Erasing Data From Macs, Then Restoring OS & Apps

[AndyM]

Guys,

I've just taken on a job to erase the following:

7 x Mac Book Pro
5 x iMac 21.5"
1 x iMac 27"

I'm not a brilliant Mac person, but on a PC I would use a utility to get the serial numbers of any software that has been installed legally, erase the hard drive, re-install the OS, then re-install the programs.

Is there a utility to do this for Macs?

I basically need to do complete erase, re-install the OS, then re-install the applications.

This is all to do with UK data Protection laws, so I have to get it right. I just cannot afford for any transient data to be left. I have thought about getting new hard drives for them, but wanted to ask you guys first.

Please let me know

Edit: I also need to reset an Airport Extreme. Think I've found a reset button, so will play with it...

Andy

 

[trevm999]

How much software/what programs do you have to install? What I would might do:

Use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone a backup of one of the macbooks. Securely erase drive (either pull drive and hookup to bench machine to erase, or use Parted Magic boot disc, or boot to OSX install disk/drive and use disk utility.

Now, take that drive and swap it with the drive in another macbook. Install the OS, then use Migration Assistant to transfer only the applications from the old hard drive. *Most of the time this will not bring over the Microsoft Office licensing*

Erase drive then continue.

For the iMacs, it would depend on whether I felt like opening them up. If there was a ton of software to reinstall, I would probably do the same as with the macbooks.

I am not aware of any utility that will pull the license key for MS Office on a Mac. There was an update that stopped the license key from transferring when using Migration Assistant.

 

[BrentfromZulu]

Use Time Machine. Do a clean Time Machine Backup, and then restore to factory. With the HDD plugged in, while setting up the profile, use the migration assistant to pull everything back over.

That, or restore the Time Machine Image. Although I hear it's best to create a new profile and use migration assistant.

 

[AndyM]

How much software/what programs do you have to install?

Not sure at the moment. Todays task was literally to get the machines to my office.
I'll be turning them on tomorrow.

In regards to the iMacs, I'm not looking forward to pulling the drives out of them. They are the newer ones, that, if I remember from iFixIt, are all glued together. I've checked the casing, and there are not any recesses, screws or anything else. The only panel on the casing is at the bottom to add memory.

Anyway, I'll have a closer look tomorrow.

Andy

 

[JustInspired]

Not sure at the moment. Todays task was literally to get the machines to my office.
I'll be turning them on tomorrow.

In regards to the iMacs, I'm not looking forward to pulling the drives out of them. They are the newer ones, that, if I remember from iFixIt, are all glued together. I've checked the casing, and there are not any recesses, screws or anything else. The only panel on the casing is at the bottom to add memory.

Anyway, I'll have a closer look tomorrow.

Andy

Then leave the drives in. You can boot from USB and do everything you need to do.

+1 for Carbon Copy Cloner. Love it. That and Disk Warrior were the best two bits of Mac software I have purchased for my workshop.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

You can build an image on a usb hard drive. Just install the OS. Create a generic user account. Load all of the third party apps, run all of the updates, and set various settings on one machine. Once this is done, boot to an installer. Go to disk utility and select the option to restore. Restore the internal HD volume of that particular machine onto a usb drive. With very little user data it should take little time to do the restore to make the usb imaging drive. Then use the image drive to restore to all of the other machines. Much more efficient then doing the whole ordeal to every machine. You'll be able to reimage each machine in a fraction of the time it would take to do the entire process again and again manually.

 

[Markverhyden]

Not sure at the moment. Todays task was literally to get the machines to my office.
I'll be turning them on tomorrow.

In regards to the iMacs, I'm not looking forward to pulling the drives out of them. They are the newer ones, that, if I remember from iFixIt, are all glued together. I've checked the casing, and there are not any recesses, screws or anything else. The only panel on the casing is at the bottom to add memory.

Anyway, I'll have a closer look tomorrow.

Andy

Read up on target disk mode. Another great thing about Mac's.

 

[trevm999]

You can build an image on a usb hard drive. Just install the OS. Create a generic user account. Load all of the third party apps, run all of the updates, and set various settings on one machine. Once this is done, boot to an installer. Go to disk utility and select the option to restore. Restore the internal HD volume of that particular machine onto a usb drive. With very little user data it should take little time to do the restore to make the usb imaging drive. Then use the image drive to restore to all of the other machines. Much more efficient then doing the whole ordeal to every machine. You'll be able to reimage each machine in a fraction of the time it would take to do the entire process again and again manually.

Yes, this would be ideal, but it would depend what software is installed and whether or not your can change the product key afterwards.

 

[Digital Sage]

So, what you're not telling us, but what you're actually trying to do is knock out the user account, erase the user files, and comply with data protection laws?

1. What programs do you need to reinstall? By default, macs come with a lot per installed. All you need to do is reinstall, and perhaps add iLife into the mix. You can use one disk to install over and over and over...

