MacBook Factory-Resetting Tips and Tricks You Need to Know

Did your MacBook lose a step just before the holidays? You may want to upgrade to one of the new ones M2 models released earlier this year or want to size up to a 14 inches or 16-inch MacBook Pro to celebrate No matter your reason for moving to a new Mac, you may be able to take a dent in the cost by selling your old one. Before you pack up your MacBook, however, there are a few steps to make the transition to your new machine smooth and safe. You will probably want to migrate your data to your new Macand you will definitely need to wipe clean your old Mac.

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Whether you’re selling your Mac, passing it on to a family member or friend, recycling it or to donate it to an organization, you’ll want to delete your personal information and files before parting with them.

This is an important safety measure you don’t want to skip. Your Mac’s hard drive is full of sensitive information that you don’t want accessible, even if you trust your laptop’s next owner. There is always a chance that some malware can sneak its way in and expose your personal details.

Here’s how to erase all traces of your data and return your old Mac to its default factory settings.

1. Sign out of your accounts

After migrating your data to your new Mac or make a final backup to preserve your data, it’s time to remove all traces of yourself from the machine. First, you need to sign out of all your accounts. Years ago this was done with iTunes, but now you have to do it individually sign from three applications — Music, TV and Books. Open any of those apps and check Account > Permissions > Deauthorize this computer. You will need to enter your Apple ID and password and then the Disempowered button.

Next, you need to turn off Find My Mac and sign out of iCloud. Go to System Preferences > Apple IDclick iCloud in the left panel and then uncheck Find My Mac. Next, click Overview from the left panel and then click the Sign out button.

Finally, you will need to log out of Messages. Open the Messages app, go to Messages > Preferences, click the iMessage tab and then click Sign out.

2. Bluetooth disconnection

If you’re giving your old Mac to your child or someone else in your home, it’s a good idea to disconnect any Bluetooth devices from it so that your mouse or keyboard controls the new Mac and doesn’t interfere with the old one. Go to System Preferences > Bluetoothmove the mouse over the device you want to disconnect, click on the X button to the right of his name, then click Remove.

3. Reset NVRAM

NVRAM is memory in which your Mac stores settings it needs before MacOS loads: things like screen resolution, time zone, volume level, and startup disk selection. Sometimes these files can become corrupted, so give your Mac’s next owner a fresh start by resetting the NVRAM. To do this, turn off your Mac, then turn it on and immediately hold four keys together: Option, Order, Pand R. You can release the keys after 20 seconds or so. That’s it! Your Mac’s NVRAM has been reset.

4. Factory reset

You must insert your MacBook Recovery Mode to wipe all your data and reinstall MacOS. To enter recovery mode on an old Intel-based Mac, restart it and immediately press and hold Order-R. You can release the keys once you see the Apple logo. On an M1-based Mac, booting into recovery mode is slightly different. You simply press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window, then click Options and Continue to get to the utility window.)

Next, you will see the MacOS Utilities window. Choose Disk utilityclick Continue and select your startup disk — unless you’ve renamed it, it’s probably marked Macintosh HD or something similar. Then click on the Delete button at the top of the Disk Utility window and fill in these two fields:

• Name: Choose a name for the fresh, new volume. Why not go with the tried-and-true Macintosh HD?
• Format: Choose APFS.

If you’re trying to sell an antique Mac that has a mechanical hard drive instead of a solid-state drive, choose Mac OS Extended (journaled) for Format.

Then click on the Delete volume group and after Disk Utility has done its thing, stop Disk utility. (If you don’t see the Erase Volume Group button in the lower left corner, then click the Delete button in the lower right corner instead.)

You should return to the MacOS Utilities window. (If not, restart your Mac again and hold Order-R while it reboots.) From the MacOS Utilities window, select Reinstall MacOS and follow the instructions to install the operating system. After macOS is reinstalled, you’ll be greeted by the Setup Assistant, which you can then exit and shut down your Mac. It is now ready for a new start with its next owner.

Here is how to reset an iphone, how to reset AirPods that are acting upand how to reset a Chromebook in less than a minute. Plus, Check out every device Apple announced at its latest event.