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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > macOS > How do I wipe a core duo intel mac clean??

How do I wipe a core duo intel mac clean??
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masugu
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Apr 29, 2012, 11:18 AM
 
I have one of the first Intel Macs. I want to give it to my niece.

I've upgraded to various OS's over the years up to the last one. Don't have any of these OS restore disks handy - of course.

How can I easily wipe content and/or "restore" to a bare OS in order to give her a clean machine to start with???

Thanks!
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OreoCookie
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Apr 29, 2012, 11:38 AM
 
You take the latest OS install DVD you can get your hands on, pop it into the iMac and restart. As soon as you hear the start-up chime, press alt/option and wait for the boot volume chooser. Select the Install DVD and boot. After selecting the install language, select Utilities > Disk Utility from the menu. With Disk Utility you can wipe your hard drive. Deleting everything suffices (since you're giving it to your niece, I think overwriting the whole drive with zeros is overkill).

Then quit Disk Utility and continue with the installation process. Done.
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masugu  (op)
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Apr 29, 2012, 11:48 AM
 
Ahh. Thanks!

Now I need to find a disc. Don't think my latest Unibody MacBook Pro came with one.
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Spheric Harlot
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Apr 29, 2012, 12:06 PM
 
Install disks that came with Macs will only boot machines of that particular series' generation, anyway.
     
amazing
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Apr 29, 2012, 12:09 PM
 
be sure to check which is the latest OS you can install on that early model. You can use the free MacTracker software (donation ware) to find out. Then be sure to install all the combo updaters and security updates for her.

And your MBP install disk would be model-specific, and so wouldn't work (and Spheric beat me to that reminder.) You might be able to get around that by starting up the old Mac in firewire target disk mode and installing from the MBP.

And you might want to consider maxing out the RAM for your niece as a bonus, if you haven't already maxed it out.
     
masugu  (op)
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Apr 29, 2012, 12:28 PM
 
Thanks all.

I just found an old Tiger OS disk. That should get me started.

Yup. RAM is maxed out at 2 gigs. HAHA.
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amazing
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Apr 29, 2012, 02:46 PM
 
Looks like it will take Snow Leopard!

Which would be way more secure for your niece, given the tons of bad publicity about the SabPub and Flashback exploits.
     
masugu  (op)
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Apr 29, 2012, 02:47 PM
 
Doh.

My Mac won't recognize the Tiger Disk.

If I simply try to install, I am told I cannot install on this Mac. I have OS 10.6.8 in stalled. Is there an issue because my installed OS is newer??
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Doc HM
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Apr 29, 2012, 04:11 PM
 
You could do a "quick and dirty" version of a clean install, if you are on SL already.

Create a new user (admin) in system preferences, log out and back in as the new user. Delete the old user. You now have a fresh user account with empty default folders.

Now go through everything in the system folder that isn't a default app (so leave the iBits, etc)

Delete any folders created outside the user folder, which people sometimes do. Open disk Utility and erase the free space on your drive.

Bingo, fairly close to a new OSX install but no disks needed.
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Doc HM
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Apr 29, 2012, 04:12 PM
 
Originally Posted by masugu View Post
Doh.

Is there an issue because my installed OS is newer??
More likely the optical drive is tired and shagged out after long use (or short use - they don't last that long whatever you do to them)
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Big Mac
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Apr 29, 2012, 04:14 PM
 
You're a nice uncle if you're giving a Mac to your niece. Now is high security really the motive for wiping the system clean? Are you concerned someone could try to recover your old files, or do you just want to give her a clean user account without yours still on it? If it's the latter you could just create a new administrator account and then delete your old account.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
amazing
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Apr 29, 2012, 04:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by masugu View Post
Doh.

My Mac won't recognize the Tiger Disk.

If I simply try to install, I am told I cannot install on this Mac. I have OS 10.6.8 in stalled. Is there an issue because my installed OS is newer??
the original OS was 10.4.6 so what you have might be older than that.
     
masugu  (op)
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Apr 29, 2012, 07:04 PM
 
Thanks again all.

Main reason is to just give her a clean mac she can load Office on for school projects --- and FaceBook ;-)
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jmiddel
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Apr 29, 2012, 07:19 PM
 
How about connecting the Unibody MacBook Pro to the Mini via Firewire, restarting the Mini in Target mode (just hold the T key on restart) and then use DiskUtility to wipe it. And, just personally speaking, I'd zero out, since you never know who might misappropriate the thing.
     
Waragainstsleep
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Apr 29, 2012, 07:22 PM
 
You can't install a retail copy of Tiger on first gen Intel macs because the retail versions are all PPC. Retail Leopard or Snow Leopard should work just fine.

If you don't have a disc, you can always uninstall a few apps and just delete all the users. That should get it reasonably clean though a fresh install would be ideal.
I have plenty of more important things to do, if only I could bring myself to do them....
     
masugu  (op)
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Apr 29, 2012, 07:34 PM
 
Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep View Post
You can't install a retail copy of Tiger on first gen Intel macs because the retail versions are all PPC. Retail Leopard or Snow Leopard should work just fine.

If you don't have a disc, you can always uninstall a few apps and just delete all the users. That should get it reasonably clean though a fresh install would be ideal.
Ahh. That's it. Forgot the progression of Apps. That Tiger disk must have been sitting for a while. I'll need to find another disk - somewhere.

Ideally a fresh / clean load will be best.
masugu - "Straight Ahead"
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