Need to sell Mac...how do I clean it out?

I bought a new mac and want to sell my old one. How to I clean in completely out so the person buying it does not get any of my information. Step by step instructions would be helpful!

Restart the computer from the original disks, choose Disk Utility from the Utilities menu, erase the drive, overwriting data if desired, install the OS, press the Command and S keys upon the restart, and enter:
shutdown -h now
Include the disks with it.
(51005)

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When i deleted movies off my computer to make room it now says a majority of the storage usage is in backup. how can i clean it out

when i deleted movies off my computer to make room it now says a majority of the storage usage is in backup. how can i clean it out

Connect your external drive and allow the backup to run, and the "snapshots" will be removed.

The "other" capacity on my 3gs phone is at 8.9 GB how do I clean it out?

what's going on with "other" taking up so much space?

I assume you mean 2.9 GB, not MB; I've never seen other less that 300 MB.
"Other" data is real data that you put on your phone by using the built in apps. It is not music, not videos, not pictures and not App Store app data. It is "OTHER" meaning everything that does not fall into these categories. Such as:
email messages and attachments
Reminders
Calendar entries
Contacts
Text messages
MMS messages and attachments
Genius data
Music cover art
Operating system settings
Safari cache
bookmarks
Game Center status
Music catalog
Probably a few I've missed. There was a problem in an earlier version where deleted MMS messages left behind their attachments, but that has been fixed as of 6.1. However, old images were not deleted from Other; its just that new images were being correctly removed when you delete an MMS message.
You will find posts from people who said they recovered over 3 GB of space by just deleting old text messages.
If you want Other to be smaller you will have to keep less data on your phone; delete old MMS and texts, delete old email (especially from the "deleted" folder), clear the cache, eliminate cover art.
Sometimes "Other" includes data corruption. If you suspect this is a possibility try connecting to iTunes and click the Restore iPhone button. First restore from backup; the Other doesn't get any smaller you can Restore again and set up as New, then add your content back separately from your backup.

How do i clean cache and harddrive

I have deleted many photos and files not currently needed. But my hard drive still is quite ful. How do i clean it out further?

Did you Empty the Trash? Also, see Freeing Space on your System Startup Disk. If you are having a problem with the Trash then visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on resolving Trash problems.

How do i clean out my icloud?

about a few days ago, my ipod 5s turned off and at the time, i had no idea how to turn it back on and i had no idea what caused it. I eventually discovered that it was my iCloud and it was taking up a lot of space. How do i clean it out so i can use my ipod again?

After I replied to your's of 16th I decided to find out (you know, men do not read instructions) and the solution is very simple. Settings > iCloud where you get the option to delete all or part of content. Good luck!

How do I clean out my ipod dock?

I got a strawberry smooched into my iPod dock. How should I clean it out??!!! I can't change the volume on My iPod b-cuz of the pressure it us under. It says that it is in a dock. plz help!

You can try with a toothbrush and distilled water and rinse very well. Shake and towel dry then try in a bag of uncooked rice for a week or so, It may be OK.

HT3226 how do i clean up my hard drive on my mac

How can i clean up my mac

How to maintain a Mac
1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; make them independent of each other. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
2. Keep your software up to date. In the Software Update preference pane, you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis. This is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible.
3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, this stuff is useless, or worse than useless.
The more actively promoted the product, the more likely it is to be garbage. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.
As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for — such as creating, communicating, and playing — and does not modify the way other software works. Use your computer; don't fuss with it.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
The free anti-malware application ClamXav is not crap, and although it’s not routinely needed, it may be useful in some environments, such as a mixed Mac-Windows enterprise network.
4. Beware of trojans. A trojan is malicious software (“malware”) that the user is duped into installing voluntarily. Such attacks were rare on the Mac platform until sometime in 2011, but are now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must be acquired directly from the developer. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from a web page without your having requested it should go straight into the Trash. A website that claims you have a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with your computer, is rogue.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
5. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem. While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage consumption and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as the free application OmniDiskSweeper to explore your volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move rarely-used large files to secondary storage.
6. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

How do I clean my mid 2007 iMac? The disk space is running VERY low and I would love an idea. I make videos and upload them to youtube and I need space to do that. Thanks for your time!

How do I clean my mid 2007 iMac?
The disk space is running VERY low and I would love an idea. I make videos and upload them to youtube and I need space to do that. Thanks for your time!
If you have an idea please respond!

You should never, EVER let a conputer hard drive get completely full, EVER!
With Macs and OS X, you shouldn't let the hard drive get below 15 GBs or less of free data space.
If it does, it's time for some hard drive housecleaning.
Follow some of my tips for cleaning out, deleting and archiving data from your Mac's internal hard drive.
Have you emptied your iMac's Trash icon in the Dock?
If you use iPhoto, iPhoto has its own trash that needs to be emptied, also.
If you store images in other locations other than iPhoto, then you will have to weed through these to determine what to archive and what to delete.
If you use Apple Mail app, Apple Mail also has its own trash area that needs to be emptied, too!
Look though other Apple Mail folders like the junk mail and delete the mail that is in there. Look through your sent items folders and see there is any mail in there that can be deieted.
Delete any old or no longer needed emails and/or archive to disc, flash drives or external hard drive, older emails you want to save.
Other things you can do to gain space.
Once you have around 15 GBs regained, do a search, download and install OmniDisk Sweeper.
This app will help you locate files that you can move/archive and/or delete from your system.
STAY AWAY FROM DELETING ANY FILES FROM OS X SYSTEM FOLDER!
Look through your Documents folder and delete any type of old useless type files like "Read Me" type files.
Again, archive to disc, flash drives, ext. hard drives or delete any old documents you no longer use or immediately need.
Look in your Applications folder, if you have applications you haven't used in a long time, if the app doesn't have a dedicated uninstaller, then you can simply drag it into the OS X Trash icon. IF the application has an uninstaller app, then use it to completely delete the app from your Mac.
Download an app called OnyX for your version of OS X.
When you install and launch it, let it do its initial automatic tests, then go to the cleaning and maintenance tabs and run the maintenance tabs that let OnyX clean out all web browser cache files, web browser histories, system cache files, delete old error log files.
Typically, iTunes and iPhoto libraries are the biggest users of HD space.
move these files/data off of your internal drive to the external hard drive and deleted off of the internal hard drive.
If you have any other large folders of personal data or projects, these should be archived or moved, also, to the optical discs, flash drives or external hard drive and then either archived to disc and/or deleted off your internal hard drive.
Good Luck!

