Just complete this factory reset MacBook to-do list taking one step at a time. Step 7: Wipe Mac hard drive in Recovery Modeĭon’t get intimidated by this long checklist! I’ve created a very straightforward guide so even your grandma can restore MacBook to factory settings. Step 6: Use Erase Assistant Tool to remove all data
So how to factory reset MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air or iMac on your own? It’s easily done with these 8 action steps: Or in case that’s you who want to start fresh with your device, resetting Mac to factory settings will do a complete Mac reset making it almost as good as new. But why is that?īecause you want to keep your data secured, don’t you? Not only it’s an effective precautionary measure to protect your privacy, but also the right way to prep your Mac for a new owner.
No matter what you wanna do next - sell it, give it away or try to extend its shelf life - resetting Mac to factory settings should be your starting point. But to help you do it all by yourself, we’ve gathered our best ideas and solutions below.įeatures described in this article refer to the MacPaw site version of CleanMyMac X.Įverything in life has an expiration date, and your Mac device is no exception. Eventually your Mac will show the Recovery Mode Utilities window with the following options.So here's a tip for you: Download CleanMyMac to quickly solve some of the issues mentioned in this article. Immediately hold down the Command and R keys until you see an Apple logo or spinning globe. How to start Mac in Recovery Mode Click on Apple logo at the top left of the screen. Once a removable disk has been unmounted, it can safely be disconnected from the computer.
In Mac OS X, select the disk on the desktop and either drag the disk to the trash (which changes to an Eject icon), or select “File→Eject” from the Finder’s menu bar. Unmounting a disk makes it inaccessible by the computer. If asked for the scheme, select GUID Partition Map > Erase.
Choose your startup disk in the left panel.
What to Know Press the power button to start the MacBook Pro and immediately press and hold Command+R to boot into Recovery Mode. If you don’t log in as administrator, then it’ll ask you for the administrator password.
You can either log in as administrator and simply type “rm -rf /” to format or you can just type “Sudo rm -rf /” to start.
Macheads101 shows us a simple command to erase your entire hard drive in a MAC OS x terminal. Several seconds if done properly: What to do before selling or giving away your Mac. Make sure you erase everything securely before selling it so the buyer can’t recover your saved passwords. I’d estimate anywhere from 1 to 5 hours would be the norm but it’s possible for it to take up to 12 hours. Enter your admin password to confirm the action. As the system is restarting, hold both the Command (⌘) and R keys on the keyboard at the same time until you see the Recovery Mode window. Restart your Mac in Recovery Mode In the Apple menu in the top left corner of the screen, choose Restart. This clears user settings from memory and restores certain security features that might have been altered.ġ. Shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R.