How To Restart A Imac To Factory Settings

Macs are generally reliable. Just as with any computer, sometimes things go wrong. Before you spend big on a new Mac, though, endeavour a factory reset, which wipes your computer and reinstalls a clean version of macOS. A factory reset is also the all-time way to prepare your old computer for a new owner to brand sure no leftover information falls into the wrong hands.

The process has been the same for years on Macs with Intel processers, all the same, the move to Apple tree silicon has slightly altered the method for wiping and reinstalling the OS. And with the spring to macOS Monterey, certain computers gain a new option to erase all content and settings. Here's how to erase your hard bulldoze and reinstall the operating system on your Mac, whether it has Apple tree's M1 chip or features Intel components.

Be aware that once your computer has been reset, yous volition no longer be able to recover any deleted data that was left on the bulldoze. If you recall you may even so demand what is on your hard drive, we suggest yous to showtime back it up through Fourth dimension Machine or by syncing important files to iCloud.

Certain Macs have a new option for erasing data. If you're running macOS Monterey on an Apple silicon-based Mac or an Intel-based Mac with the Apple tree T2 chip, yous at present have the Erase Assistant tool. Open System Preferences > Erase All Content and Settings in the bill of fare bar.

Enter your admin password in Erase Assistant, and so review the items that will be removed. Along with erasing all settings, media, apps, and data for all accounts and volumes on the drive, the tool will likewise sign you out of iCloud, delete Affect ID fingerprints, disable location services, unpair Bluetooth devices, and remove Apple Wallet items.

At this time, you have i final take a chance to create a Time Machine backup before continuing. Click Open up Time Automobile to create information technology, if you haven't already washed so.

Enter your password to sign out of your Apple ID, then let the erase process stop. Once complete, your Mac will exist returned to factory settings. If y'all don't plan on keeping this computer, you're done. Otherwise, y'all can become through the setup assistant as if you are setting up your Mac for the first fourth dimension.

Erase Data and Reinstall macOS With Disk Utility

The other selection for resetting your Mac is Disk Utility, which is available to all users. In lodge to access the options for wiping your data and reinstalling the operating system, you demand to enter macOS Recovery. How y'all practice this depends on the chip within your computer.

If you have an M1 Mac or Intel-based Mac with the T2 chip, shut down your reckoner completely and hold down the power button until Loading startup options appears on the screen. Select Options to enter the recovery screen.

If your Mac has an Intel processor and doesn't take the T2 bit, restart your computer. From hither, hold down Control + R until the Apple logo appears. Release the keys and allow the Mac to kick upward and open into Recovery.

If your figurer is frozen and the normal means of resetting aren't working, try the Control + Command + Squirt (or ability button) shortcut.

No matter how you become hither, you lot must then select a user with ambassador privileges and enter their account credentials earlier gaining access to the computer'south startup options. Once fully in macOS Recovery, select Disk Utility and choose the volume y'all desire to erase.

Did y'all previously create whatsoever boosted volumes on your hard bulldoze? If then, remove them first. Choose the partition and select the minus (-) button to remove the volume. Y'all tin then move on to your main bulldoze. Select Macintosh Hard disk drive and click Erase in the top toolbar.

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A dialog box will pop upwards asking for the drive proper name and format. Keep the proper noun as Macintosh Hard disk drive and make sure the format is set to APFS or Mac Bone Extended (Journaled). Click Erase Volume Grouping (or Erase if that button isn't shown) to wipe the bulldoze.

You should likewise brand certain any other internal drives are also erased in club to completely wipe the computer and avoid any errors during the reinstall process. Go to Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility to exit the Disk Utility window and go dorsum to the Recovery screen.

If you plan to sell the figurer, you can finish here and allow the new owner install a clean version of macOS. For those who plan to keep their Mac, your next step should be to reinstall macOS onto the computer.

Your computer should be hooked up to a ability source and connected to the net. Back at the macOS Utilities screen, click Reinstall macOS and follow the instructions to download a new version of the operating organization.

If you saved your files to an external storage device through a Time Car backup, you tin can now restore those files through the Migration Banana as office of the reinstall process. You will be asked if you want to transfer information from some other Mac or a Time Machine backup. Select Time Auto and go along the process to restore your files.

If y'all decide non to restore your fill-in at this fourth dimension, you can e'er go back into the macOS Recovery screen and cull the Restore From Time Machine Backup choice. Select the appropriate fill-in from the listing to reinstall your saved files.

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