Things to do before selling iMac

Hi I have recentley bought a Macbook pro and I will be selling my iMac but just wondered what steps should be taken before selling it onto a buyer?
I want to remove all programs and wipe it clean, then restore it to factory settings so the buyer can start using it from (like) new.
Whats the best way to go about doing this?
Thanks for any help!

A quick Google search found many articles on preparing a Mac for sale.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-20011109-263.html
There are many more too.

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Hey. This is my first time posting here, and I am fairly new to Apple so some of my questions may seem a little stupid. I am selling my iPod Nano 4GB and I am going to use the money to get an iPod featuring Video. I am wondering, since I registered my iPod Nano when I purchased it from apple.com, do I need to delete anything or unregister it or format it or something so that the new owner and myself won't have any problems using it? I know there are a lot of anti-piracy measures incorporated so thats why I'm asking. Thanks.

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
Just run a restore and you should be good...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=60983
btabz

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I will be passing on my iMac to a family member but don't want to delete all the applications I have on it. I DO, however, want to delete any personal info/data. Can someone tell me which files/directories I should delete to make sure the system is as clean as it can be without actually doing a reformat?
Thanks!

Ideally you should create a new admin user account for the person to whom you are giving the computer, then log into that account and delete yours.
Note that any software included on the computer that is commercial or shareware is subject to license restrictions that limit their installation to one CPU at a time. If you keep the original software and any installation discs and registration numbers to install on another computer, then you are violating the software license. If you leave the software on the computer then you must give all discs and registrations to the new owner, and cannot install the software on your computer.

How do I erase all my data securely before selling my IMac G5 computer

I will be selling my Imac G5 which was synced to my mobile me account. I know I can "unregister" the computer before selling but I want to make sure I securely erase my data for all the programs I have.
I am selling the computer with Ilife and other programs but want to be absolutely sure I get rid of my data. So...... How do I thoroughly erase;
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Skip

I don't know why you've posted this in the iSync forum (which is for syncing non-Apple mobile phones via a USB or Bluetooth connection), but anyway...
Here's an Apple Support document on zeroing all the data on your hard disk:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1820
Once you've done that, you should re-install the original version of Mac OS X that came with the machine to be within the law for selling purposes, and to avoid having any trace of any of your personal details, passwords, keychains, bookmarks, cookies, web history etc. etc.
Any additional software you have purchased that you are selling with the computer should be sold as supplied its original installation disks.

Deleting everything before selling my iMac

What should I do to remove all personal information from my 4 year old iMac before selling it? Many thanks Alistair

Insert your install disk, go to Disk Utility and erase the internal drive. The seven pass erase should be good enough. You can then use the install disk to install the OS that came with your iMac and none of your personal information will be left.

How can I erase data, photos and videos from iPad 2 before selling?

I plan to sell my old iPhone 2, there are many private file, like photos, videos in it, I have deleted them all, but I found it is still can be recovered by a iPad data recovery app, I worry my private info to be misused by someone else. So how can I permanently erase data, photos, and videos on iPad? Is there some iPad data eraser app?

I plan to sell my old iPhone 2, there are many private file, like photos, videos in it, I have deleted them all, but I found it is still can be recovered by a iPad data recovery app, I worry my private info to be misused by someone else. So how can I permanently erase data, photos, and videos on iPad? Is there some iPad data eraser app?
If you're selling your iPad or passing it on to someone else, the first thing you'll want to do is make sure they won't have access to any of your personal data. Wipe iPad data before selling: contacts, messages, photos, videos, apps, account info, passwords and other personal data stored on iPad.
Maybe this guide helps: http://www.safewiper.com/tutorials/ipad-data-eraser.html

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shall i remove sim card from iphone3 before selling ?

If you can use it in your new phone, sure.
These are things you must do before selling iPhone:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5661

Whats the easiest way to wipe my g4 powerbook before selling?

im wishing to sell my g4 powerbook after upgrading very quickly and wish to erase all data properly. i have no install disc so cannot do it this way nor do i have a firewall connection cable as ive read on a few discussions already, is there an easier alternative? i thought about deleting everything manually but i'm afraid i may miss things and this would take up alot of time also.
thanks in advance and much appreciated!

