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Todays’ topic of the article is how to reset Macbook air to factory settings. But before that, we have to do some of the settings that are mandatory before the factory reset of Macbook or Macbook pro. So, here we will discuss the general steps to reset the factory settings of Macbook and Macbook air as well. A factory reset could be helpful if your laptop has been running slow, especially if you’ve installed a ton of updates and apps, which can bog your machine down over time.
And with macOS Mojave available, it’s the perfect time to get your computer back up-to-date and running well. Mojave is chock full of new enhancements and system changes that will keep your Air running well for years to com
So, directly moving on to the steps to do a factory reset the Macbook. So, steps are clearly mentioned below, just have a look at the steps mentioned below:
Back up Your MacBook with Time Machine
Time Machine, a built-in tool in macOS, can back up applications, music, photos, system files, etc. By backing up your MacBook Air with Time Machine and performing a factory reset of your MacBook Air, your machine will feel like you just unboxed it for the first time. An external storage device like a USB drive or FireWire should be prepared before you perform the backup.
- Connect the external storage device without any data to the MacBook. Then click “Use as Backup Disk”.
- Click the Apple menu on the top-left corner of the screen. Then click “System Preferences” and choose “Time Machine”.
- Click “Select Backup Disk”.
- Select the target external drive and click “Use Disk”.
- If the disk you selected isn’t formatted as required by Time Machine, you’re prompted to erase the disk first. Please confirm whether there’s any important file in the external hard drive before you erase it.
- Time Machine will start a backup once you select the disk for backup. If you intend to back up the MacBook manually, you could uncheck the box “Back up automatically”. Then click the Time Machine icon from the menu and select “Backup Now”.
Sign out iTunes /iCloud /iMessage /FileVault
Before you sell your MacBook and reset it to factory settings, you should disable some features and services. It will be convenient for the next user to use it and you could avoid the trouble of removing the Apple ID from the MacBook later.
Steps to Deauthorize iTunes
You can authorize iTunes up to 5 computers. If you are going to sell or give away your MacBook, you should make sure your iTunes account is not linked to the computer.
- Firstly, open iTunes on your MacBook.
- Click Account in the menu bar.
- Then choose “Account”> “Authorization”>” Deauthorize This Computer”.
- Enter your Apple ID and password.
- Then click “Deauthorize”.
Disable iCloud
Generally, photos, videos, and music are stored in iCloud. Just sign out of iCloud and make sure any information in iCloud is invisible.
- Click “Apple menu”
- Click on “System Preferences”.
- Then select iCloud and click “Sign Out”.
Sign out of iMessage
If you are using the version of OS X Mountain Lion or later, you could choose to sign out of iMessage.
- Click the “Messages” app, click “Messages”
- Go for “System Preferences”.
- Click “Account” and select your iMessage account.
- Then click “Sign Out”.
Turn off FileVault
FileVault can encrypt the data on your hard drive to prevent unauthorized access. If you turned on it before, it’s suggested to turn it off before you wipe the MacBook.
- Click “Apple menu”
- Go to “System Preferences”
- Select for “Security and Privacy”
- Tap the option “FileVault”.
- Click the lock icon and enter the administrator account name & password to unlock it.
- Then click “Turn Off FileVault”.
Steps to Reset Macbook Air to Factory Setting
After you complete the above steps, you could reset the MacBook air to factory settings according to the method below.
- The very first step is to you have to ensure that you are connected to the Internet so that you can download the latest version of Mac OS X.
- Now you can choose to utilize an app like the Carbon Copy Cloner for copying the internal hard drive to an external drive. This will enable you to access all the old files, and if you want to restore your Mac, the drive can be re-cloned to the internal drive.
- Now you have to see that your iTunes store account deauthorized.
- In case you are using the FileVault, you will have to turn it off.
- You can Sign out of the iCloud and then restart the Mac in a Recovery Mode.
- The Disk Utility feature can be used to erase the hard drive. You can do this by Clicking on the Disk Utility. Then go ahead and click Continue. Select the main volume, click Unmount and then click on Erase. Once done, you can quit the disk utility.
- Finally, you can now reinstall OS X.
How to restore Macbook Air to Factory Settings?
Here is a brief explanation of the given above steps which we will look at separately. So, getting started with that.
