How to Reset MacBook? (Updated 2023)

Have to MacBook and want to reset it before selling, you are in the right place. Here we discussed how to reset MacBook to factory settings.

Most people sell MacBooks with their own personal data because they don’t know how to 100% format MacBooks. Might be you are going to do the same but after reading this article you will be able to format MacBook with your own hands.

Reset MacBook before Selling it

It doesn’t mean that you can only use this method when you want to sell MacBook rather you can reset it when you need to clean it.

No doubt no one wants to share his personal data or history with anyone so if you want to sell your MacBook or giving to your family or friend then you need to format it properly. Follow the instructions mentioned below then you will be able to reset MacBook to factory settings without any troubles.

Transfer Data

When you reset your MacBook, all data will be deleted from your MacBook so keep in mind you have to transfer data before formatting your MacBook.

Further, you can use Time Machine for creating the backup. When you use MacBook for the first time, you can restore it easily from Time Machine backup. Of course, you can also any other backup app for this purpose. Make sure you choose a good backup app.

Permission details

You have to remove permission from iTunes for your MacBook (macOS High Sierra and earlier only). Further, if you are using Filevault then turn off it before resetting Mac.

Set at Recovery Mode

You have to set your Mac at recovery mode (keyboard shortcut Command + R during the boot process).

Format Drive

You can use Disk Utility to format the hard drive. Click Disk Utility Then Next. Make sure you select your main hard drive and choose “format”. Then quit Disk Utility.

Reinstall macOS

You have to reinstall the macOS. Click on “Reinstall macOS” and then “Next”. Follow the instructions mentioned below then you will be able to reinstall macOS:

• Clone Your Hard Drive
• Remove iTunes Permissions (High Sierra and Older)
• Turn Off the FileVault
• Restart The Mac in The Recovery System
• Format The Hard Drive
• Reinstall macOS.

Details:

Step #1: Before formatting your Mac you need to create a backup for any troubles you can easily restore. For this purpose, you can use any app such as Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. For creating backup through these apps you need to an external hard in which you will be able to create the backup.

simply select your internal hard drive as a source and external as the destination for programs and start the copying process with “Clone“.

Now you should be able to start with your external hard drive. To test this, restart your Mac and hold the Alt key while booting. Use the arrow keys to select the external hard drive as the source and confirm the installation.

The integrated hard drive can also be “rolled back” to a hard drive if necessary. These tools can also be used to create an open copy of M1 Mac’s for external use, but this is not perfect as no program files have been copied. To start this clone you need access to the internal SSD of the M1 Mac, in this case, it does not lead to any problems.

Step #2: in this step, you need to unlink your Mac from your iTunes account, you know you can only limited device can link to a single iTunes account, nor should you transfer this permission to another person. Open iTunes and click on Account> Authorization> Deactivate this Computer in iTunes / Music. Then enter your Apple ID and password and confirm your choice.

Step #3: turn off the FileVault if you are using this.

Step #4: First, make sure you are connected to the internet as you will need an internet connection to reinstall macOS. Restart the Mac with “Apple> Restart” and hold the Command (⌘) and R keys simultaneously during the startup process. A window with tools for the recovery program appears.

Step #5: you have to format your Mac hard drive, make sure you selected the current hard drive.

Step #6: Now click on “Reinstall macOS” and follow the instructions on the screen. This will install a new copy of macOS Big Sur on your Mac. Do not enter your Apple ID or password during installation; Leave this installation step forward, to become the new owner of the Macbook.

For Experts Only: Remove the Secure Enclave

New Macbooks with Touch Bar has a special memory chip, called Secure Enclave. A new recovery partitioned in the recovery will erase this data, but a simple reset will not. However, you can delete the data stored here using the recovery partition.

Restart the Mac with “Apple> Restart” and hold the Cmd and R keys simultaneously during the startup process. Then enter the command “xartutil -erase-all” with Terminal utility. After pressing a feed line you must confirm this command with “yes”. Where You Are!

Can I reset my MacBook if I forgot my administrator password?

Yes, you can reset your MacBook even if you’ve forgotten your administrator password. Follow these steps:

1. Restart your MacBook and hold down the Command + R keys to enter macOS Recovery.
2. In macOS Recovery, select “Utilities” from the menu bar and click on “Terminal.”
3. Type “resetpassword” (without quotes) and press Enter.
4. Close Terminal and follow the on-screen instructions to reset your password.
5. Restart your MacBook and log in with your new password.

How do I reset my MacBook without reinstalling macOS?

To reset your MacBook without reinstalling macOS, you can try the following steps:

1. Backup your data using Time Machine or a third-party application.
2. Restart your MacBook and log in as an administrator.
3. Open System Preferences and go to “Users & Groups.”
4. Click the “+” button to create a new administrator account.
5. Log out of your current account and log in to the new administrator account.
6. Open System Preferences > Users & Groups, and select the original account.
7. Click the “–” button to delete the original account and choose “Delete the home folder.”
8. Optionally, reset any system settings and remove third-party apps as needed.

FAQ