- The Second Hand Mac Os X
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Before acquiring a second-hand computer, you should have run Apple Diagnostics or the Apple Hardware Test, whichever is applicable.
The first thing to do after acquiring the computer is to erase the internal drive and install a clean copy of OS X. You—not the original owner—must do that. Changes made by Apple over the years have made this seemingly straightforward task very complex.
Macs As New, An Apple Authorised secondhand Reseller, are specialised in selling and Servicing Used and Refurbished Macs, iPads, iPhones, iPods, watches. Applications written with Carbon were initially able to run natively on both classic Mac OS and Mac OS X, although this ability was later dropped as Mac OS X developed. Carbon was not included in the first product sold as Mac OS X: the little-used original release of Mac OS X Server 1.0, which also did not include the Aqua interface.
How you go about it depends on the model, and on whether you already own another Mac. If you're not sure of the model, enter the serial number on this page. Then find the model on this page to see what OS version was originally installed.
It's unsafe, and may be unlawful, to use a computer with software installed by a previous owner.
1. If you don't own another Mac
a. If the machine shipped with OS X 10.4 or 10.5, you need a boxed and shrink-wrapped retail Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) installation disc from the Apple Store or a reputable reseller—not from eBay or anything of the kind. If the machine is very old and has less than 1 GB of memory, you'll need to add more in order to install 10.6. Preferably, install as much memory as it can take, according to the technical specifications.
b. If the machine shipped with OS X 10.6, you need the installation media that came with it: gray installation discs, or a USB flash drive for a MacBook Air. You should have received the media from the original owner, but if you didn't, order replacements from Apple. A retail disc, or the gray discs from another model, will not work.
To start up from an optical disc or a flash drive, insert it, then restart the computer and hold down the C key at the startup chime. Release the key when you see the gray Apple logo on the screen.
c. If the machine shipped with OS X 10.7 or later, you don't need media. It should start up in Internet Recovery mode when you hold down the key combination option-command-R at the startup chime. Release the keys when you see a spinning globe. Note that Mac Pro tower models older than late 2014 (with the 'cheese-grater' enclosure) cannot use Internet Recovery, regardless of which OS version they shipped with. The round Mac Pro (2014 or later) can use it.
d. Some 2010-2011 models shipped with OS X 10.6 and received a firmware update after 10.7 was released, enabling them to use Internet Recovery. If you have one of those models, you can't reinstall 10.6 even from the original media, and Internet Recovery will not work either without the original owner's Apple ID. In that case, contact Apple Support, or take the machine to an Apple Store or another authorized service provider to have the OS installed.
2. If you do own another Mac
If you already own another Mac that was upgraded in the App Store to the version of OS X that you want to install, and if the new Mac is compatible with it, then you can install it. Use Recovery Disk Assistant to prepare a USB device, then start up the new Mac from it by holding down the C key at the startup chime. Alternatively, if you have a Time Machine backup of OS X 10.7.3 or later on an external hard drive (not a Time Capsule or other network device), you can start from that by holding down the option key and selecting it from the row of icons that appears. Note that if your other Mac was never upgraded in the App Store, you can't use this method.
3. Partition and install OS X
a. If you see a lock screen when trying to start up from installation media or in Recovery mode, then a firmware password was set by the previous owner, or the machine was remotely locked via iCloud. You'll either have to contact the owner or take the machine to an Apple Store or another service provider to be unlocked. You may be asked for proof of ownership.
b. Launch Disk Utility and select the icon of the internal drive—not any of the volume icons nested beneath it. In the Partition tab, select the default options: a GUID partition table with one data volume in Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. This operation will permanently remove all existing data on the drive.
c. An unusual problem may arise if all the following conditions apply:
OS X 10.7 or later was installed by the previous owner
The startup volume was encrypted with FileVault
You're booted in Recovery mode (that is, not from a 10.6 installation disc)
In that case, you won't be able to unlock the volume or partition the drive without the FileVault password. Ask for guidance or see this ASC discussion.
d. After partitioning, quit Disk Utility and run the OS X Installer. If you're installing a version of OS X acquired from the App Store, you will need the Apple ID and password that you used. When the installation is done, the system will automatically restart into the Setup Assistant, which will prompt you to transfer the data from another Mac, its backups, or from a Windows computer. If you have any data to transfer, this is usually the best time to do it.
e. Run Software Update and install all available system updates from Apple. To upgrade to a major version of OS X newer than 10.6, get it from the Mac App Store. Note that you can't keep an upgraded version that was installed by the original owner. He or she can't legally transfer it to you, and without the Apple ID you won't be able to update it in Software Update or reinstall, if that becomes necessary. The same goes for any App Store products that the previous owner installed—you have to repurchase them.
