Reformat help needed - el capitan and old desktop

I just erased my late 2008 desktop in order to sell or donate it -- I followed the instructions using the utility disk and wiped it seven times! I understood that it would keep the OS and original apps and remove everything else. It has removed EVERYTHING. So, I got online and tried to download el capitan - but it kept stalling (because el capitan was not the original OS?). Right now I am restoring from Time Machine to redo the whole shebang. How do I remove my data and apps that I have bought? Should I download el capitan and make a bootable USB stick and erase everything again (I know, I don't need to do it 7 times!)

Thanks in advance for any wisdom.

As you've already discovered the wipe that you did erases everything not just your data. Even a single pass erase would have done that. Don't feel bad we've all made those mistakes a time or two. Now on to solving your problem.

Can you tell us a bit more about your situation. Which 2008 model is this? Do you have either a Snow Leopard Disc or the Original discs that came with the computer? What version of OS X are you wanting to put on the computer?

OK -- so I have "restored" the hard drive from a Time Machine backup. It's "setting up" my Mac and it looks exactly like it "should." with OS X El Capitan- The original computer came with Leopard. I had gotten snow leopard when I wanted to upgrade to Yosemite. I gave that disc away to the next person (hoping they would pay-it-forward!). I have Deauthorized iTunes and will disconnect this computer from iCloud after I am sure it won't get online again. I did sign out of iCloud with this computer. Now, How do I get rid of my data without destroying El Capitan? Thanks!

If you have MS Office for Mac, I believe there is something that has to be dealt with when decommissioning a Mac. I am not sure about this...maybe another member can help with that.

Thanks for the suggestion. Office for 2011 and older say to just drag the programs into the trash and restart the computer!

Instead of trying to delete all your data ( define ' data ' ) you should do a clean install.
A clean install will ensure you only have the OS on that disk plus the applications that shipped with the OS...... nothing to worry about otherwise.
Any other method is like .... well .... wasting your time and not achieving the objective.

Cheers ... McBie

So then what you are suggesting, McBie, is to download El Capitan and save it to a thumb drive and once again ERASE everything and then install El capitan from the thumb drive? I tried downloading it when there was nothing on the computer -- the App store would not download it. It kept "failing."

I want to get rid of the apps and data I have installed and put on my computer -- I do not want to take it back to Leopard OS though. I think selling or donating this has a better chance of being successful if I have El Capitan on it.

If you are running El Capitan right now, boot into the recovery partition and do a clean install.
Then update to the latest version of El Capitan.

Cheers ... McBie

Sorry -- I must be missing something, McBie. are you saying that I need to boot the computer into recovery and ERASE EVERYTHING with a clean install - then update to the latest version of El Capitan? If you are suggesting this, that's what brought me to this website to begin with. I was unable to download a clean /new version of El Capitan. The log said "FAILED" several different times when I tried to re-download it. The computer ONLY opened into disk Utility. I was unable to do anything with it.

So what did I misunderstand from your recommendation? I am trying to download a complete file on my newest computer.

Can you verify the hard drive in Disk Utility prior to downloading El Cpitan?

There's no verify option on El Capitan -- and neither computer would download the complete El Capitan so I could make a bootable disk. Is it really that hard to do what I am asking?! I just want to remove MY data so I can give the computer away without inviting the recipient into my underwear drawer!

When you are at the screen in that screenshot and everything is as you've got it set click the First Aid option.

OK -- did that again. Got
"The volume HD appears to be OK
File system check exit code is 0
Operation successful"

Do you have another mac you can use to download El Capitan to make the installer with? Even a friend's would work for this.

I tried downloading it on my NEW Mac -- it gave me the message that it's already installed but if i wanted to download it in full, click "continue." -- I clicked it -- let the computer run "downloading" from the App store for 4 hours -- nothing... so I guess the answer is that it just won't download. I am now deleting my data by hand, the apps and the plists by hand ;-(

While your brute force deletions will sort-of do the job, it would be better to follow McBie's suggestion in Post #8. That's how I prepared my old MBP for a new user. From the recovery partition, do an erase of the main partition (not the entire drive) then format and reinstall OS X as a new installation. Once it's done, do not boot it as that will trigger the creation of a new user. You can test the installation by letting it start up, but then shut it down as soon as the user creation stuff shows up. If you do that, the new user will be able to create his/her own accounts cleanly. What you are doing will still not delete your user, just your files.

Just finished it -- I am from the school of "Apparently I need to know EVERY step." So I ended up doing what McBie said after the brute force attempt -- only I had to go back and figure out the steps missing ;-) Thank you, McBie, for the recommendation -- It seems to have worked -- Only I didn't stop when I should have. I created a "User" account because I wanted to be able to show that the system really does work!Looks good and each program has a "Welcome" for the new user to start fresh.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP, COMMUNITY!

Glad you got it sorted mate.
The new owner can now create their own user profiles and delete yours without having to worry about any data on the system.

Cheers ... McBie

Did you look in your Applications folder for "Install OS X El Capitan?