If you want to completely erase the Mac and get a factory reset Mac OS X version that is blank and back to default settings as if the computer was brand new, this is the process to achieve that. Do not skip backups of your stuff! How to Factory Reset Mac OS X to Original Default Factory Settings WARNING: This will completely erase everything on the Mac, no personal files will remain, no apps, nothing, the Mac will be completely formatted and wiped clear, and the only thing left will be the factory reset stock version of MacOS or Mac OS X system software, just as if the Mac was new.īe sure you backup any and all personal files and data that you care about before starting this process, if you do not back up your personal data and files they will be permanently lost as this process erases the Mac and resets the computer to factory default settings. The initial erase and data removal process is how this primarily differs from simply reinstalling Mac OS X system software on the Mac without formatting the Mac to begin with, which would maintain files and apps and user data, whereas the factory reset completely removes everything and starts fresh. Note the difference between a reset of the Mac and a simple reinstall of system software: a true factory reset of a Mac as we’ll show here, is that the computer is erased clean of any and all data entirely, and then a new factory installation of Mac OS X system software is installed on the computer.

You can also perform the exact same actions as described here from a boot USB disk if you have one. This reset and restore method is the same with every Mac computer out there, including iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, Mac Mini, and Mac Pro, as long as the Mac is running a somewhat modern version of Mac OS system software with recovery mode support.

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