How do I prepare my Mac for selling? It’s simple; you just clear all the data from your hard drive and reinstall a new version of MacOS. But will this really be a good idea? Maybe or maybe not!
Let’s see!
If you are reading with me, chances are that you have bought your new Mac or Desktop computer and you are thinking of selling the old one. The question is, do you know how to prepare your Mac before selling it? You want to ensure your Mac is free from all important data of yours before you head to this website to sell it and that’s why we have prepared a step by step guide to lead you through.
Here is how.
- To prepare you Mac before selling it: Back up all your data
This is the first and very important step that you must not skip when preparing your Mac for selling. Skipping this step will leave you without any data of yours that you might have stored in your old Mac. If you have a new Mac with you, you can copy all your data and important files from your old Mac to the new one. Chances are that you have saved your kid’s photos, photos of your wedding and any other important occasions you took. Having a backup will help you to retrieve your data, files, photos and other stuff when you need them. It is advisable to have two distinct backups of your data. You may back up your data on Apple’s iCloud servers or transfer all your data to an external hard drive. This is a better option to minimize the loss of your data especially when one back up media fails.
Read here to know how to back up your data and files on a Mac laptop.
- De-authorize all your Apple Accounts
All the software you have on your Mac is registered under your name with your personal information and it’s very risky to sell it with your personal information intact since the buyer may misuse the information. Also, the buyer may download and install software that is registered under your name so it is advisable to ensure you sign out of all Apple accounts such as iMessage, iTunes, iCloud and third-party software that are licensed using your personal information.
To sign out of iTunes:
- Click iTunes on your Mac.
- Go to Account in the menu bar.
- Hit sign out.
To sign out of iMessage:
- Select Messages on your Mac menu.
- Go to Preferences from the menu.
- Choose your iMessage account and click Sign out.
To sign out of iCloud:
- Hit the Apple icon on your Mac.
- Hit System Preferences from the menu.
- Select
- Uncheck where it says Find My Mac.
- Type in your password when asked.
- Hit Sign Out and choose Remove data from this Mac when asked.
- To prepare your Mac before selling: Erase and format your Mac’s hard drive
You have all your data, files, apps, and all your important files backed up and you have de-authorized all Apple accounts licensed under you with your personal information, it is now time to wipe everything from your Mac. But before that let’s see what it means by deleting the stuff from your Mac.
Many computer users think that by simply deleting your data from your machine and emptying the trash you will have done away with it. But this can make other users access your data especially when one uses a recovery utility. They can retrieve all your data. Read here to know how to erase and format your Mac’s hard drive.
- To prepare your Mac before selling it: Reinstall a clean version of Mac operating system
After you have wiped everything from your Mac, it remains with nothing. You are now to install a clean version of your operating system. Read here to know how to install your Mac operating system. Your Mac is ready for selling.
Good luck!
How to prepare your Mac before selling it – A quick overview
- Back up all your data.
- De-authorize all your Apple Accounts.
- Sign out of iTunes.
- Sign out of iMessage.
- Sign out of iCloud.
- Erase and format your Mac’s hard drive.
Reinstall a clean version of Mac operating system.
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