Prepare Mac For Sale Yosemite

As Time to go, upgrade your Mac system is a smart decision to increase productivity in business or prove yourself to their by use functional equipment. Also in new Mac OS X Apple added new apps and services that we must stop or remove data saved in it as well. So, here I enlist full list of very essential steps that will prepare Mac to sell in six steps.

No matter what Mac Machine do you own or running the macOS, this tutorial will show you how to prepare the Mac and MacBook to sell safely.

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Steps to Prepare Mac to sell by Delete/Wipe all Data and Login Profile

A reader who wishes to maintain her anonymity is preparing an old Mac for sale. She writes: After I purchase a new MacBook I intend to sell my old iBook.

How to prepare a Mac for sale If it’s your own computer, here are the easiest set of steps you can take to prep the machine. Make a clone via SuperDuper!, Carbon Copy Cloner, or Disk Utility (while. Get the best deals on Apple Mac OS X 10.10, Yosemite Mac Computer Software and find everything you'll need to improve your home office setup at eBay.com. Fast & Free shipping on many items!

For the security reason, Mac always needs iCloud profile for easy to manage online data over multiple apple devices. But some of these locally stored for easy and fast access. So learn how to manage and which we action we need before selling to an unknown person.

These tips are also useful in making your Mac OS X Brand new and completely refreshed just like new.

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Step 1: Backup your Mac, MacBook

Create Backup using Time Machine

To create Time Machine Backups on your Mac, MacBook, you’ll need external storage to store the backup. Here’s the list of external drives/storage you could possibly use to backup Mac.

  • A FireWire, USB or Thunderbolt.
  • NAS compatible with Time Machine over SMB
  • AirPort Time Capsule
  • Any Mac, MacBook Shared backup drive for Time Machine backup
  • External storage that is connected to AirPort Extreme Base Station or AirPort Time Capsule.

Upon connecting the external drive to the Mac, the system will ask you, Do you want to use (External Drive Name) to back up with Time Machine? Choose Use as Backup Disk, but before doing that, make sure to check the Encrypt Backup Disk option, recommended by Apple itself.

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What if Time Machine forgets to ask you to set a backup disk after connecting external drive? Do not worry, from the system you can do it manually.

  1. Click on the Apple menu and select System Preferences or from the top menu bar click on TimeMachine and then choose Time Machine preferences.
  2. Click on Time Machine.
  3. Click Select Backup Disk….
  4. Choose the external disk that you want to use it for Time Machine Backup. Don’t forget to check the Encrypt backups box. And lastly click on Use Disk.
  5. If the format of the disk doesn’t match with the Time Machine requirements then you’ll be asked to Erase the disk. Follow the instructions and Erase the disk.

Usually, Time Machine takes backups periodically without any action, but since we have to prepare the Mac to sell, it would be wise to take backup manually and speed up the process.

Here’s how to backup Mac on Time Machine Manually

  • Click on the Time Machine and select Back Up Now.

Create Backup on iCloud Drive

If you want to store backup to access it remotely, iCloud Drive is suggested option. Before using iCloud Drive to backup make sure it has enough storage to store backup.

  1. Click on the Applemenu on the menu bar.
  2. Select System Preferences.
  3. Click on the Apple ID.macOS Mojave or Earlier users, skip this step.
  4. Choose iCloud.
  5. If asked then sign in with Apple ID.
  6. Now select the iCloud Drive.
    • If your Mac is running macOS Sierra or later, then enable the Desktop and Documents to add the Mac Desktop and Documents folder directly to the iCloud Drive.
    • All the files stored on the Mac can be located in the Desktop folder and Documents folder in the Finder beneath the iCloud.
    • If you are thinking to add a second Mac desktop, to merge the files of the first Mac with the second Mac, it won’t happen automatically. You can open the Desktop and Documents folder stored in the iCloud and find the folder named the same as mentioned in another Mac.

This was all about how to backup Mac, MacBook before selling it. Once the backup is completed, you need to sign out of iTunes.

The Mac, MacBook with macOS Catalina or later, users have to skip the iTunes Sign Out step, since iTunes is out of support for macOS 10.15 or later.

Step 2: Sign out of iTunes (Only macOS Mojave or earlier)

  1. Launch the iTunes on your Mac. To do so, you can use Spotlight Search.
  2. Click on Account.
  3. Go to Authorizations and then select Deauthorize This Computer.
  4. For verification, you may need to enter the Apple ID and password.
  5. Finally, click on Deauthorize.

Step 3: Sign out of iCloud on Mac, MacBook

Removing accounts from Mac is also necessary to protect your private information and as you know the iCloud ID contains all of your payment information, personal information and more. That’s why, don’t handover the Mac without signing out of iCloud.

  1. Go to the System Preferences from the Apple menu.
  2. Then, click on Apple ID.
  3. Click on iCloud, on the sidebar.
  4. Disable Find My Mac.
  5. Next, click on Overview from the same sidebar and then Sign Out.
    • macOS Mojave or earlier, click on the Apple menu and then System Preferences. Go to iCloud and Sign Out.
  • When Mac asks to Keep a Copy of iCloud Data in the Mac, select Keep a Copy since you’ll have reformated the drive afterward.
  • Signing Out from iCloud doesn’t delete any data from iCloud Drive. You can still access it from another Apple device using the same iCloud account.