4. Other issues
a. If the original owner 'accepted' the bundled iLife applications (iPhoto, iMovie, and Garage Band) in the App Store so that he or she could update them, then they're irrevocably linked to that Apple ID and you won't be able to download them without buying them. Reportedly, Mac App Store Customer Service has sometimes issued redemption codes for these apps to second owners who asked.
b. If the previous owner didn't deauthorize the computer in the iTunes Store under his Apple ID, you wont be able to authorize it immediately under your ID. In that case, you'll either have to wait up to 90 days or contact iTunes Support.
c. When trying to create a new iCloud account, you might get a failure message: 'Account limit reached.' Apple imposes a lifetime limit of three iCloud account setups per device. Erasing the device does not reset the limit. You can still use an iCloud account that was created on another device, but you won't be able to create a new one. Contact iCloud Support for more information. The setup limit doesn't apply to Apple ID accounts used for other services, such as the iTunes and Mac App Stores, or iMessage. You can create as many of those accounts as you like.
Nov 5, 2015 1:30 PM
While Macs are definitely nice computers to have, not everyone can afford to buy a brand new one. Thankfully, used Macs are usually just as good as new ones, provided they have received proper care. Needless to say, putting the machine through some tests to see if it works well is recommended.
While physical appearance and hardware is where you should start, they are only part of a larger equation when you buy a used Mac. You also should thoroughly check the Mac’s software, especially if it has not been formatted beforehand.
Here is a list of different aspects of the software of a used Mac that you have to double-check before sealing the deal.
Important Note: We have already written about what aspects of the hardware you should check before getting a second-hand Mac.The Second Hand Mac Os X
1. Check for Other Users
Once you get your Mac, the first thing you should do is head to the root folder, usually named Macintosh HD (or any other name that the previous user might have given that folder) and there, check for other users under the Users folder.
If you find other users, simply head to the Mac’s Preferences and delete them from there.
2. Check for No Previous iCloud Credentials
With how ubiquitous iCloud has become among Apple users, now everyone who has an Apple device also uses an iCloud account.
Furthermore, due to the security features implemented by Apple, having a device linked to an iCloud account severely locks that device’s functionality if a previous user hasn’t signed out of iCloud before selling or giving away their device.
To check this on your secondhand Mac, head to Preferences > iCloud and see if the previous owner is still signed into their account.
3. Look for Forgotten Content
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You would be surprised at how many Mac users take all the necessary measures to secure their Mac before selling it and yet forget to delete information in the most basic locations, such as the Notes or Reminders apps.
Other places to look into are mainly Apple’s default applications, like Pages, Numbers or Contacts, as well as the system’s default folders, like the Documents folder for example.
Another important folder to look into is the Applications folder, where previous users sometimes leave apps for which only they have a license.
4. Look into ‘Database’ Apps
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Apple is known for constantly trying to remove file management from users, doing so in some of their most important apps, like Photos for example. These apps group files into a single Library file, which in turn takes a lot of space on the hard drive.
The main apps you should look for are iPhoto or Photos and iMovie, which place their libraries in the Pictures and Movies folders respectively.
Important Note: You can easily check for detailed information on the space of your Mac’s hard drive using great apps like Daisy Disk, which we reviewed here.5. Secure Sensitive Information
There is an app on the Mac that stores a ton of very sensitive information. It is Keychain Access, which is in charge of keeping user passwords and other credentials safe.
When getting a second-hand Mac, make sure that this utility is empty, since some Mac apps like Safari sometimes use information in Keychain to automatically log in to websites and other services, and you don’t want to be accidentally logged in to a stranger’s account.
Additionally, the previous user might have set up their Mac to share files and folders via the local network. So unless you want to accidentally share some important information, double-check this in the Sharing section within your Mac’s Preferences.
Lastly, FileVault is another very important element of the Mac security-wise. It is used to encrypt the content of your Mac’s hard drive and the previous user might have enabled it and then forgot about it.
Even worse, only the previous user has the password needed to disable it, so make sure you check this in the Security & Privacy section on your Mac’s Preferences panel.
6. Clean Up the Preferences Panel
One last thing you should take care of before getting your Mac is to make sure the Preferences panel is free from additional, third party utilities.
Utilities like these (flash or others) tend to expire from time to time and most likely are deeply linked to other apps on your Mac, so it is better to remove them and start from scratch, installing only the ones you want.
And there you have it. Make sure you go through all of these if you are considering getting a secondhand Mac. It might be a bit of work, but it will pay off in the long run.
The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
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