Note that the most secure method can take days to erase the drive if it has a large capacity, so be prepared to just let the Mac sit for a while. Click Security Options, select the erase method desired, then click OK. If the Mac has had financial or other private information on it at any time, it’s a good idea to do a secure erase.
How to reset my macbook air to sell how to#
Apple suggests that you archive or make copies of your iCloud data just in case, and provides a full support page on how to copy the data for each iCloud service - Documents, Photos and Videos, Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Safari, Notes and iTunes Store Purchases. ICloud is at the heart of synchronizing data between Macs and iOS devices, so it’s important that your iCloud data be excluded from syncing with your computer once it’s out of your hands. For more information on deauthorizing computers using iTunes, visit this Apple support page on the subject. Once those have been typed into the appropriate fields, click the Deauthorize button. You’ll be prompted to enter your Apple ID and password. To begin, launch iTunes on the Mac, then select Store > Deauthorize This Computer. ITunes can only be authorized on a certain number of Macs, so it’s important to sign out of and deauthorize iTunes on a Mac that you’re repurposing. Has it been a while since the device was backed up? You never know - there could be some important data on it, so make a backup - especially if you plan on moving that data to a new Mac. If you’re a longtime reader of The Rocket Yard and have read the articles about how to back up your Mac using Time Machine or create a bootable backup using SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner, then you probably have a recent backup and can skip this step. In this post, we’ll give you step-by-step instructions on how to prepare a Mac for its new owner and how to protect yourself and your data. Or maybe you got a new Mac over the holidays and are ready to pass on your older model.
Perhaps the Mac just doesn’t have the power or speed to keep up with your needs, but it could be useful for another person who just needs to check email and browse the web. While OWC provides a wide variety of memory and storage expansion products designed to let Mac owners get the most life out of their devices, there comes a time where selling a Mac or giving it away is the best decision.