Should I do a clean OS install after buying second hand MacBook?

I just bought a second hand MacBook 2010 for my girlfriend. It came with a clean Lion installed. What is making me paranoid is that I use tracking software Prey on my own MBP and now how can I be sure that the new one hasn't got tracking software installed for opposite reason (to steal it and sell again)?
I know it might sound stupid, but I like to be prepared for the worst. So should I format the drive and install Lion again? What would you do?

I would never run a used Mac "as is"; there is too much potential for security violations or just software problems. I strongly recommend, unless you completely trust the person from whom you purchased the Mac, that you erase the hard drive and reinstal Mac OS X. That way you start fresh, without any of the cruft that accumulates on any OS, and of course remove any potential for malware such as a keylogger.
Regards.

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I bought a second hand Macbook Pro and colorful stud Only after a few months I decided to reformat it Bad movie started here I did not get it with a disc and I come to install the operating system And he asks the name of Apple's user ID financed had been

I bought a second hand Macbook Pro and colorful stud
Only after a few months I decided to reformat it
Bad movie started here I did not get it with a disc and I come to install the operating system
And he asks the name of Apple's user ID financed had been bought Lion OS Now
And who sold me does not answer then I found the phone number of his mother
She said he lived in USA and paid him more than the lion version of the MacBook and now I can not install Lion
And I'm not from USA

Unless you go back to the original owner, yes you need to pay for it again.
You're entitled to the OS that shipped with the device from Apple, but if you don't have that media there's nothing you can really do. If the system originally shipped with 10.7 or 10.8 then when you boot it to Internet Recovery, it will automatically offer you that OS version (as the serial # is registered with Apple). If it shipped with an older OS, then you need to enter the Apple ID that purchased 10.7 or 10.8. You didn't purchase it so that's not you.
The options you have are to buy Lion for $29 US (I don't know the price in Palestine), or Mountain Lion for $19 US (don't know the price in Palestine either), and install from scratch.
And it's a good idea to know you have restore media before you reformat your machine.

I bought a second hand MacBook Air and it won't allow me to install updates as up pops the previous owners log in details. How do I go about amending this?

I bought a second hand MacBook Air and it won't allow me to install updates as up pops the previous owners log in details. How do I go about amending this?

The seller was remiss in not properly preparing the Mac for sale. That task has now fallen to you. You will encounter continual problems until you perform the following. Ignore references to DVD since the MacBook Air has none.
If you are unable to do that contact the seller and request instructions, or arrange for its return and a refund of your costs.
Refer to What to do before selling or giving away your Mac
If you enabled FileVault, disable it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
"Deauthorize" your iTunes account. Same for Audible if you have one.
System Preferences > iCloud > de-select "Back to My Mac" and "Find my Mac".
Sign out of iCloud. Select "Delete from Mac" when it appears.
Next: Remove all your personal information by completely erasing the Mac's internal storage.
If your Mac shipped with a grey System Install DVD, start your Mac with that disc inserted in the optical drive while holding the c key to boot from it instead of its internal volume, which should be erased before selling it.
If your Mac did not ship with discs, boot OS X Internet Recovery:
using three fingers press and hold the following keys: ⌘(command), option, and R.
With a fourth finger press the power button to turn on the Mac.
Keep the other three fingers where they are until you see the "spinning globe" icon.
This method forces the Mac to download its originally installed OS from Apple's servers, which will not require an Apple ID to install.
Remove any Open Firmware password if you created one: select Firmware Password Utility from the Utilities menu and remove it.
Select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
Remove any partitions you may have created.
Select the Mac's hard disk icon, then select the "Erase" tab.
Select the "Security Options" button and erase the disk.
The more "securely" you erase the disk, the longer it will take.
The fastest method is sufficient since all but the most expensive techniques and equipment will be able to recover securely erased data.
When it finishes, quit Disk Utility.
Select Install Mac OS X from the Utilities menu.
An Apple ID will not be required. If a prompt for an Apple ID appears, return to Step 5.
Do not create any user accounts.
When it finishes, shut down the computer.
If you want to install the bundled apps that were included with your Mac, restart by using your Applications DVD if one was included, and install the bundled apps. Apps bundled with newer Macs that shipped without discs cannot be transferred. Its new owner must purchase them from the Mac App Store using his or her own Apple ID.
If the Mac is being sold to someone outside the family consider the following additional information:
System Install DVDs that came with your Mac should remain with it forever, and must be included with the sale.
Consider including your AppleCare certificate if you bought it, printed documentation, even the box if you still have it. AppleCare stays with the equipment and is transferable.
Execute a bill of sale showing the Mac's serial number.
Once no longer in your possession, remove the Mac from your devices in My Support Profile.

