Apple today posted a support document explaining what to do before you sell or giving away your Mac and how to back up and remove your data from your computer to keep the data safe:
Important: Do not manually delete contacts, calendars, reminders, documents, photo streams, or any other iCloud data while signed in to your iCloud account. Doing so will not only delete that information from your Mac, but will also delete it from the iCloud servers and any other devices you also sync with iCloud. Instead, follow the steps below to remove your iCloud account from your Mac and leave your iCloud data intact on your other devices.
1. Deauthorize your computer from iTunes (if applicable).
2. Back up your data.
3. If enabled, turn off Find My Mac and sign out of iCloud. To turn off the iCloud service on your Mac:
• Choose System Preferences > iCloud.
• Deselect Find My Mac to disconnect your devices from iCloud.
• Click the Sign Out button on the left side.
• The system automatically removes iCloud data from your Mac.
4. Reformat your hard drive with Disk Utility to erase all stored data and then reinstall OS X on your computer.
Optional: If you want to return your Mac to its original “out-of-the-box” state, so the new owner can set up the computer with the Mac OS X Setup Assistant, follow these steps:
1. After you reformat your hard drive and reinstall OS X, the Setup Assistant automatically starts and displays the Welcome screen that prompts you to choose your country or region. Do not continue with the setup of your system.
2. Press Command-Q to shut down your Mac.
Your Mac is now ready for its new owner. When the Mac is turned on for the first time, the Setup Assistant will guide the new owner through the setup process.
More info in the source article here.
Exactly what I needed actually. Thx!
… iCloud (and the NSA) were here to make life EASIER, SAFER for us.
Now that I see it all laid out, step by step, I wonder – couldn’t Apple just automate the whole process? Click on “I’m selling this Mac”, then it disconnects your computer from iTunes, iCloud, Find My Mac, runs a final Time Machine backup, then securely erases everything potentially sensitive and reinstalls the OS? Apple automating it would make it easier for everyone, and an regular Joe could do it without worrying so much about messing it up.
Anyway, it’s nice of Apple to provide this guide.
Brilliant idea. Yes it should be that easy for iPhone and iPad as well.
Does doing a factory reset work on a iPhone or iPad to delete “all data” on the device?
That would be cool as an option. I’m sure some moron would find a way to screw that up, then try to sue Apple for their lost data.
They’d have to click “I understand this means erasing everything” a couple times, at the beginning and right before the actual erasing, and an extra stern warning if they don’t have a Time Machine backup. Someone will still try to sue but their case would be very unsubstantial. Selling a machine, anyway, also leads to losing all data that wasn’t backed up.
5. Let the NSA know.
There must be a web page for that. Oh wait…they’ll just “know” about it already. Never mind. That’s why it’s not in the list.
I just recently purchased a MacBook Air, hope it’d last ten years.
I am hoping my iMac 2011 model will last for at least 8 years. It will probably be the last desktop model I will own. Printing out the article on the Apple support for the Redding Mac User Group. Everyone should know how to do this.
I bought a mid 2007 2.4 Ghz Duo Core iMac and its still going strong after 6 six years. I’d love to get a new iMac but i can’t justify it. Darn you Apple for making such reliable products. 🙂
My daughter still uses my 15″ MBP from late 2006. It’s a Mac, it will last. C
Dear Apple,
Please automate this procedure for the likes of me.
Thank you.
I think there should be a System Preferences tool for this. Simple called “Reset this Mac”. Like the iPhone has.
I don’t really care for it to be “automated”. There’s not even 10 steps in the list above. I’m sure any person can handle those simple steps. Otherwise they shouldn’t be using a computer. I really don’t care to have everything automated for me. As an adult I can take care of myself.
So that includes disabled and elderly does it. In my opinion being able to do certain things doesn’t make you an adult. Relating in a mature manner goes some way towards it. I am really finding it hard not to be immature about your attitude. But that is a normal natural human emotion. I find it hard but I try. It’s really nice when someone makes life easier.
1. Deauthorize your computer from iTunes (if applicable).
2. Back up your data or contact the NSA for a complete copy.
It shows that some apple users are idiots and don’t know how to use their beloved toys. It shows that some apple lovers are blind and swing wildly at their comrades empty sculls. Can you hear the echo?
I’ve just been through this process for a four-hard-drive MacPro 1,1. What they missed out from the article was the secure erase option, ie don’t just reformat the disk, but over-write the data on it with meaningless junk as well. This is time consuming – it’s taken me days to do 7-pass rewrites on four hard-drives – but it is the best and most secure option.
“Do not manually delete contacts, calendars, reminders, documents, photo streams, or any other iCloud data while signed in to your iCloud account.”
Ok that was stupid… And how should “normal” people know all this? Maybe add some backups and fail safe to the system that prevents ppl from doing wrong in the first place. If people are logged in, ask them if they want to delete data locally or everywhere.
I mean, it should not have to be this complicated. Not on a mac. Not everyone is this computer savvy.
Did all the above. Reinstalled OS X. My username still comes up on restart. How to remove it?
Go to disk utility, choose the HDD, click erase, reformat, reinstall OS.