How do you sanitise a Mac?

5tevie · 5tevie #1 (**permalink**)

11-25-2010, 09:58 AM

Hi guys,
This is definitely my last question about the G4 Mac Mini. After this it gets boxed up ready for its trip to the Post office when sold.
What is the best way to sanitise (UK spelling) the Mac Mini, or any Mac come to that, so that the next owner can't glean any of my info?
Info such as my favourite websites doesn't really matter but passwords to various sites such as eBay and Paypal I would rather make disappear.
I could probably erase all that stuff by doing a clean install of the Operating System but I don't have any OS discs.

Any clues appreciated.
Steve

5tevie · 5tevie #2 (**permalink**)

11-25-2010, 10:25 AM

I found info on Firefox on deleting History and Passwords but is there anything else I should be worried about?

Cheers,
Steve

bobtomay · bobtomay #3 (**permalink**)

11-25-2010, 10:30 AM

Create a new admin account - log out and log into the new account - make sure everything works - delete the old account.

Or you could try Clorox.

Audio.Trench · Audio.Trench #4 (**permalink**)

11-25-2010, 10:54 AM

Pull the hard drive out and replace it with a brand new one.

I typically never sell a computer with a hard drive I've used. I either replace it, or sell it without.

toMACsh · toMACsh #5 (**permalink**)

11-26-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5tevie

Hi guys,
This is definitely my last question about the G4 Mac Mini. After this it gets boxed up ready for its trip to the Post office when sold.
What is the best way to sanitise (UK spelling) the Mac Mini, or any Mac come to that, so that the next owner can't glean any of my info?
. . .
I could probably erase all that stuff by doing a clean install of the Operating System but I don't have any OS discs.

Would you buy a used Mac without the OS discs? I wouldn't.

s2odin · s2odin #6 (**permalink**)

11-26-2010, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toMACsh

Would you buy a used Mac without the OS discs? I wouldn't.

I did. Not that bad. Just need to buy the SL disc for $29.

5tevie · 5tevie #7 (**permalink**)

11-26-2010, 04:15 PM

toMACsh wrote ...... Would you buy a used Mac without the OS discs? I wouldn't.

Are you saying that as an experienced Mac owner and user or as a new Switcher?

the8thark · the8thark #8 (**permalink**)

11-26-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s2odin

I did. Not that bad. Just need to buy the SL disc for $29.

The SL discs do not contain the Apple hardware test that the original system discs that came with the computer come with. That hardware test is rarely used but when you need it you'll be glad you have it.

bobtomay · bobtomay #9 (**permalink**)

11-26-2010, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5tevie

toMACsh wrote ...... Would you buy a used Mac without the OS discs? I wouldn't.

Are you saying that as an experienced Mac owner and user or as a new Switcher?

I believe that comment would come from an experienced computer user. Any machine being sold must include a discount appropriate to not having the discs for anything that is on the machine. That is:

No OS disc, discount the cost to obtain them.
No discs for that copy of MS Office - can't get any $$ for it being installed.
No discs for that copy of Photoshop - then it's worth exactly... Nothing.

dd1989 · dd1989 #10 (**permalink**)

11-26-2010, 07:41 PM

I'd never sell any computer with the current operating system installed.

I'd format the hard drive using a reocgnised erase (a 3 pass method) technique, which would erase then write over the hard drive 3 times with totally random data, then it's wiped leaving you with a hard drive that only a government with all the brains in the world could recover.

Then I'd do a fresh install of the operating system.

But as some one has suggested, the best thing to do is replace the hard drive.

chas_m · chas_m #11 (**permalink**)

11-27-2010, 01:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s2odin

I did. Not that bad. Just need to buy the SL disc for $29.

Which does not include the hardware test, nor a little thing called iLife. So that $29 is now $100, and you still don't have the hardware test. But as its based on Drive Genius, you could buy that ... for another $100 ...

So now we're at $200 to get what you had on the original OS discs.

toMACsh · toMACsh #12 (**permalink**)

11-27-2010, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5tevie

toMACsh wrote ...... Would you buy a used Mac without the OS discs? I wouldn't.

Are you saying that as an experienced Mac owner and user or as a new Switcher?

I've had a Mac since 1994 or so.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd1989

I'd never sell any computer with the current operating system installed.

I'd format the hard drive using a reocgnised erase (a 3 pass method) technique, which would erase then write over the hard drive 3 times with totally random data, then it's wiped leaving you with a hard drive that only a government with all the brains in the world could recover.

Then I'd do a fresh install of the operating system.

I gave away my old computer, with an OS9 retail disc. Wiped it and reinstalled the OS, and nothing else.

5tevie #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 30, 2010 Location: Blackburn, Lancs, North West England Posts: 256 Mac Specs: Mac Mini Aluminium running at 2.4 GHz.	11-26-2010, 04:15 PM toMACsh wrote ...... Would you buy a used Mac without the OS discs? I wouldn't. Are you saying that as an experienced Mac owner and user or as a new Switcher? The trouble with letting people like me loose on the interweb with a debit card is that I now have the latest Mac Mini Aluminium running at 2.4 GHz with 8 GB of DDR3 RAM, 320 HDD and OS X 10.6.5 all wired up to a 70" LED screen ...... And not the faintest idea of how to use it.
	QUOTE Thanks

How do you sanitise a Mac?

Internet Services

Web Development

Digital Marketing

Consumer Tech

5tevie #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 30, 2010 Location: Blackburn, Lancs, North West England Posts: 256 Mac Specs: Mac Mini Aluminium running at 2.4 GHz.	11-25-2010, 09:58 AM Hi guys, This is definitely my last question about the G4 Mac Mini. After this it gets boxed up ready for its trip to the Post office when sold. What is the best way to sanitise (UK spelling) the Mac Mini, or any Mac come to that, so that the next owner can't glean any of my info? Info such as my favourite websites doesn't really matter but passwords to various sites such as eBay and Paypal I would rather make disappear. I could probably erase all that stuff by doing a clean install of the Operating System but I don't have any OS discs. Any clues appreciated. Steve
	QUOTE Thanks

5tevie #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 30, 2010 Location: Blackburn, Lancs, North West England Posts: 256 Mac Specs: Mac Mini Aluminium running at 2.4 GHz.	11-25-2010, 10:25 AM I found info on Firefox on deleting History and Passwords but is there anything else I should be worried about? Cheers, Steve
	QUOTE Thanks

Audio.Trench #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Oct 03, 2005 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 2,720 Mac Specs: Custom PC	11-25-2010, 10:54 AM Pull the hard drive out and replace it with a brand new one. I typically never sell a computer with a hard drive I've used. I either replace it, or sell it without.
	QUOTE Thanks

dd1989 #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Jul 08, 2010 Posts: 10	11-26-2010, 07:41 PM I'd never sell any computer with the current operating system installed. I'd format the hard drive using a reocgnised erase (a 3 pass method) technique, which would erase then write over the hard drive 3 times with totally random data, then it's wiped leaving you with a hard drive that only a government with all the brains in the world could recover. Then I'd do a fresh install of the operating system. But as some one has suggested, the best thing to do is replace the hard drive.
	QUOTE Thanks

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)