Reset new iMac to "new out of box" state

js29js29
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
OK, I just got a new iMac 27" today and went through initial start-up & set-up, and even a couple of passes at the migration utility. For reasons I don't really want to get into, I want to wipe out everything I did and start over.



Can someone please give me the steps to return the iMac to "new out of box" state? I want to go through the startup as though it was the first time.



Thanks.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,324moderator
    You can boot up from the installer disc and at the start, there is a button that says either customise or options in the bottom left. When you click that, it allows you to choose erase and install. That will reset the system back to where it was when you got it. One thing to be aware of is if you use migration, don't create a user during the initial setup with the same name as any user you want to migrate. Create the default user with a test name and you can delete that user once migration is done.
  • Reply 2 of 5
    karl kuehnkarl kuehn Posts: 756member
    Unfortunately with 10.6 Apple no longer puts in the "Erase and Install" option. I don't know why, but you can still do this yourself by:



    1) Boot from the restore disk



    2) Choose your language when asked



    3) At the next screen go into the menus and find the "Disk Utility" option and choose it



    4) Use Disk Utility to erase the volume and then from the "File" menu select "Quit"



    5) Continue on as normal with the install
  • Reply 3 of 5
    js29js29 Posts: 44member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Karl Kuehn View Post


    Unfortunately with 10.6 Apple no longer puts in the "Erase and Install" option. I don't know why, but you can still do this yourself by:



    1) Boot from the restore disk



    2) Choose your language when asked



    3) At the next screen go into the menus and find the "Disk Utility" option and choose it



    4) Use Disk Utility to erase the volume and then from the "File" menu select "Quit"



    5) Continue on as normal with the install



    Thank you!!!



    Do I have to re-install the iLife apps and such before I do the migration?
  • Reply 4 of 5
    s.metcalfs.metcalf Posts: 972member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JS29 View Post


    Thank you!!!



    Do I have to re-install the iLife apps and such before I do the migration?



    No you will need to reinstall them AFTER you've reinstalled the system by inserting the Software DVD that came with your computer and running the installer. It's a pain but Apple doesn't include an option to install them both in the one go...
  • Reply 5 of 5
    MarvinMarvin Posts: 15,324moderator
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by s.metcalf View Post


    No you will need to reinstall them AFTER you've reinstalled the system by inserting the Software DVD that came with your computer and running the installer. It's a pain but Apple doesn't include an option to install them both in the one go...



    I think Apple should start embedding the system software on a hard-wired chip inside the machine. I've seen this sort of thing on PC laptops but it's just a partition on the hard drive and always visible and erasable.



    The idea with the hard-wired ROM is that it would only be visible when you do an alt boot and can't be erased. Then you can reset the machine to factory settings much more quickly.



    When you resell the machine, you wouldn't need to worry about having the discs. One issue is when it comes to password resetting but that can be done in single user mode anyway and if people were protecting files, they'd encrypt them.
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