Follow these instructions step by step to prepare a Mac for sale:
Step One - Back up your data:
       A. If you have any Virtual PCs shut them down. They cannot be in their "fast saved" state. They must be shut down from inside Windows.
       B. Clone to an external drive using using Carbon Copy Cloner.
          1. Open Carbon Copy Cloner.
          2. Select the Source volume from the Select a source drop down menu on the left side.
          3. Select the Destination volume from the Select a destination drop down menu on the right
              side.
          4. Click on the Clone button. If you are prompted about creating a clone of the Recovery HD be
              sure to opt for that.
               Destination means a freshly erased external backup drive. Source means the internal
               startup drive.
Step Two - Prepare the machine for the new buyer:
          1. De-authorize the computer in iTunes! De-authorize both iTunes and Audible accounts.
          2, Remove any Open Firmware passwords or Firmware passwords.
          3. Turn the brightness full up and volume nearly so.
          4. Turn off File Vault, if enabled.
          5. Disable iCloud, if enabled: See.What to do with iCloud before selling your computer
Step Three - Install a fresh OS:
     A. Snow Leopard and earlier versions of OS X
          1. Insert the original OS X install CD/DVD that came with your computer.
          2. Restart the computer while holding down the C key to boot from the CD/DVD.
          3. Select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu; repartition and reformat the internal hard drive.
              Optionally, click on the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
          4. Install OS X.
          5. Upon completion DO NOT restart the computer.
          6. Shutdown the computer.
     B. Lion and Mountain Lion (if pre-installed on the computer at purchase*)
         Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because
                   it is three times faster than wireless.
          1. Restart the computer while holding down the COMMAND and R keys until the Mac OS X
              Utilities window appears.
          2. Select Disk Utility from the Mac OS X Utilities window and click on the Continue button.
          3. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click
              on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
          4. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on the Security button
              and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
          5. Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
          6. Quit DU and return to the Mac OS X Utilities window.
          7. Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
          8. Upon completion shutdown the computer.
*If your computer came with Lion or Mountain Lion pre-installed then you are entitled to transfer your license once. If you If your computer came with Lion or Mountain Lion pre-installed then you are entitled to transfer your license once. If you purchased Lion or Mountain Lion from the App Store then you cannot transfer your license to another party. In the case of the latter you should install the original version of OS X that came with your computer. If this is not possible then simply erase the drive. You need to repartition the hard drive as well as reformat it; this will assure that the Recovery HD partition is removed. See Step Three above. You may verify these requirements by reviewing your OS X Software License.

Optimising and Selling iMac G3

I am finally coming around to selling the iMac G3s and the eMac. I will reformat the drives in them and put on Puppy Linux for the iMacs and Xubuntu on the eMac. If I can, I will repair OS X on them all and will dual boot if possible. All of this will be done using the Intel iMac via Firewire. I would like to know if there is a way to make these machines any faster (without money) and "safer" so the next owner feels sure they won't be failing on them soon. Thanks in advanced!

Unfortunately, you can't really make them faster without a little dough. A very good way is put more RAM in it, (which is REALLY cheap for those things), and one note: the iMac G3's may be very prone to failure; old CRTs can die unexpectedly. If there is any flickering or noise, beware. One last thing: the max RAM you can put in a G3 is 1 GB, and I believe for eMacs it is 4 or 5 GB.
Good luck selling
Galen

How do i reformat my hard drive on mac mini late 2011 with yosemite before selling my mac

how do i reformat my hard drive on mac mini late 2011 with yosemite before selling my mac