Step 4: Sign Out of iMessage

You’ll probably need to sign out of iMessage on macOS X Mountain Lion or later, launch the Messages app and click on Message. Select Preferences > iMessage and SignOut of Messages app.

Step 5: Unpair all the Bluetooth Connected Peripherals

From wireless keyboard to external speakers, we all have Bluetooth devices paired to Mac. However, this step is optional, even if you don’t unpair the paired Bluetooth devices, it won’t be a problem unless you have the plan to sell or give the Mac to your siblings or neighbor. Because the paired Bluetooth devices will automatically get connected if they are in range, and later can cause issues to the buyer or taker. Therefore it is advisable to disconnect and unpair the Bluetooth peripherals such as a wireless keyboard, wireless mice, wireless headphones, speakers and more.

  1. Go to the Bluetooth settings, click on Applemenu and SystemPreferences.
  2. Take the mouse pointer on the Bluetooth device and click on (x) to remove the device.

Step 6: Erase hard drive and reinstall macOS

Lastly, after performing all the steps, you have to erase the hard drive and reinstall the macOS. Why reinstall macOS, because it will give your Mac a fresh start, and the buyer will have to set up the Mac as a fresh piece.

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Prefer our detailed guide on how to reinstall macOS

Erase drive completely wipe all data forcefully, that’s you never get back or restore. Then install fresh OS X on Mac. Learn more about here. This is the most Hendy way to Prepare Mac to sall.

Source: iMore

  • Prepping your Mac for Sale

It is that time again. Time to decide whether to keep or replace your Mac laptop or desktop computer. If you are reading this article, chances are you've already come to the decision to replace your Mac with the newes model (or maybe you just got a new Mac as a present!), and you're thinking about selling your old one.

The first thing you should do before hitting the streets to sell your old Mac is clear it of any and all personal data. You don't want to accidentally sell your computer to a stranger when you are still logged into iCloud.

The next step is to reinstall the Mac's operating system so that the new owner can get started without having to figure out how to start up in recovering mode. Believe me, that can be a pain.

If you're going through the process of erasing your old Mac and reinstalling the operating system, we've got some common troubleshooting tips to help you out. Don't forget to follow the additional steps if you're selling a MacBook with Touch ID.

Clean the Mac of your personal data before erasing it

If you're about to sell your old Mac, the one thing you don't want to do is to give away the data you've been storing on it all these years. It's a security and privacy thing for you, but it's also important for the buyer. If you leave behind anything that needs to be logged into with a password, that buyer is going to have to track you down and get your password in order to change ownership. A completely fresh-from-scratch Mac is the best way to do this.

Step 1: Back up your Mac

If you already have your new Mac on hand, you can transfer all of your data from your old Mac or use an older Time Machine backup. If you don't have your new Mac yet, well .. then you probably shouldn't be selling your old one yet. But, if you really don't think you'll need your old computer before getting your new one, just make sure to back up your data so that nothing happens to it before you get what you need onto your new Mac.


Step 2: Sign out of everything

The software you have on your Mac is licensed to you, which means it doesn't get transferred to the new owner of your computer (except the operating system). In order to avoid complications with the new owner attempting to download and install software that is licensed by you, make sure to sign out of everything your personal information is connected to.

How to sign out of iTunes (macOS Mojave and older)

  1. Open iTunes on your Mac.
  2. Click Account in the Menu bar on the left side of your screen.
  3. Click on Sign Out.

    Source: iMore

How to sign out of iMessage

  1. Open Messages on your Mac.
  2. Click Messages in the Menu bar at the top left corner of your screen.
  3. Click Preferences from the drop-down menu.
  4. Select your iMessage account.
  5. Click on Sign Out.

    Source: iMore

How to sign out of iCloud

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
  2. Click System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click on Apple ID (on macOS Mojave and older, click on iCloud).

    Source: iMore

  4. Un-tick the box for Find My Mac.
  5. Enter your system password when prompted.
  6. Click on Sign Out.
  7. Click Remove data from this Mac when prompted.

Step 3: Unpair your Bluetooth devices

If you're keeping your Bluetooth devices, you don't want to leave them paired to a Mac that you're getting rid of. It isn't really that important of a step, but if you sell your old Mac to, say, a roommate or someone living in the same house as you, you may experience accidentally connecting back to it.

  1. Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
  2. Click System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click on Bluetooth.
  4. Hover over the device you want to unpair.
  5. Click on the X next to the device.

Note: If you're unpairing a keyboard, trackpad, or mouse on a desktop Mac, be sure to have a wired one plugged in or you won't be able to type or use a curser and you'll have to repair it all again.

Step 4: Erase your hard drive

Once your data is backed up and you've signed out of everything that might connect your old Mac to your personal information, you can erase everything on it by reformatting the hard drive.

  1. Restart your Mac.
  2. While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously. Your Mac will boot into macOS Recover.
  3. Select Disk Utility.
  4. Click on Continue.

