How to reset Mac to factory settings

If you are going to sell your Mac, or for some reason, you want to reinstall a clean version of the macOS, you can reset your Mac. In this article, we’ll share the guidelines on how to reset Mac to factory settings.

Contents:

1. Does resetting Mac delete everything?
2. How to factory reset a Mac.
3. How to reset a Mac without losing everything.

Does resetting Mac delete everything?

When you reset a Mac to factory settings, it returns the system to the factory default state. This means that all your data will be deleted, including your documents, files, user settings, passwords and so on. Users need to reset Mac when they are going to sell or give the computer away to another person so as to prevent accessing the old user data.

How to factory reset a Mac

If you need to hard reset your Mac, follow the steps below to do it correctly and safely:

1. Make a backup

If you need the data on your Mac, make a backup with Time Machine.

1. Connect your external hard drive to your Mac.
2. Go to System Settings.
3. Select General in the left panel and click Time Machine in the right panel.



4. Click on Select Backup Disk.
5. Select your external drive and click Use Disk.



6. Tick the checkbox of the Back Up Automatically command.
Read also: “How to reset Mac password.“

2. Disable online accounts

Now you need to log out from all your accounts (iCloud, iTunes, emails and so on).This is an important step to prevent additional hassles and restrictions on Mac for you or for the person you are going to sell or donate your Mac to.

3. Reinstall macOS

You can install the latest version of the operating system or the one you purchased. But we recommend installing the latest one to make your Mac run smoothly and prevent any issues.

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Then press Command (⌘) + R key shortcut and press the power button. It will allow you to start your Mac in recovery mode.
3. Select Disk Utility from the window you see. The Disk Utility will let you perform partitioning of compound files on the hard disk before you start the installation of the operating system.
   
4. In the Disk Utility go to the Erase tab.
5. Provide a name, choose a partition map and format. Then click Erase.



6. In a few seconds, the Erase process will be completed. Click Done and close the window.
7. The next step is reinstalling the system. Click Reinstall macOS.
   
8. You will be presented with the installation window of the latest version of macOS. Click Continue and follow the steps provided to install macOS. As soon as the installation is complete, the system will reboot and prompt to configure macOS.

If you are preparing to sell your Mac – just hold down the power to turn off the computer. Then the new user will be able to start his experience from scratch, just like a new Mac.

How to reset a Mac without losing everything

If you are not going to sell your Mac computer, but you have some issues with your system, you may need to reset your Mac without losing your data. In this case, you need to perform the steps we provided above but skip the step of erasing your data.

# Tip

If you reset a Mac, you may have to struggle with a cluttered system, so do not rush to take drastic measures. You can take advantage of our MacCleaner Pro – the special software tool which will help you to clean up your Mac, fix some issues with the system and speed up its performance.

MacCleaner Pro

Free Download

Here is a short step by step guide to reset Mac without losing your data.

1. Make a backup with Time Machine.
2. Restart your Mac in recovery mode. For this, press the power button and the Command+R shortcut. Restart your Mac in recovery mode. For this, press the power button and the Command+R shortcut.
3. In the pop-up window select Reinstall macOS.
4. Click Continue and follow the steps provided to install the latest version of macOS.

Conclusion

Now you know how to reset a Mac computer to factory settings. Follow our guide to doing it safely. And also keep in mind that, if you want to reset your computer just to fix a few issues, first try MacCleaner Pro. It will help you to clean up your Mac from junk files, recover disk space and fix a slow Mac.

FAQ about resetting on Mac