Mac Idiot needs selling help and buying help

[sbb155]

1. I own a 15 inch powerbook through my small corporation. I need to sell it, and I am VERY unsure of how to put it back into its "original" configuration. This is so the new owner will boot up and it will be like new with his/her own password,e tc. Can someone help me with this in a step by step fashion?

2. I am going to buy a new mac, but will not need to transfer anything from my existing mac except some MS office docs. I assume I can put those on a USB key and reload onto new mac without difficulty?

Thanks guys
Samantha

 

[Blue Velvet]

After moving your docs onto a USB key and maybe duplicating them elsewhere for extra safety, you can use the installation disks to erase the current hard-drive and reinstall OSX. That is, if you have the original disks...

Start up the Mac from the CD by holding down the C key and restarting with the CD in the machine, then run Disk Utility from the top menubar to erase the disk before reinstalling the OS. You may also want to install any OSX updaters you may have downloaded as well if you've got them stored anywhere.

 

[GoCubsGo]

After moving your docs onto a USB key and maybe duplicating them elsewhere for extra safety, you can use the installation disks to erase the current hard-drive and reinstall OSX. That is, if you have the original disks...

Start up the Mac from the CD by holding down the C key and restarting with the CD in the machine, then run Disk Utility from the top menubar to erase the disk before reinstalling the OS. You may also want to install any OSX updaters you may have downloaded as well if you've got them stored anywhere.

The last thing you want to do is invest in a good "wipe" program. You want to wipe your hard drive with something other than your typical formatting (that the install disks can do). The purpose of this is to ensure that no one can get your data off the drive. Formatting the drive doesn't actually erase all data, it simply takes away some of the logic that the OS looks for. When the OS boots and that logic is gone, it's impossible for the OS to see the data, but the data is still there. A data recovery company or a savvy person can recollect that data.

Protect yourself and your personal information.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I think zero-formatting or random eight-way is sufficient security for most people if they've got the time to do it... that can all be done from Disk Utility.

 

[sbb155]

disk utility....

How do I do that??? Formatting with disk utility?

 

[Blue Velvet]

How do I do that??? Formatting with disk utility?

With the Mac running from the installation CD and in the first setup windows, select Disk Utility from the top menu bar.

Then when that's up and running, select the Erase option like this. Select one of the options if you want secure erasing but be warned it could take some time to do it, probably overnight, certainly 3 hours or more.

 

[Abstract]

Just install OSX again using your install disk. Don't "Archive and Install." Just install as if you were starting from scratch.