#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE LICENSE KEY#
#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE SOFTWARE#
#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE PASSWORD#
#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE FREE#

If you have third party apps installed on your system that you purchased from outside of the Mac App Store, check and see if you need to deactivate your serial number or license key before migrating to a new computer. To sign out of iMessage (only applicable on OS X Mountain Lion or later), open the Messages app, click the Messages menu, click Preferences, click the Accounts tab, select your iMessage account, and then click Sign Out. Don’t worry - your iCloud data will still remain on any other devices that are using the same Apple ID! When you sign out of iCloud, you’ll be asked whether you want to remove iCloud data from your Mac. To sign out of iCloud, simply click the Sign Out button on the iCloud Preferences screen. To disable Find My Mac, click the Apple icon in the upper lefthand corner of your screen, then click System Preferences, click iCloud, and then deselect the Find My Mac checkbox. You’ll want to disable Find My Mac (if it’s enabled for your Mac) and sign out of iCloud.

#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE PASSWORD#

Enter your Apple ID and password when prompted, then click Deauthorize. To do so, open iTunes, click the Account menu at the top of your screen, then click Authorizations, then click Deauthorize This Computer. Apple currently limits playback to a total of 10 devices (including computers, iPhones, and iPads), so you don’t want to be wasting a slot with a computer you’ll no longer be using.

#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE FREE#

If your computer has been authorized to play music you’ve purchased in the iTunes Store, you’ll want to deauthorize your computer in order to free up one of your Authorization slots.

#HOW TO WIPE A MAC CLEAN FOR SALE SOFTWARE#

While it’s not critical if you forget to do so (you can sign out of most Apple services from the web, and contact your third-party software vendors if you forgot to deactivate your software licenses), it’s generally easier to do so while you still have access to your old hardware. It’s important to sign out of the various Apple services and deactivate third-party apps before taking the steps to wipe your files. Most likely your computer has previously been configured to do things such as play your iTunes music, access files and features with iCloud, send and receive iMessage chats, and run some (non-Mac App Store) third party software. Sign out of Apple services and deactivate third-party apps. If possible, transfer your files and data to your new computer and make sure everything copied over correctly before continuing with the steps to erase data from your old computer. This will help minimize the risk of data loss should you encounter a software bug or hardware failure. a backup stored on Apple’s iCloud servers, and a local backup on an external hard drive). It’s a good idea to make two separate backups, stored in two separate locations (i.e. There are many backup options that are available to choose from, including Apple’s Time Machine or iCloud backup, as well as third party backup utilities such as SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner. The last thing that you want happening is remembering that you don’t have a backup of your kid’s baby pictures - after you’ve already wiped your hard drive. The very first thing to do before even thinking about wiping your drive or getting rid of your old computer is to make a backup of your important files and data. You can either write this information down by hand, or take screenshots and print them out for later reference.Ĭreate a backup of your files and data. Newer versions of OS X include different tabs on the About This Mac screen which contain more specific information such as the screen size and resolution, hard drive size, and disc-burning capabilities.

The screen that appears contains information such as your computer’s operating system version, processor speed, amount of memory (RAM), and type of graphics card in your computer. Most of the information can be found by clicking the Apple icon in the upper lefthand corner of your screen, then clicking About This Mac. These steps will ensure the secure removal of your personal information and data from your old computer, and help make your transition to a new computer go as smoothly as possible.īefore we get into any of the specific steps, there’s something important to note if you’re looking to sell your computer (rather than donating it or giving it to a family member): You’ll want to copy down your computer’s hardware specs, which will be important to note later on in your listing on eBay, Craigslist, etc. On today’s episode, we’re going to run down a checklist of steps to take before selling, donating, or giving away your old Mac. Sign out of Apple services and deactivate third-party apps.Checklist 05: 5 Easy Steps to Prepare your Mac before selling it

How to wipe a mac clean for sale