You can't legally sell or give away that computer with Yosemite installed.
Before you sell or give away your computer, in addition to the steps listed in this support article, take these steps:
1. Run Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test. The buyer will do this (or he should), and you don't want to be surprised by the results.
2. Reset the PRAM and the SMC, which might contain personal information.
3. If you set a firmware password, remove it by running Firmware Password Utility in Recovery mode.
4. If you activated FileVault in OS X 10.7 or later, turn it off.
5. If you use Boot Camp, the partition must be deleted.
6. If you created any other data partitions on the internal drive, remove them in Disk Utility.
7. If the machine has an internal hard drive, erase the one remaining data partition with the option to zero out data. An SSD doesn't need to be zeroed.
You can't legally or practically transfer any software downloaded from the Mac App Store to the new owner of the machine, even if it was free. That includes OS X, so if you upgraded to OS X 10.7 or later, you must reinstall an older OS, either from the installation media, if applicable, or by starting up in Internet Recovery mode (option-command-R at the startup chime.) If you installed from physical media, deliver those to the new owner.
If you're selling the machine, or donating it in working order, and it originally shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, then you have the option of installing either from the discs that came with it or from a retail Snow Leopard disc (which you must then transfer to the buyer.) The buyer should understand that if he doesn't get the original discs from you, he won't get the bundled iLife applications or the Apple Hardware Test. Replacements for the original discs can be ordered from Apple.
The new owner will have to redownload any software that came from the App Store, including OS X upgrades, under his or her Apple ID. If you ever updated the bundled iLife applications (Garage Band, iMovie, and iPhoto) through the App Store, you can't transfer those either. The buyer will have to purchase them.
Remove the machine from your list of registered products. If it's still covered by an AppleCare Protection Plan, transfer the coverage to the new owner by following the instructions in the AppleCare Terms and Conditions (under the heading "Transfer of Plan.")

What all necessary action should i have to take before selling my iphone 3gs?

What all are the necessary steps should i have to take before selling my iphone 3gs??

Settings>General>Reset>Erase all Content & Settings. You can leave the sim card in the phone if you like(assuming it's deactivated), as the iPhone stores no data on the sim card. Hackers(potential buyers) like purchasing a locked phone with the sim still installed. Makes it easier to hack the phone.

How to unregister iphone before selling it

I recently purcharsed an iPhone 4.
I'm going to sell my iPhone 3Gs. How do I format and unregister the phone (i.e. erase all the data in the phone)?
Thanks for answering

beedoola wrote:
Do you need to unlock the phone before selling it or will the erase method above do that? I have an ATT iphone 4. Do I need to unlock it if the buyer is going to use it with ATT or Tmobile?
Only ATT can unlock the phone if it's going to be used with T-Mobile

How do I wipe my hard drive before selling my laptop?

I need to know how to zero out my hard drive before selling my Mac Book Air.

Click here and follow the instructions. If the computer originally shipped with Mac OS X 10.6.8 or earlier, when you reach step 5, connect its original thumbdrive, restart with the C or Option key held down, use the Disk Utility to erase the internal drive, and install a fresh OS.
(126512)

How to delete the files from iPhone before selling?

How do I delete the files from my old iPhone4 before selling?

Hey adhot,
Before selling your iPhone, you'll want to follow these directions:
Before you sell or give away your iOS device, make sure that you have removed all of your personal information. Follow these steps to protect your data and get your device to its factory default state for the new owner:
Back up your device.
Go to Settings > General > Reset, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.
This will completely erase your device and turn off iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime, Game Center, and other services.
If you are using iOS 7 and have Find My iPhone turned on, your Apple ID and password will be required. After you provide your password, the device will be erased and removed from your account so that the next owner can activate it.
Contact your carrier for guidance on transferring service to the new owner.
When the device is turned on for the first time by the new owner, Setup Assistant will guide them through the setup process.
Important: Do not manually delete contacts, calendars, reminders, documents, photo streams, or any other iCloud data while signed in to your iCloud account, or the content will also be deleted from the iCloud servers and all of your iCloud devices.
via: What to do before selling or giving away your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5661
Have a great day,
Delgadoh

What is the name of that thing that appears before a film, in black and white, with numbers counting backwards and with circle motion ?

what is the name of that thing that appears before a film, in black and white, with numbers counting backwards and with circle motion ?

Thanks a lot, not only I got what I needed, but also discovered a great site
thanks
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Things to do before selling iMac

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