sweep clean your MAC?

[albireo13]

What's the best way to sweep clean your MAC?
I want to remove all apps, data, etc ... back to bare bones with the current OS (Sierra).

Do I manually uninstall everything?

I plan to sell my MAC and want to prep it.

Thx

 

[ferrarr]

Here's Apples preferred method, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201065.

 

[pigoo3]

A quick fyi...the widely accepted abbreviation for Macintosh is "Mac" not "MAC". "MAC" is an acronym:

https://www.acronymfinder.com/MAC.html

- Nick

 

[albireo13]

Thanks Nick and Bob

 

[IWT]

Here's Apples preferred method, https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201065.

May I just endorse this article and the recommendation to read it.

As you are planning to sell, there are several essential, indeed crucial, steps that must not be left out. So please follow the article in detail.

I am really referring to signing out of iCloud and your Apple ID so that it s no longer associated with that Mac. Also turning off Find My Mac and signing out of iTunes.

Reason: over the years, we have had numerous members buying, or being gifted, a used Mac where the proper procedure has not been followed and they get completely stuck because Apple thinks the Mac belongs to someone else and they cannot update, upgrade or buy apps - and try getting the previous owner to disassociate the Mac with his/her Apple ID!!!

Some have even just been given the Mac and even the Admin PW is not known.

Just offering advice to save later headaches for the new recipient.

Ian

 

[albireo13]

Good points.
I'm getting a new 27" Mac and will be selling off my current 27" MacThx.

 

[MacInWin]

One more thing. There are some apps that are registered to the machine and that check with the mothership each time they start. So, those apps need to be de-registered on the machine you are selling before you can re-register them on the new one. Microsoft and Adobe are two companies I know of that did or do that. So do the un-registraion before you wipe the drive.