An AppleScript app to force Setup Assistant to run

Jul 24, '09 07:30:00AM

Contributed by: kennethson

There have been past hints (in 10.5; from 2001) about how to force the initial Setup Assistant to run again, but these methods were both very manual and required booting in Single User mode.

I've created an AppleScript app -- Clean Install.app -- that will allow you to 'clean' any attached OS X volume (other than the current startup volume). The script removes all the home folders, and the netinfo database (Tiger) or user info plist's (Leopard+), then forces the initial Setup Assistant the next time the 'cleaned' volume is booted. The application is completely written in AppleScript and can be edited, so feel free to make whatever customizations and modifications you want.

This allows you to take a fresh OS X install, add any software and run any updates you'd like, and then give it to the end user as though it were a brand new system. It's also useful if you're selling your Mac and just want to clean off all your info.

[robg adds: I have mirrored the program here on macosxhints, in case the original ever vanishes (Clean Install.app). Newest versions will be found at the author's link, so check there first. I've looked through the source of the script, and it looks fine, but I haven't tested it myself. It is destructive, of course, so make sure you know what you're doing before using it.]

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Mac OS X Hints
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=2009072008431183