Cant install OS X Snow Leopard on Second Hand Macbook 2007 model

i bought a second hand Macbook 2007 model and want to upgrade my Hard disk form 60 GB to 500GB. I am using an external dvdr drive to install OS X Snow leopard. Because the optical drive of this mac is not functioning anymore. But im only getting a stop sign after the apple logo. Why is this happening? All i do is:
After installing the new HDD
reboot laptop while the os x snow leopard cd is loaded on the external optical drive.
then a folder with a question mark appear
then the apple logo appear with the circle thing under which may indicate loading...
then after that a STOP sign appears and its stuck there..
What shoudl I do? Pls help me on this one. Thanks!

pawlowskikacper wrote:
P.S. Please don't ask why.
Presumably, you want Snow Leopard in order to be able to run PowerPC applications. If so, more information can be found here:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1365439

I can't install iPhoto 11 app on second hand macbook air

Hey,
On a second hand macbook air with formatted ssd disk + reinstalled Lion, I can't install ilife. It is already installed by another user (former owner of the macbook air ?).
How can this be solved ?
Thx
jan

Just an agreement with Csound1 - you need to begin again anew (is that repetitious?).
CleanMyMac has obviously made the installation of Adobe products impossible. Which products, specifically, are you trying to install and which versions? You should ALWAYS use the provided Adobe Uninstallers to uninstall an Adobe product. Kind of pointless information at this time, I know, but just as a reminder for 'next time,' when you surely will no longer be using CleanMyMac.
Clinton

A friend bought second hand macbook air mid 2011 with crossed circle on the display, we tried recovery from partition and same thing happened, after internet recovery it stays the same except now it asks for password for boot option, what happened?

A friend bought second hand macbook air mid 2011 with crossed circle on the display and give to me to try to recover the system, I tried recovery from partition and same thing occured, after internet recovery it stays the same-crossed circle after reboot, then we tried to boot from USB with mac os 10.8 on it, it installs something,like it has being finishing installation, rebootes, and now it asks for password for boot option.We have no idea what that password could be.What happened!!!

I forgot to write down my computer specs:
iMac 27 Mid 2011
2.7 GHz Intel Core i5
4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3
AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512 MB
OS X 10.9.2

After buying a new Macbook pro and opening an iTunes Match account most of my music is grayed out on my Mac and iPhone. I have not turned on iTunes match on my iPad and all my music is fine. How do I get my music back????

After buying a new Macbook pro and opening an iTunes Match account most of my music is grayed out on my Mac and iPhone. I have not turned on iTunes match on my iPad and all my music is fine. How do I get my music back????

The most efficacious way to get your music and other personal data onto your new Mac is to restore it from the backup you made of your old computer. Once that is done you can re-enable iTM on the new Mac and your iPhone.

Clean re-install of Snow Leopard on Macbook 2,1 - how to do, have Snow Leopard CD.

I have an old (late 2006 or early 2007 I believe) Macbook 2,1 : Core 2 Duo. Too old to upgrade to Lion. Still good. Has been running slowly of late, would like to do a clean re-install of all the software. Did re-install Snow Leopard off CD, but it maintained all the existing software and did not help.
Thanks, Matt

Put your install DVD into the optical drive (CD/DVD 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) until the apple 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

How to make sure mac is clean from "find my mac" before buying second hand?

Hello.
I plan to buy a mac second hand.
The original owner say he removed it from icloud's and wiped it.
So from what I understand, it should be completely disconnected from his apple id, from the internal firmware safety locks, and he will not be able to accidentally (or not) to lock or remote wipe it, ever. Is this correct?
I would like to know if there is a way to confirm this.
If I enter the mac, do a new wipe and reinstall just to make sure, insert my own iCloud and apple id, and turn on the "find my mac", and I won't get a message that the mac is already in someone else's list, this means that the mac is safe and isn't on anyone's list like a father, son, daughter who accidentally linked it or something.
I know the seller is the original owner. I just want to make sure the iCloud and apple id are no longer linked to the computer. Just on the safe side.
I just don't want any issues along the way in 2-3 years from now.
Thanks.

You need to be able to see that Find My Mac is turned off. That is all you need to ensure.

Second-hand MacBook - How to completely remove all traces of previous owner (inc. Apple ID) & start as clean as possible, while retaining factory software?

Hey guys,
New to the forum and after a bit of advice.
Have just picked up my first MacBook from a friend and am wanting to start as clean/close to factory as possible, removing all traces of their Apple ID and Account info.
Have read a few posts and it seems that my MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010) came pre-installed with Snow Leopard (10.6.3/10.6.4).
In Linc Davis post here: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5350317
he says that "If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the gray installation discs that came with it. If you don't have the discs, order replacements from Apple."
My friend is adamant that he received no software with the purchase from new. Everything came pre-loaded.
So I've downloaded OS X Mavericks and created a bootable USB installer. If I do a clean install using this method, will that remove all traces of the previous owner (Apple ID and account info), allowing me to start as clean as possible while still giving me access to the original pre-loaded software that came with the MacBook from new? Once installed, can I then just add my own Apple ID and perform any updates to this software as normal?
Since I don't think it shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, I will be unable to boot into Internet Recovery to try and restore if necessary, before upgrading to Mavericks.
Thanks for any help. Hopefully it's not as complicated as it sounds!

leroydouglas wrote:
S Smack wrote:
If I do a clean install using this method, will that remove all traces of the previous owner (Apple ID and account info), allowing me to start as clean as possible while still giving me access to the original pre-loaded software that came with the MacBook from new?
Once installed, can I then just add my own Apple ID and perform any updates to this software as normal?
Yes and Yes
OK, so I'd still have access to iPhoto etc., even though all purchases would still be linked with friends Apple ID?
I don't quite understand how this works..
If I do a clean install, and my new Apple ID has no history behind it, how does it know what software was paid for/pre-installed if that account is no longer tied to this computer?

