Selling my iMac: How to go about OSX install?

[xkmxkmxlmx]

Sorry the title is confusing. In a nutshell, I am selling my iMac which came with Lion. I have recently upgraded to Mountain Lion.

Is there any way to sell it with ML on it? Because when I reinstall the OS, it asks for my ID before it actually starts to download it. It says at the top "if you don't have an apple ID, you can create one by clicking create ID", but the "create new ID" option is nowhere to be clicked.

So in order to install the OS again, it will be linked to my ID. Which I obviously do not want since I am selling it.

What are my options? I am confused.

Thank you.

 

[hfg]

Sell it with the version of OS it came with (Lion), and let the buyer upgrade if they so desire. Your copy of ML is linked to your iTunes account, and even if you install it and "give" it to the buyer on the machine, they will be unable to upgrade it to newer incremental versions when they are released without your Apple ID.

I always interrupt the install at the "welcome" screen by forcing a power down, and then box it up to ship. Then the new owner will be greeted with the "Welcome" screen just like a new machine fresh out-of-the-box, and they can then register with Apple and create their own accounts at Apple and iCloud.

 

[xkmxkmxlmx]

Sell it with the version of OS it came with (Lion), and let the buyer upgrade if they so desire. Your copy of ML is linked to your iTunes account, and even if you install it and "give" it to the buyer on the machine, they will be unable to upgrade it to newer incremental versions when they are released without your Apple ID.

I always interrupt the install at the "welcome" screen by forcing a power down, and then box it up to ship. Then the new owner will be greeted with the "Welcome" screen just like a new machine fresh out-of-the-box, and they can then register with Apple and create their own accounts at Apple and iCloud.

It looks like that is what I am going to have to do. I was hoping to use ML to sweeten the deal, of course.

I couldn't even figure out how to downgrade earlier, but I have figured it out. Thanks for your help!

 

[Orange Furball]

If you have the install file for ML just make a bootable DVD or Flash Drive and reinstall there, shut her down at the welcome screen and sell it.

 

[hfg]

If you have the install file for ML just make a bootable DVD or Flash Drive and reinstall there, shut her down at the welcome screen and sell it.

I believe the ML install file the OP has will have his AppleID encoded into the file. Although the buyer will be able to complete the setup on initial boot and run the installed ML, I think they will be unable to download any future updates to the original version without purchasing it themselves (or having the OP's ID).

That is one unfortunate side effect of App Store electronic download purchases ... they are forever linked to your AppleID ... you can't give them away or sell them when you are done with them as you could a DVD boxed copy.

 

[btbrossard]

Apple has indicated that the OS the computer came with is the OS it should be sold/transferred with.

The Mountain Lion purchase is licensed to your Apple ID and the computers you use that ID on - not hardware.

Just re-install whatever it came with and - if you want to include an upgrade to Mountain Lion - throw in a $25 iTunes gift card for the buyer and tell them to get the upgrade under their Apple ID.