Step 1: Clone the Hard Drive:
The process of resetting your MacBook to factory settings will get rid of all the data stored in the Mac. Of course, you will have to transfer the data from the old Mac to the new one, but it is worth making a clone of the entire hard drive and keeping it with you for some time.
Once you click on the clone, you will be able to boot from the cloned external hard drive. In order to test this, you can reset your Mac and hold down during the boot process.
You can use the arrow keys that are available on your Mac for selecting the external drive. Now you can tap Enter. The cloned drive can now be re-cloned if you wish to restore the Mac. It can also be used for accessing all the original files from your system after you have cleared the internal hard drive.
Step 2: iTunes to Be De-authorized:
You should deauthorize the computer from iTunes. This also means that it will not be linked to your iTunes account anymore.
One can use only up to five Macs to play music and movies locked to the iTunes account, so you should not pass that on to some other person.
Launch the iTunes, go to Store, and then click on Deauthorize this Computer. You can then enter your Apple ID and password and click on the De-authorize option.
Step 3: FileVault Needs to Be Turned Off:
FileVault can encrypt the files on the hard drive, and it is best to turn it off before going ahead. Check if the FileVault turned off.
If not, you will have to click on the padlock icon that can be found in the bottom left. Enter your password and click on the Unlock option. Click the option Turn off FileVault.
Step 4: Disable iCloud:
Go to the System Preferences and click on the iCloud and sign out from there. For removing all your personal data, you will have to click on Delete from the Mac option on each popup.
Step 5: Start Mac in Recovery Mode:
Ensure that you connected to the Internet. Internet connection is needed to install Mac OS X.
First, restart the Mac by clicking on Apple and then restart and hold on the Command and the R keys until you see the Recovery Mode utility window.
Step 6: Clear the Drive:
Choose the Disk Utility and click on Continue. You can now choose your main Startup Volume and then click on Unmount.
You have to choose the Erase tab to wipe your hard drive. This will permanently erase all data. When done, you can exit the program by selecting Quit Disk Utility.
Step 7: Re-install Mac OS X:
Now, finally, click on the Re-install OS X and then continue to follow the on-screen instructions.
Do not enter your Apple credentials during the setup process. Once the setup is complete, you will prompt to type in the credentials. You are now done.
Here you are done with the factory reset of Macbook air. Follow all the given above steps and also the settings which you have to keep in mind before doing the factory rest of Macbook and Macbook air so that you don’t lose any of your important data and make a copy of that before doing any reset.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)-
Question: How to Reset MacBook Air
Ans: Steps are given below to reset Macbook Air or MacBook Pro
1: Hold the power button until the computer shut down.
2: Wait for 20 to 30 seconds and then press the power button again to turn on your MacBook Air.
3: Choose “Disk Utilities” go to the “Utilities” menu on your desktop.
4: Select your hard drive, which will be labelled “Macintosh HD” or “Macintosh HD (or whatever name you gave)”.
5: Next, Choose Erase, then Erase Free Space, and confirm that you want to erase all free space on the hard drive. This will remove all data. After a reset or after installing a new operating system.
Question: How to factory reset MacBook air or MacBook or MacBook Pro reset
Ans: Factory resetting your Macbook Air is a good way to start fresh. Some Person on the internet teach you how to hard reset macbook air both are same technically.
It will remove all the data and applications that you installed on your computer. It will also restore your Mac to its default settings.
Next, you take all files back up before factory resetting your Macbook Air or MacBook. You need an external hard drive or another storage device. If you do not have one, go to the Apple website and buy one that’s compatible with your PC model.
The following steps are required to factory reset your Macbook Air:
- Restart your computer: Hold Power Button >> Choose Restart
- Computer restarts, hold “Command” and “R” Keys
- Next, you see the Apple logo, release “Command + R keys“
- See Recovery Menu >> Choose Disk Utility
- Next Conform “Macintosh HD” startup disk. Disk Utility Windows >> Choose Erase
- A pop up windows will appear. Change Format >> macOS Extended >> Choose Erase
- Choose leave Disk Utility in Disk Utilities menu.
- A window will appear, choose option to install macOS >> Install macOS
- A fresh macOs is installed. Your MacBook computer has now been restored to the factory default settings.
The solutions and suggestions mentioned in this post will also assist you in resolving all the below questions. If you are currently experiencing it.
