Mac computers are generally reliable. But as with any computer, sometimes things go wrong. Before you spend big on a new Mac, though, try a factory reset, which wipes your computer and reinstalls a clean version of macOS.
A factory reset is also the best way to prepare your old computer for a new owner to make sure no leftover data falls into the wrong hands. Whatever the reason, here's how to wipe everything and start from scratch with a factory reset.
Restart Your Mac
First, restart your computer. The most straightforward way is to hold down the power button until a dialog box appears, then choose the Restart option. Otherwise, you can select the Apple icon in the top-left corner of the screen and choose Restart.
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Control + Command + Eject (or power button) if your computer is frozen and you can't rely on macOS to get the job done.
Open in Recovery Mode
Once the computer turns off, hold Command + R until the Apple logo appears. Release the keys and allow the Mac to boot up. This may take some time to load, so be patient.
Instead of opening to your desktop as normal, your Mac will boot into Recovery Mode. You will need to choose the appropriate user profile and enter the password before gaining full control. In the macOS Utilities windows, you now have the option to restore from a Time Machine backup, install a new copy of macOS, access help documentation, repair a damaged disk, or erase all data.
If you're looking to erase everything and start from scratch, choose Disk Utility.
Erase Your Data
Choose your startup disk under the Internal heading, then click Erase at the top of the Disk Utilities window. A dialog box will pop up. Change the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), then click Erase. Once the process is complete, go to the Disk Utilities menu in the upper-left corner and choose Quit Disk Utility.
Be aware that once this process is done, you will no longer be able to recover any deleted data that was left on the drive. If you think you may still need what is on your hard drive, we advise you to first back it up onto an external hard drive or sync important files to iCloud.
Reinstall MacOS
Your next step should be to reinstall macOS onto the computer. Back at the macOS Utilities screen, click Reinstall macOS and follow the instructions to reinstall a clean version of the operating system. If you plan to sell the computer, you can skip this step and let the new owner install macOS.
Restore From Backup
If you opted to save your files through a Time Machine backup, you can now restore those files through the macOS Utilities screen. Click Restore From Time Machine Backup, then select the appropriate backup from the list to reinstall your saved files.
What's New in macOS Big Sur
This fall, you can upgrade your computer to macOS Big Sur. Here's what to look forward to and how to get a sneak peek at the OS.