    Source: iMore

  5. Click on View.
  6. Click on Show all Devices.
  7. Find your Startup disk (it should be named 'Machintosh HD' unless you renamed it) in the sidebar.
  8. Select the data disk under the startup disk.
  9. Click Edit.
  10. Click Delete APFS Volume from the menu bar or click the Remove button in the disk utility bar.
  11. Confirm by clicking Delete when prompted.

Repeat this process for all data disks under your startup disk. Do not use Delete Volume Group. Once you've deleted all of your data drives, you'll move on to erasing your startup disk.

  1. Select your Startup Disk (it should be named 'Machintosh HD' unless you renamed it) in the sidebar.
  2. Click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
  3. If your Mac is using HFS+, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the format list. If your Mac is using APFS, select APFS from the format list. See Troubleshooting for more information on which format to select.
  4. If Scheme is available, select GUID Partition Map.
  5. Click Erase.

    Source: iMore

  6. After the process is complete, select Quit Disk Utility from the Disk Utility drop-down menu in the upper left corner of the screen.

    Source: iMore

Source: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore

After you erase your hard drive it will be ready for a clean installation of the operating system. You should already be in the Utilities window after erasing your Mac. If not, restart your computer and hold down Command and R at the same time until you see the Apple logo.

Make sure to reinstall macOS through Recovery Mode, holding down Command+R. You may be asked to sign in with your Apple ID.

If you get stuck during reinstallation, see our troubleshooting section for additional help.

Note: Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet in order to verify the software. You'll be asked to do so during the installation process.

If, while reinstalling macOS, you're asked to enter a password, enter the password you use to unlock your Mac, not your Apple ID.

  1. Restart your Mac.
  2. While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously. You're Mac will boot into macOS Recover.
  3. Click on Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X where applicable) to reinstall the operating system that came with your Mac.
  4. Click on Continue.
  5. Select your hard drive ('Machintosh HD), when asked to select your disk.
  6. Click on Install/hp-scan-utility-for-mac-yosemite.html. to install the latest operating system that was on your Mac. Your Mac will restart after the installation is complete.

    • Make sure you don't close the lid on a MacBook or put your Mac to sleep during this reinstallation period, even if it takes a while. If the computer goes to sleep, it will stop the installation process from continuing and you'll have to start over. Your screen will go blank, show the restart Apple logo, and show a progress bar several different times.
  7. Hold down Command and Q after the installation is complete. Do not follow the setup instructions. Leave that part for the new owner.
  8. Click Shut Down to shut down your Mac.

    Source: iMore

Your Mac is now clean and ready for a new owner. They will complete the setup instructions to get started using the Mac, as well as download the latest macOS operating system that is available and supported on their Mac.


Troubleshooting erasing your hard drive or reinstalling macOS

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I've gotten a lot of very specific questions about issues some readers have with erasing or reinstalling macOS (usually reinstalling). Sometimes, the easiest way to fix issues with reinstalling macOS is to start by holding Shift+Option+Command+R which will put your Mac into an alternate version of Recovery Mode that allows you to install the original macOS that came with your Mac. From here, you can either keep that operating system and let the new owner update to their preferred macOS, or go through the macOS update process.

If, during the macOS reinstallation process, the installer doesn't see your disk or says you can't install the operating system on the disk, you may need to try erasing your hard drive again. Restart your Mac and hold down Command+R to bring up Recovery mode and repeat Step 4.

Since macOS changed to APFS, some readers have struggled with which format option to choose when erasing their disk. Here are some other possible troubleshooting issues from Apple's support document that may help you.

Are you formatting the disk that came built into your Mac?

If the built-in disk came APFS-formatted, don't change it to Mac OS Extended.

Are you about to install macOS High Sierra or later on the disk?

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If you need to erase your disk before installing High Sierra or later for the first time on that disk, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). During installation, the macOS installer decides whether to automatically convert to APFS—without erasing your files:

  • macOS Mojave and Catalina: The installer converts from Mac OS Extended to APFS.
  • macOS High Sierra: The installer converts from Mac OS Extended to APFS only if the volume is on an SSD or another all-flash storage device. Fusion Drives and traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) aren't converted.

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Are you preparing a Time Machine backup disk or bootable installer?

Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for any disk that you plan to use with Time Machine or as a bootable installer.

Will you be using the disk with another Mac?

If the other Mac isn't using High Sierra or later, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Earlier versions of macOS don't mount APFS-formatted volumes.

To learn which format is currently in use, use any of these methods:

  • Select the volume in the Disk Utility sidebar, then check the information on the right. For more detail, choose File > Get Info from the Disk Utility menu bar.
  • Open System Information and select Storage in the sidebar. The File System column on the right shows the format of each volume.
  • Select the volume in the Finder, then choose File > Get Info from the menu bar. The Get Info window shows the Format of that volume.

If you're still having trouble with either erasing your hard drive or reinstalling macOS, please reach out to us in the forums. We have a wonderful community of Apple users that are happy to help someone in need.

Any questions?

Is there anything about resetting your Mac to prepare it for sale that you need help with? Let me know in the comments and I'll get you squared away.

Updated May 2020: Updated for macOS Catalina.

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