When you purchase a new MacBook^® or other Apple^® device, your old laptop often winds up gathering dust. To give it a second chance at a useful life—not to mention putting some money in your pocket—consider trading in the old equipment for a discount on your new purchase. Here are some tips to help you ready the device for a trade-in.

How to Prepare an Apple Device for a Trade-in

1. Back Up Necessary Files

Before bringing the old laptop to the store for a trade-in, scour the hard drive for files you'll need in the future. Check any file locations where you regularly store work. Save any photos, documents, spreadsheets, and other files to an external hard drive or iCloud^® where you can access them later. Don't start deleting files until you have backed them up, or you might erase something you want to keep by mistake.

2. Deauthorize the Device

Next, disassociate the Apple device from your Apple ID account, so any future owner cannot access your iCloud storage or iTunes^® account. To do this, open iTunes, sign into your account using your password, and view “Account Info.” View the “Manage Devices” tab, find the device you want to deauthorize, and click on “Remove.” The list should repopulate without the device, and the laptop will no longer have access to your account.

3. Delete Hard Drive

To wipe the drive of all personal and other information, turn the device off. When restarting the laptop, press and hold the “Command” and “R” keys. Wait for the Apple logo to appear and select “Disk Utilities” from the list. From the sidebar, choose the disk to delete and select "Erase."  When prompted, choose the most secure level of erasure. It takes longest but offers the most secure deletion. This will erase all important data and make it impossible for future users to access your personal information.

If you're ready to trade in your laptop for a newer model, stop by Experimac Middleton in Essex County, MA. They offer a large selection of refurbished MacBook laptops, iMac^® computers, iPad^® tablets, and other Apple devices for sale at affordable prices. They also provide expert computer, tablet, and laptop repairs, with a 90-day warranty on all sales and services. Visit their website to learn how to sell or trade your device, or call (978) 304-0134 to schedule an appointment.