MI have a mini Mac How do I do a standard clean up on it

Hello all! I have a mini mac how do i do a standard clean up on it.

How to maintain a Mac
1. Make redundant backups, keeping at least one off site at all times. One backup is not enough. Don’t back up your backups; all should be made directly from the original data. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
2. Keep your software up to date. In the App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis.
Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates.
3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
It's not much of an exaggeration to say that the whole "utility" software industry for the Mac is a fraud on consumers. The most extreme examples are the "CleanMyMac" and “MacKeeper” scams, but there are many others.
As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for, and doesn't change the way other software works.
Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve. Do not rely on "utilities" such as "AppCleaner" and the like that purport to remove software.
4. Don't install bad, conflicting, or unnecessary fonts. Whenever you install new fonts, use the validation feature of the built-in Font Book application to make sure the fonts aren't defective and don't conflict with each other or with others that you already have. See the built-in help and this support article for instructions. Deactivate or remove fonts that you don't really need to speed up application launching.
5. Avoid malware. Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X was once so rare that it was hardly a concern, but malware is now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
There is some built-in protection against downloading malware, but you can’t rely on it — the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness — not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam.
In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
6. Don't fill up your boot volume. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a boot failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem.
While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
If storage space is running low, use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-used large files to secondary storage.
7. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
To use a Mac effectively, you have to free yourself from the Windows mindset that every computer needs regular downtime maintenance such as "defragging" and "registry cleaning." Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform. A computing device should not be a focus of your attention. It should be an almost invisible tool by means of which you communicate, work, and play. If you want a machine that is always whining for your attention like a neurotic dog, use a PC.
The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

Urgent help needed - new to Macs, accidently cut and paste over top of photo folder and now no sign of folder or file, no auto back-up in place, how can I restore photos pls

Urgent help needed - new to Macs, accidently cut and paste over top of photo folder and now no sign of folder or file, no auto back-up in place, how can I restore photos pls

Thanks for prompt reply, yes we have tried that but have now closed down the browser we where the photos were.
We haven't sent up time machine, do you know whether there is any roll-back function on a Mac?
Thanks

I cant remember my password to logon to my mac, how can i change it with out needing the old one?

i cant remember my password to logon to my mac, how can i change it with out needing the old one?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1274

My mac is running extremely slow lately how can i clean it

my mac is too slow lately how can i clean it

Yes. But what ever you do, don't buy any of the so called "cleanup" software. It is all worthless crapware.
Try http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
or http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/performance.html

How can I clean my Mac Book Pro completely to hand it over to an other user ?

How can I clean my Mac Book Pro completely to hand it over to an other user ?

Follow these directions:
http://www.thesafemac.com/how-to-prepare-your-mac-for-sale/
Ciao,

How do I port my Windows Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files to the MAC? What software is needed on the MAC to use them? Thanks.

How do I port my Windows Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files to the MAC? What software is needed on the MAC to use them? Thanks.

You can certainly use iWork, though I hesitate to recommend it to a seasoned Windows user simply because it would add another level of the unfamiliar with which you would have to gain familiarity. The iWork applications are certainly very competent and in most respects both easy to use and surprisingly powerful. They are not 100% compatible however, though that typically manifests itself in document formatting issues rather than anything more significant.
I have never attempted to import emails from a Windows system into MacOS - other than in Outlook connected to an Exchange server, thus not really an issue at all. I doubt that the Mail app in MacOS can import directly, but of course you could always set the account(s) up on the Mac and then forward emails you want to keep from the PC. Not elegant, but it works. Virtually any Windows document or file, whichever application created it, can be opened or converted for use on a Mac, and using both systems on my desk each day I rarely see any issues switching stuff from one machine to the other. You may stumble over one or two issues, but likely not significant.
In switching platforms there will be some inevitable issues, not so much with being able to import your stuff because there's usually a workaround or a utility that can help, but just with getting familiar with the platform and the differences between Windows and MacOS that can obscure their similarities. From time to time the support community here hears from a user who has found the migration very problematic and regrets it, but for the most part the phrase 'I should have done this years ago...' is rather more prevalent!

I have a new mini mac and i want to use my existing external hard drive but it needs to be reformated how do i do this without loosing all my old photos?

i have a new mini mac and i want to use my existing external hard drive but it needs to be reformated how do i do this without loosing all my old photos?

Formatting will erase the drive.
You need to copy the photo's to either your old computer, the Mac Mini or to a new external drive and then decide what to do with your existing external drive.
For example: You could use one External drive for Photo's and one external drive for Time Machine to backup both your Mac Mini and the Photo drive.

Need to sell Mac...how do I clean it out?

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