I have done exactly what Barry would like to do, and it is worth it for the OOB experience!
In my case all I did was install all the Apple updates and the software they had bought.
Once you are ready to reset the Mac; open the Terminal and delete the AppleSetupDone file, which will cause the Apple Setup Assistant to run on the next boot.
Here’s the detailed version:
loki:~$ cd /private/var/db/
loki:/private/var/db$ ls -la .AppleSetupDone
--w----r-- 1 root wheel 0 Jul 16 2004 .AppleSetupDone
loki:/private/var/db$sudo rm .AppleSetupDone
Password:
Translation to English for those of you still learning UNIX:
‘change directory’ to /private/var/db/
‘list in long format and show files and folders whose name starts with a dot or double dot’
‘superuser do’ ‘remove’ .AppleSetupDone
then put in your password to approve the action.
All done!
MacInTouch: timely news and tips about the Apple Macintosh
[Barry Brown]
I am thinking of getting a Mac mini for a friend as a gift. I’d like to to install and configure some third-party apps and the latest updates before giving it away. That’s easy enough. But I also want the out-of-box experience for the recipient to be the same as if the mini was new: it goes through the Welcome movie, account setup, and network setup. How can I “reset” the Mac so it removes all the accounts and walks the new user through the setup process when it’s turned on again?