, but don't send email to an unknown party.
If you get the alerts when visiting more than one well-known website, such as Google, YouTube, or Facebook, then they may be the result of an attack on your router that has caused you to get false results from looking up the addresses of Internet servers. Requests sent to those sites are redirected to a server controlled by the attacker. It's possible, but less likely, that the DNS server used by your ISP has been attacked.
Back up all data.
Unlock the Network preference pane, if necessary, by clicking the lock icon in the lower left corner and entering your password. Cllck Advanced, open the DNS tab, and change the server addresses to the following:
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That's Google DNS. Click OK, then Apply.
In Safari, select
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and confirm. If you’re using another browser, empty the cache. Test. If the fake update alerts stop, see below. Otherwise, ask for instructions.
The router's documentation should tell you how to reset it to the factory default state. Usually there's a pinhole switch somewhere in the back. It may be labeled "RESET." Insert the end of a straightened paper clip or a similar tool and press the button inside for perhaps 15 seconds, or as long as the instructions specify.
After resetting the router, quit the web browser and relaunch it while holding down the shift key. From the Safari menu bar, select
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and confirm. Do the equivalent if you use another browser. Open the Downloads folder and delete anything you don't recognize.
Then go through the router's initial setup procedure. I can't be specific, because it's different for every model. The key points are these:
1. Don't allow the router to be administered from the WAN (Internet) port, if it has that option. Most do.
2. Set a strong password to protect the router's settings: at least ten random upper- and lower-case letters and digits. Don't use the default password or any other that could be guessed. Save the password in your keychain. Any password that you can remember is weak.
3. If the router is wireless, or if you have a wireless access point on the network, use "WPA 2 Personal" security and set a different strong password to protect the network. If the router or access point doesn't support WPA 2, it's obsolete and must be replaced.
During the time the router was compromised, you were redirected to bogus websites. If you ever connected to a secure site and got a warning from your browser that the identity of the server could not be verified, and you dismissed that warning in order to log in, assume that your credentials for the site have been stolen and that the attacker has control of the account. This warning also applies to all websites on which you saw the fake update alerts.
Check the router manufacturer's website for a firmware update.
If you downloaded and installed what you thought was a software update, ask for instructions.

Help needed. I have a 3TB external hard drive partitioned into 1TB's. I used one partition as backup for the main computer hard drive. But now it is greyed out as shown in the disk utility and its name changed, i dont know how that happened, i tried verif

Help needed. I have a 3TB external hard drive partitioned into 1TB's. I used one partition as backup for the main computer hard drive. But now it is greyed out as shown in the disk utility and its name changed, i dont know how that happened, i tried verifying and repairing it but had no luck. I also tried mounting and unmounting it but still no solution. Anyone to help please?

Looks bad. I would strongly advise backing up the stuff on the other two partitions as soon as possible in case the rest of the drive goes wrong.
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See http://www.alsoft.com/diskwarrior/

A magnet fell on my macbook "late 2007 series black" and it stopped working. When i start my macbook up it sits on the white screen. i tried inserting the snow leopard disk to do a clean install but the disk ejects and all i see is the pointer.help please

A magnet fell on my macbook "late 2007 series black" and it stopped working. When i start my macbook up it sits on the white screen. i tried inserting the snow leopard disk to do a clean install but the disk ejects and all i see is the pointer. i even bought a new hard drive to do the clean install but the same thing happens. Please Help

Your problem is not Boot Camp, in fact, is your optical drive. Win XP requires indeed sp2, but also the internal drive, does not work from external optical drive.
For other possible tricks, please use the appropriate Boot Camp forum, not here. Mac OS X may be installed from both external and internal optical drive and/or internal/external partition of a disk, any disk. Windows is not so generous.

How do I clear the Disk and reinstall the OS on my new Mac Mini without an Optical Drive?

How do I clear the Disk and reinstall the OS on my new Mac Mini without an Optical Drive?

If it's a new mini, should have Mtn Lion on it. In any case, restart into recovery mode, and follow the instructions.

I have a 27inch iMac with snow leopard and 1 user, and a 24 inch (older) upgraded to yosemite and 5 users. I want to wipe the 27 inch and transfer everything on the 24 to it. I do have time capsule 3tb but not sure how to do it

I have a 27inch iMac with snow leopard and 1 user, and a 24 inch (older) upgraded to yosemite and 5 users. I want to wipe the 27 inch and transfer everything on the 24 to it. I do have time capsule 3tb but not sure how to do it

Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support

HT201240 I have a new macbook pro that did not have a disk, OS X was pre installed so how can i change the administrators name and password, it did not migrate properly from my hard drive.., so how do i

I have a new macbook pro that did not have a disk, OS X lion 7.3.4 was pre installed so how can i change the administrators name and password, it did not migrate properly from my hard drive.., now there is some mysterious administrator name and or password??

See #5
Step by Step to fix your Mac

How do i securely wipe the disk on an iMac?

I replaced an old iMac and want to donate it to charity. But I need to securely wipe the disk first. Can someone please provide instructions. Thanks?

If your machine came with DVDs then you can do a reformat using Disk Utility on the install DVD that came with the machine, click Erase - Security and choose the number of passes, the more secure you go the longer it takes. If you have a large (1TB or more) and set it to the highest security the erase process could take days and no I am not kidding. In most case set it to a very moderate setting is just fine.
If your machine came with Lion or later where no DVDs were shipped, boot into the Recovery Partition and launch DU from there.

How can I wipe my hard drive and restore to factory settings without the use of the original OS CD?

I have a 2010 MacBook and I need to wipe the hard drive and restore to factory settings.
The problem is that even though I have the original disc, the CD drive has stopped functioning and will reject any disc put into it.
Therefore, is there another method to do this without the CD?

Not very easily. To restore to factory software you need the original installation DVD (CDs).
If you have another Mac which is the same make and model so that those installation DVD (CDs) would work, you can use a Firewire cable between the 2 Macs and then put your Mac to be reset into Target mode and use the other Mac to install the software. However I suspect that is unlikely.

How do I wipe the disk clean and restart

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