Re-Install OS on Second hand G5

I bought a G5 on ebay I have the OS installation CD but I dont know the passwords that are on the installed OS I want to re-install and start fresh how do I do that

fairdinks:
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
I bought a G5 on ebay
Can you be more specific as to which G5? PowerMac? iMac? Processor speed?
I have the OS installation CD
Is this install disk computer specific to the G5 in question, or is it a full Retail Version?
I dont know the passwords that are on the installed OS
You don't need the password to do a clean install
I want to re-install and start fresh how do I do that
I would recommend doing a complete reformat and erase (see directions below)
Formatting, Partitioning Erasing a Hard Disk Drive
Boot from the install CD holding down the "C" key.
Select language
• Go to the Utilities menu (Tiger) Installer menu (Panther & earlier) and launch Disk Utility.
• Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
• Select Partition tab in main panel. (You are about to create a single partition volume.)
• Click on Options button
• Select Apple Partition Map (PPC Macs) or GUID Partition Table (Intel Macs)
• Click OK
• Select number of partition in pull-down menu above Volume diagram.
(Note 1: One partition is normally preferable for an internal HDD.)
• Type in name in Name field (usually Macintosh HD)
• Select Volume Format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
• Click Partition button at bottom of panel.
• Select Erase tab
• Select the sub-volume (indented) under Manufacturer ID (usually Macintosh HD).
• Check to be sure your Volume Name and Volume Format are correct.
• Click Erase button
• Quit Disk Utility.
Installation Process
• Open Installer and begin installation.
• Select installation option
• Choose to Customize and deselect Foreign Language Translations and Additional Printer drivers.
Optional: Check box to install X11 (Tiger) BSD Subsystems (Panther & earlier).
• Proceed with installation.
• After installation computer will restart for setup.
• After setup, reboot computer.
• Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
• Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
• Select First Aid in main panel.
• Click Repair Disk Permissions.
• Connect to Internet.
• Download and install Mac OS X 10.4.11 Combo update (PPC) (Tiger) or
10.3.9 Combo Update (Panther)
Computer will restart.
• Repair Disk Permissions as previously.
• Go to Apple Menu > Software Update.
• Install all updates.
Computer may restart after updates.
• Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
• Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
• Select First Aid in main panel.
• Click Repair Disk Permissions.
Please do post back with further questions or comments.
Cheers
cornelius

I am trying to re-install OSX onto my second hand MacBook - I need to redeem my OSX purchase on the Mac App store

I need to get the OSX redemption code logged into my App le ID account for the OSX re-install to work.
I cannot log onto the App Store from my MacBook and I have no other Apple devices.
The Mac App Store only allows log on from an OSX device.
My friend is concerned that if I log on to the App Store with my credentials it will corrupt his iMAC (used to run his business) - is this an issue?
If not, when the redemption code is entered, I trust this won't overwrite his existing OSX?
Will this get my MacBook re-istalled once we get the redemption code in?
Thank you very much for helping

I cannot log onto the App Store from my MacBook and I have no other Apple devices.
As long as you're running OS X, 10.6.6 or later, you should be able to.
My friend is concerned that if I log on to the App Store with my credentials it will corrupt his iMAC (used to run his business) - is this an issue?
Absolutely not. He would have to login to your App Store account before anything could possibly happen.
If not, when the redemption code is entered, I trust this won't overwrite his existing OSX?
It won't change his computer any more than logging into your account will change my Mac, or anyone else's.
Will this get my MacBook re-istalled once we get the redemption code in?
You'll have to explain this further. What version of OS X is your Mac running now? What model MacBook do you have?

How do I re-install system sw on a macbook that doesnt have superdrive installed?

I have a second-hand MacBook that has had its superdrive removed to make room for an ssd... I can't get the macbook to boot off its system install disk using an external superdrive. I'd like to try wiping the disk and loading a new system on it using my iMac 27"... Anyone know the procedure???

Hmmmm, 3 things I can think of.
Internal drive is so messed up it prevents anything else booting.
Wrong Install Disc for this Mac.
OOPs, forgot the 3rd one.

Macbook Pro 13 turns off after few seconds.

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Correction:
When I turn MacBook pro 13 on sound play and fans run at full speed but it turns off after few seconds.
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Apple Mac book pro just turns off after few seconds after turning on

Hi Folks,
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Regards,
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Should I do a clean OS install after buying second hand MacBook?

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