Get a Best Buy gift card for trading in my Mac mini

[dcs.79c]

I have a 2018 mini that still works. I just bought a 2023 mini.

I assume that the Best Buy Geek Squad needs to plug in the mini to make sure that it boots up & stuff. I assume that I shouldn't nuke the hard drive before I bring it in. I think that I disabled the security chip.

I can't remember all of my passwords so I'll have to write them down on a piece of paper & bring it with me. Does the Geek Squad need the Apple ID & password or the password for the 2018 mini?

Can the Geek Squad force nuke the hard drive without a password?

 

[ferrarr]

I would suggest, if you're bringing it to Best Buy, you should wipe the drive and install the newest version of macOS that the Mini can run. Of course do not do this if you do not have a backup of all the digital data you need.

I do not think Best Buy can do that, unless you bring your proof of ownership with you. Apple is strict about devices and who they are registered to.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

If you are trading in your current Mac, regardless of where it's going, you should follow the instructions here to get it ready.

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

Reset your Mac to factory settings to prepare it for a new owner.

support.apple.com

DO NOT share your passwords with anyone. If they are going to give you something for your trade in, they should need to confirm that it boots up. Depending on what they're planning on doing with it, they might not even do that.

 

[dcs.79c]

Hmm, restart my mini in Recovery mode. I don't think that I've ever used Recovery Mode.

It currently has Catalina on it which Apple no longer supports.

I do have the bootable flash drive with Catalina on it. Do I need to use the flash drive? I don't think that I need to. I assume that the current operating system will be installed during Recovery Mode, is that correct? Can a 2018 mini handle the current OS?

I'm not sure if I have disabled the security chip. I guess that I have because I've nuked the hard drive & done a clean install.

Just thinking about doing this, makes me nervous! I wonder if Geek Squad charges a fee for reinstalling macOS.

I have 3 options:

• Command-R: When you press and hold these two keys at startup, Recovery will offer the current version of the most recently installed macOS.
• Option-Command-R: When you press and hold these three keys at startup, Recovery might offer the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
• Shift-Option-Command-R: When you press and hold these four keys at startup, Recovery might offer the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.

I wonder what Best Buy does with old minis.