Are you preparing to sell your Mac or probably give it away to a close friend or family member? You must clear your personal data from your Mac before you can give it away or sell it. Freeing some space for storage or an error that requires giving your Mac a fresh start may also be the reason to erase all the settings and content of your device.
Erasing complete content and custom settings on Mac basically means a Factory reset. macOS Monterey is the safest and easiest way to erase all your content and settings rather than using other utilities. Follow the step-by-step guide to erase all content and settings on Mac:
Steps to Erase All Content and Settings on Mac if you have macOS Monterey
If you had earlier used Boot Camp to install Microsoft Windows on your Mac, you must use Boot Camp to remove it and its partition before you can go ahead with the process. If you skip this step, the system tends to prompt several messages asking you to erase other volumes before eroding all settings and content.
Begin by selecting System Preferences from the Apple Menu
In System Preferences, select Erase All Content and Settings
An assistant will open and require you to sign in with Administrator rights. You must furnish your password that you use to log in to your Mac – once done, click on OK
The system will prompt you to back up your Mac before you can reset it. If you wish to create a backup, open Time Machine and create a backup on an external storage device. If you wish to skip the step, then you can process without creating a new backup by clicking on Continue to let your data, settings, media, and other listed things are removed
The next system will ask you to Sign Out of your Apple ID. Put in your Apple ID password and click on Continue to proceed
Next, click on Erase All Content & Settings to confirm your action
This will restart your Mac. You will see a black screen along with a progress bar. At times, the system may require connecting to a Bluetooth accessory like a mouse or a keyboard. If the accessory takes more than 30 seconds to connect, turn it OFF and turn it ON once again. The system will prompt you to select a language when connecting to a Bluetooth keyboard.
You will also be asked to connect a network cable or select/sign in to a Wi-Fi network. You can use the Wi-Fi menu located in the top-right corner of the screen
When you connect to a network, your Mac will activate. You then click on Restart
As the Mac restarts, the Assistant will guide you through the set-up process just as it would for a first-time user
Avoid using the set-up assistant if you are giving your Mac away or selling it to someone. You must also not connect to previously used Bluetooth devices as mentioned above. This allows the Mac to be in an out-of-box condition.
You can simply press and hold the Power button and wait for a few seconds to turn it OFF
Ref: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212749
How to Reset Mac (Older Version without macOS Monterey)
If you have an older version of Mac and haven’t upgraded to MacOS Monterey, then here is how you can delete its contents and settings:
Restart your Mac
As it is restarting, hold down the Command + R keys, and as soon as the Apple logo appears, release them
You will see the Recovery Mode menu on the page – here, you must select Disk Utility
Check to ensure that in the Disk Utility option ‘Macintosh HD’ startup disk is highlighted
Next Select Erase
A pop-up window will open stating – ‘Change the Format to macOS Extended (Journaled) – Select Erase once again
Next in the Disk Utilities Menu, select Quit Disk Utility
The system will prompt you with the option to reinstall macOS – you need to select Install macOS
Wait for the installation to complete. Once macOS is installed, your Mac will have been reset to its original settings, and all your content and settings will have been erased
Follow the above instructions to erase all contents and settings on your Mac.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issue
