If you plan on selling or trading in an old MacBook or returning a new Mac that you just bought, you will need to erase all of your data from the device. Which approach should be taken? A reset to factory defaults. Be sure to create a backup of your data before proceeding. Before you reset your MacBook to factory settings, ensure that all of your accounts, including iMessage, iCloud, and any others you may have, have been signed out. This article will walk you through resetting your MacBook to factory settings. So let’s get started:
How to Factory Reset MacBook
MacBook Air or MacBook Pro (macOS Ventura)
1. From the Desktop screen, select System Settings from the menu that appears after clicking the Apple icon.
2. Select General from the sidebar menu, then Transfer or Reset from the options on the right.
3. When finished, click the button labelled Erase all content and settings.
4. When you click the button, an assistant will open, and the first thing it will ask you to do is decide whether or not you want to create a backup using Time Machine.
5. If you do not require any backups, click the “Continue” button to view all of the content that will be removed from your device. Click the Continue button again if you are content with wiping everything clean.
6. At this point, you will be prompted to enter the information associated with your Apple ID, and you will be shown another dialogue box to confirm that you wish to reset your Mac to its factory settings.
7. If you are certain, select the Erase All Content and Settings option, and then give the laptop anywhere from five to ten minutes to fix the problem.
8. When you are finished, your Mac will restart, and you will need to connect to a wireless network to use it again. To achieve this, go to the top right of the screen and click on the Wi-Fi symbol.
9. The activation of the Mac will take place as soon as that step is finished. To finish the process, click the Restart button.
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MacBook Air or MacBook Pro (older versions of macOS)
1. To turn on the Mac, press and hold the Command and R keys on the keyboard. When you see the Apple logo, you can release the button.
2. Choose the language you wish to continue in.
3. Select Disk Utility from the drop-down menu, then click Continue.
4. Select your startup disk from the sidebar, which will be referred to as Macintosh HD by default, and then click the Erase option.
5. After deciding what name to give the disk once it has been erased, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the dropdown menu, and then click the Erase button on the toolbar. (If you want to add an extra layer of protection to your disc by encrypting it, select the “Journaled, Encrypted” option. You are going to be asked to come up with a password for this.) Select the GUID Partition Map option.
6. Select “Erase,” then “Done,” and close the current window.
7. If you haven’t already done so, go to the upper right corner of the screen and join to your wireless network using the Wi-Fi icon, just as you would normally do on your Mac.
8. Select Reinstall macOS from the primary menu, then click the Continue button afterwards.
9. Press Continue. Choose Continue on the pop-up box that appears after you click Continue here.
10. Click the Agree button to continue After reading the software licensing agreement.
11. Select your primary boot disk, then click the Install button.
12. Ensure that the first stage of the installation has been completed before continuing. (You should pause what you’re doing momentarily and take this opportunity to stretch your legs. Getting a sandwich is very recommended but not required.)
13. The computer will restart, and the installation process will resume.
Additional FAQs
Does a factory reset delete everything Mac?
It is highly recommended that you back up or clone your Mac before beginning any other tasks. This is because, just as you might anticipate, resetting a Mac to its factory settings deletes all of the data that has been saved on that particular system.
Does factory reset damage Mac?
When you perform a factory reset on a Mac, just like you would on a smartphone or a computer running Windows, you are restoring the device to a very similar state to when it was first acquired. No, numerous factory resets should not cause damage to electronic devices such as Macs, PCs, phones, or TVs in addition to the additional wear and tear caused by such resets.
What is the command to reset MacBook?
Start the computer using the built-in macOS Recovery system using the command R. Alternatively, you can start up from macOS Recovery via the internet using Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R shortcuts. Depending on the key combination you enter, macOS Recovery will install one of several possible macOS versions.
What is a soft reset Mac?
A restart of an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, or personal computer (PC), is called a soft reset. Applications are terminated, and any data stored in random access memory (RAM) is deleted due to the process. Unsaved data currently being used may be lost, but data saved to the hard disk, applications, and settings won’t be affected.