2. Dint even bother trying to get into the newer 2013 iMacs. You need to cut the foam from around the edges. And then replace it. Using a heatgun. It's insane, I know many who won't buy the newer iMacs or retina MacBooks because they are so hard to fix...

This jobs would be Soooo much easier if you didn't need to comply with data protection laws.

Perhaps you could knock out the create a new account with admin rights. Login to that, knock out the old account, and then do a time machine backup, then do a secure format drive, and restore from time machine. A lot of work! If you're going to image it, do it at this point once it's all installed, and then use the same image for all macs.

The one thing you definitely will need is a boot disk or usb boot with OSX utilities on it

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Yes, this would be ideal, but it would depend what software is installed and whether or not your can change the product key afterwards.

You can change product key afterwords for things like Office 2011. As a matter of fact Office 2011 will pop up and ask for it upon launch after a migration or reimage. Otherwise not too much to worry about with product keys in the Mac World. Just check with client to make sure they've purchased volume licenses for all other third party software.

 

[ohio_grad_06]

Might check into using clonezilla and parted magic on the macs also, drop it on a usb flash drive. The macs are intel based, and should boot up from it, so might be possible to do clones with clonezilla also.

 

[Markverhyden]

I missed the part about the data protection laws. You do not want to make any TM backups of the machines prior to doing the work.

To do it correctly you need to start from a clean install. OS X disk utility has a secure erase option. So if these are 10.7 or later you can boot into recovery mode to access Disk Utility and do a secure erase. A while ago I did some tests comparing the disk utility secure erase to some other options and it is just as fast as other software methods.

So, as mentioned, you can build an image and then apply that image to the formatted HD's. You can even use TM to distribute the image. You just have to make sure and rename each Mac to a different name after the restore is complete.

 

[anonymous Mac Tech]

Might check into using clonezilla and parted magic on the macs also, drop it on a usb flash drive. The macs are intel based, and should boot up from it, so might be possible to do clones with clonezilla also.

There is really no need. Disk utility is part of every OSX installation and installer. Can do everything that is needed for building and restoring images.

 

[AndyM]

Just an update.

Haven't had time today to even boot up the Macs, but wanted to keep those that were helping informed.

Thank you

Andy

 

[AndyM]

Another update.

It was decided that as the machines were going to be auctioned, that the easiest way to comply with data protection, was to perform a security erase using the built in Mac Disk Utility, and then perform an internet install of the OS that was supplied with the machines. Some machines did not allow the internet installation facility, but I had discs for those machines.

In terms of the software, I made a decision not to keep any third party applications. Firstly because if the machines went wrong in the future, then whoever purchased the machines from auction, would not be able to re-install something that they had paid extra to get on their machine.

Yes, the auction house may well be disgruntled, but at the end of the day, the job was primarily to comply with data protection laws, and as these machines had sensitive personal data from children on them, I was NOT going to let them go to auction with the possibility of the data still residing in those third party applications.

Many thanks to all those who have helped me in this case. I now feel a lot more confident with Macs

Andy.

 

[trevm999]

In terms of the software, I made a decision not to keep any third party applications. Firstly because if the machines went wrong in the future, then whoever purchased the machines from auction, would not be able to re-install something that they had paid extra to get on their machine.

This is the right move if you weren't going to be providing product keys. They can't charge more because certain software is preinstalled unless the product key comes with it.

 

[Markverhyden]

This is the right move if you weren't going to be providing product keys. They can't charge more because certain software is preinstalled unless the product key comes with it.

Product keys is not really the issue, though is does matter. Read through software EULA's and in almost all cases it is a violation of the EULA to resell software. And that is what is happening when someone, as a third party, sells a used computer with the application software installed.

Granted I doubt the software police are going to come around in a middle of the night, no knock visit. But I would rather not set myself up for those types of problems.

 

[trevm999]

Product keys is not really the issue, though is does matter. Read through software EULA's and in almost all cases it is a violation of the EULA to resell software. And that is what is happening when someone, as a third party, sells a used computer with the application software installed.

Granted I doubt the software police are going to come around in a middle of the night, no knock visit. But I would rather not set myself up for those types of problems.

Ah, thanks to the clarification. Is sounds like this auction house is a professional service, so it would be inappropriate for them to be upset about not having the extra software.

Probably the only thing I would have done differently is reload from my own OSX image. But if total time and bench space is not and issue, then it doesn't really matter.

 

[AndyM]

The great news is that all of the iMacs and MacBooks are now done. I had an issue with a couple of them, where they just would not restore using the internet restore option. Fortunately, I had an open case with Apple, and they ended sending me out 3 sets of install discs!

Have to say that the £35 that I paid to open an incident with Apple Care has been well worth the money!

Andy

 

[Markverhyden]

Great to here. I will comment that Apple support has improved dramatically from many years ago.

I've installed a number of OS X servers and have had issues on a handful of them. Because they were new installs I often got up to L2 support (no charge) which was quite a learning experience. They have all kinds of tools tucked away inside the OS.