Apple added necessary functions to factory reset MacBook and Mac computers. Everyone has a reason behind resetting the computer and it could be to solve a software-related problem or selling the machine to someone else. Apple products do have a higher value in the used market and it is a good option to trade the existing machine to get a few bucks off on the upgrade. If you have never been involved in advanced methods then don’t get intimidated by the options because it will be an easy journey, if you follow our simple guide.
Factory Reset MacBook Preparation
You should not take MacBook & iMac lightly because Apple designed the macOS keeping privacy and security in mind. You have to consider many things before resetting the machine because you won’t recover the deleted files again. We have done it right to ensure that we don’t come across complicated problems down the line. Allow us to provide a comprehensive guide on how to prepare yourself, so you won’t make any mistake. Make sure to put your machine to charge, so it won’t run out of battery.
Backup Data
You may have turned on iCloud backup in MacBook or other Mac machines, but it might not have uploaded all files in the cloud storage. We recommend the system administrator to back up personal data in the cloud storage and external local drive, if possible. Many people don’t have high-speed internet connectivity and it would take hours to back up & restore the data. In such cases, you should consider moving the personal files to an external drive because it will speed up the process.
Unpair Wi-Fi Networks & Bluetooth Connections
Do not leave paired connections intact and remove them immediately. You should take your time to remove all unnecessary connections and it is a crucial step for those, who are selling the machine to a buyer. It is a good habit to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and unpair all connections in Wi-Fi & Bluetooth.
- Click on “Apple Logo” located at the top corner.
- Select “System Preferences” to continue.
- Click to access the Bluetooth tab.
- Now, click on the Bluetooth name and then click on the X mark to remove it.
You have to do the same with Wi-Fi connections and unpair connected networks from the machine for good. You should not leave a single fragment behind because there is information that software experts can recover from formatted drives or deleted drives.
Sign out FaceTime and iPhone Messages
Apple added FaceTime & iMessage for the consumers and you should let the service know that it is no longer used in the current machine. Apple Servers are connected to FaceTime & iMessage and signing out is a way of telling the service that you no longer want to continue using the unique communication platform in the current machine. In short, Apple will ask for confirmation, if someone else tries to use your FaceTime & iMessage account, which is part of the security protocol. Sign out from the Apple texting & video calling platform for security purposes.
- Open “Messages” from the dock.
- Click on “messages” for the settings window to appear on the screen.
- Click on “iMessage” in the window.
- Click on the sign out to complete the process.
Now, you have to do the same thing with FaceTime and deauthorize the machine from receiving & sending capabilities.
Sign out iTunes Account
Apple ID is connected to many services and iTunes is one of them. You should take the first step to let Apple know that this machine is no longer associated with iTunes. Do not hesitate to sign out of the store account because it will save you a lot of manual work later down the line.
- Open the iTunes app from the menu.
- Click on “Account” for the drop-down menu.
- Click on “Authorizations” to continue.
- Click on “Deauthorize This Computer” to continue.
- A small window will show up on the screen and you have to enter the password to confirm the action, and then click on “Deauthorize” to sign out.
Your Apple ID is no longer connected to the app store on the machine.
Turn off Find My Mac
Apple added, “Find My Mac” to prevent the machine from getting lost or theft. You should turn off the function from the Mac computer because it may hinder the resetting process. You can disable it from the machine and it is a necessity for a computer that is up for a sale.
- Open System Preferences from the menu.
- Find the iCloud option from the window.
- Scroll down from the services and then deselect “Find My Mac” in the machine.
- A confirmation pop-up shows up on the screen and then click on “remove” to continue.
Now, you have successfully removed the service from the machine.
How to reset MacBook Pro or Mac to factory settings without a password?
You are ready to factory reset MacBook or Mac computer and follow our lead to complete the process.
- You have to restart the Mac computer, so click on the Apple logo located at the top left corner of your screen and then click “Restart.”
- Let the Mac computer to turn off and then press & hold the Command + R button on the keyboard. Apple will load the macOS utility window, which will have a lot of advanced options.
- Click on “Disk Utility” from the macOS utility window to continue.
- Click to select Macintosh installed drive from the list and then click on the “Erase” button to continue. If you have installed multiple drives in the machine, then you will find them here but you should choose Macintosh installed drive.
- You have to create a new password for encryption purposes and then select GUID Partition Map.
- Once you have selected all the necessary options, and then click on “Erase” to start the process.
- Click on “Done” after the resetting process is finished.
- The machine will go back to the Disk Utility menu and then click on “Reinstall macOS” to continue.
Your MacBook or Mac will take some time to install the operating system and you should remain patient until the welcome page appears on the screen.
Bottom Line
You will factory reset MacBook successfully if you have followed our guide, and you will come across complications because that’s a common scenario. We would love to know your pain points and we will update the guide based on your feedback.
