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Nguyen Duc Hieu

macrumors 68040
Jul 5, 2020
3,016
1,006
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
you are correct, I don't. But I'd be far more likely to find a buyer if its running something far more up to date, surely?

Re-do the Internet Recovery, but with a different key combination. If you are going to install newer Mac OS, you might need to do an extra step of formatting your HDD in APFS in Disk Utility.
Better leave that task for the buyer, as he might just replace the HDD and/or using the external SSD for Mac OS anyway.


If you're using any other Mac​

If you're not using a Mac with Apple silicon, you're using an Intel-based Mac.
  1. Press and release the power button to turn on your Mac.
  2. Immediately after releasing the power button, press and hold one of these key combinations. If none of them work, review the guidelines for using startup-key combinations.
    • Command-R: When you press and hold these two keys at startup, macOS Recovery will offer the current version of the most recently installed macOS.
    • Option-Command-R: When you press and hold these three keys at startup, macOS Recovery might offer the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
    • Shift-Option-Command-R: When you press and hold these four keys at startup, macOS Recovery might offer the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
  3. Keep holding the keys until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe.
  4. You might be asked to select a Wi-Fi network or attach a network cable. To select a Wi-Fi network, use the Wi-Fi menu
    macos-big-sur-wifi-icon-full.png
    in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  5. If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user. Then click Next and enter that user's administrator password, which is the password they use to log in to the Mac.
 

martinchivers

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 19, 2011
279
9
Bath, Somerset, UK
thank you Nguyen. I can't see anyone wanting to buy it without a far more modern OS. I read the above a couple of times. The Mac in question is a 21.5 inch I think 2012. (thats not shown in about this Mac, now)
Re-do the Internet Recovery, but with a different key combination. If you are going to install newer Mac OS, you might need to do an extra step of formatting your HDD in APFS in Disk Utility.
Better leave that task for the buyer, as he might just replace the HDD and/or using the external SSD for Mac OS anyway.


If you're using any other Mac​

If you're not using a Mac with Apple silicon, you're using an Intel-based Mac.
  1. Press and release the power button to turn on your Mac.
  2. Immediately after releasing the power button, press and hold one of these key combinations. If none of them work, review the guidelines for using startup-key combinations.
    • Command-R: When you press and hold these two keys at startup, macOS Recovery will offer the current version of the most recently installed macOS.
    • Option-Command-R: When you press and hold these three keys at startup, macOS Recovery might offer the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
    • Shift-Option-Command-R: When you press and hold these four keys at startup, macOS Recovery might offer the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.
  3. Keep holding the keys until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe.
  4. You might be asked to select a Wi-Fi network or attach a network cable. To select a Wi-Fi network, use the Wi-Fi menu
    macos-big-sur-wifi-icon-full.png
    in the upper-right corner of the screen.
  5. If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user. Then click Next and enter that user's administrator password, which is the password they use to log in to the Mac.
thank you. followed that (pressing option-command-R) and its currently downloading Catalina, which is far better than mountain lion and gives me the opportunity to sell it now. (assuming it works) Having done that, I'll need to format the ssd that it was running from. Best to ado that on the newer 27inch (thats now my running machine) or plug into the old one and do that? I've no particular use for it, but will use for storage etc. Whats the best format type?
 
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Reactions: Nguyen Duc Hieu

Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
29,239
13,310
Martin --

You can re-format the SSD on the new Mac.
Things like this don't matter.
Just erase it and use it for something else.

A backup of the newer iMac might be a good purpose.
 

Nguyen Duc Hieu

macrumors 68040
Jul 5, 2020
3,016
1,006
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
thank you Nguyen. I can't see anyone wanting to buy it without a far more modern OS. I read the above a couple of times. The Mac in question is a 21.5 inch I think 2012. (thats not shown in about this Mac, now)

thank you. followed that (pressing option-command-R) and its currently downloading Catalina, which is far better than mountain lion and gives me the opportunity to sell it now. (assuming it works) Having done that, I'll need to format the ssd that it was running from. Best to ado that on the newer 27inch (thats now my running machine) or plug into the old one and do that? I've no particular use for it, but will use for storage etc. Whats the best format type?

To be honest, I don't know.
For all the iMac I bought, the first thing i did was replace the HDD with an SSD, internally.
HDD came with Mac OS High Sierra.
I clone it to the external SSD via USB port. (SATA 2.5" SSD in USB enclosure)
I then open the iMac and replace the HDD with the SSD.

Of another iMac, i install a blank SSD, and create an USB installer of Big Sur to install on it.
I have never actually done the Internet Recovery because lacking of patience.
Normally, during the downloading, I lost my patience and power off the iMac.
It usually faster to download the img file using Opencore Legacy Patcher.
 

MBAir2010

macrumors 604
May 30, 2018
6,975
6,354
there
I installed snow leopard 3 weeks ago and had a time date issue.
after the third restart everything worked fine.

I purchased a MacBook Pro 2 years ago and set that up for someone.
the OSX was Sierra which the seller felt he need to install.
we went back with Mountain Lion which was a hassle
most Mac users know they way around the install operating systems so I would let the iMac be.

this week in getting a M1 used macMini and hopefully the company let me chose what to install.
oh,
good luck with your project I need to ship away some old Mac stuff as well, but to them s!
 
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