Restoring a Macbook Pro back to its original factory configuration involves erasing all user data and preference settings. In most cases, resetting a computer to factory settings is done to make room for a new owner or when donating it. Whatever the reason you have, this process literally deletes all of your data from the computer, giving you a fresh start.
By erasing all data and resetting the MacBook Pro to its original configuration, you can start fresh with a blank slate. This is perfect for reselling your old MacBook Pro or donating it to charitable organizations in IT for all initiatives. The question for many is how to reset a MacBook computer back to factory settings.
Nonetheless, a backup of your information and settings is essential before attempting this procedure, as it will wipe your hard drive clean. But, are you not curious to know how to reset a MacBook back to factory settings?
In general, a Macbook Pro can be reset back to factory settings using recovery mode, time machine, and disk utility. I will explain in detail each of these ways and help you choose one way to reset your Macbook Pro to factory settings below.
How To Reset Macbook Pro To Factory Settings : [ Quick And Easy Ways That Work For None Tech-savvy ]
Resetting a Macbook Pro back to factory settings is the best practice to get your Macbook Pro running like new again. But for some, the process can be a little daunting as it will erase everything on your computer.
Here are 3 different ways you can reset your Macbook Pro back to factory settings. Pick the one that works best for you!
Method 1: How To Reset Macbook Pro To Factory Settings Using Recovery Mode
The first way is to use Recovery Mode. This will give you the option to reinstall macOS, which will erase everything on your computer and then install a fresh copy of the operating system.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Shut down your Macbook Pro and then turn it back on.
2. Immediately press and hold the “Command” and “R” keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
3. Once in Recovery Mode, click on the “Reinstall macOS” option and then follow the prompts to reinstall the operating system.
4. Once the process is finished, your Macbook Pro will restart and you’ll be back to factory settings.
Method 2: How To Reset Macbook Pro To Factory Settings Using Time Machine
If you have a Time Machine backup, you can use it to reset your Macbook Pro back to factory settings. This is a good option if you don’t want to lose any of your files or settings.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Connect your Time Machine backup drive to your Macbook Pro.
2. Shut down your computer and then turn it back on.
3. Immediately press and hold the “Command” and “R” keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
4. Once in Recovery Mode, click on the “Restore from Time Machine Backup” option and follow the prompts to restore your computer.
5. Once the process is finished, your Macbook Pro will restart and you’ll be back to factory settings.
Method 3: How To Reset Macbook Pro To Factory Settings Using Disk Utility
The last way to reset your Macbook Pro back to factory settings is to use Disk Utility. This will erase everything on your computer, including your files and settings.
Here’s how to do it:
1. Shut down your Macbook Pro and then turn it back on.
2. Immediately press and hold the “Command” and “R” keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
3. Once in Recovery Mode, click on the “Disk Utility” option and then choose the “Macintosh HD” drive.
4. Click on the “Erase” button and then choose the “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” format.
5. Click on the “Erase” button and wait for the process to finish.
6. Once the process is finished, quit Disk Utility and then click on the “Reinstall macOS” option. Follow the prompts to reinstall the operating system.
7. Once the process is finished, your Macbook Pro will restart and you’ll be back to factory settings.
Picking The Best Method For You
Depending on your needs, one of these methods may be better for you than the others. If you want to keep your files and settings, then using Time Machine is the best option to reset your Macbook pro back to factory settings. But, there is a lot to consider doing long before you get started erasing all the data and settings on your Mac computer.
What you need to do before Resetting your Macbook Pro back to factory settings.
While resetting a Macbook back to factory settings is one of the best ways to starting fresh, there are elaborate steps you need to go through to make this process smooth and safer.
Backing up your files in iCloud account or on an External hard disk
iCloud provides the best way to back up your files if you have an active and stable internet connection.
- On your Macbook, open System Preferences from the Dock or Apple Menu
- Click on iCloud
- Tick the box next to iCloud Drive, Photos, and any other data you want to back up
External hard disk: this is the most common way to back up data. It is recommended that you get an external hard disk of the same capacity as your Macbook’s internal storage drive.
How to back up using an external hard disk:
- Connect the external hard disk to your Macbook
- Open Finder and click on Applications in the sidebar
- Click on Time Machine
- Select Back Up Now
Sign out of your iTunes account on the Macbook Pro
Because your Macbook computer is connected to your iTunes personal account, it is important that you sign out of it before you go ahead to erase everything.
You can sign out of your iTunes account by opening the application and clicking on Account from the menu bar. Select Sign Out.
Sign out of iCloud account on the Macbook Pro
As part of the process of resetting a Macbook back to factory settings, you will be asked to sign in to your iCloud account. Hence, it is recommended that you sign out of your iCloud account at this point.
Open System Preferences from the Dock or Apple Menu
Click on iCloud
Click on the Sign Out button
Sign out of iMessage account
Your iMessage account is another account you need to sign out of before resetting your Macbook back to factory settings.
Open the Messages application
Click on Preferences from the menu bar
Click on Accounts
Select your iMessage account and click on the Sign Out button
Unpair or erase Bluetooth connectivity for other accessories.
Audio accessories and wireless keyboards or mouse are few of the accessories you need to unpair or erase their Bluetooth connectivity with your Macbook before resetting it.
How to unpair or erase Bluetooth connectivity:
Open System Preferences from the Dock or Apple Menu
Click on Bluetooth
If there are any devices listed under My Devices, highlight them and click on the X button to remove them.
Erase your Mac, and reinstall fresh MacOs to complete resetting Macbook Pro back to factory settings.
Once all of the steps above have been completed, you are now ready to erase your Macbook and reinstall the operating system.
How to erase your Macbook:
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder
Select your Macintosh HD drive from the left sidebar
Click on the Erase button
Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format drop-down menu
Click on the Erase button to confirm
How to reinstall MacOS:
Restart your Macbook and hold down the Command + R keys while it is restarting
When you see the Apple logo, release the keys
Click on Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities window
Select your Macintosh HD drive from the left sidebar
Click on the Erase button
Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format drop-down menu
Click on the Erase button to confirm
Quit Disk Utility and click on Reinstall macOS from the macOS Utilities window
Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the reinstallation process
Once the reinstallation is complete, your Macbook will be reset to factory settings.
How To Restore Macbook Pro to Factory Settings
Resetting your Macbook Pro back to factory settings,is another way to restoring a Mac computer back to the state it was in when you first bought it. This can be done by following these steps:
- Step 1: Restart your Macbook and hold down the Command + R keys while it is restarting.
- Step 2: When you see the Apple logo, release the keys.
- Step 3: Click on Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities window.
- Step 4: Select your Macintosh HD drive from the left sidebar.
- Step 5: Click on the Restore button.
- Step 6: Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format drop-down menu.
- Step 7: Click on the Restore button to confirm.
There are only three main reason why you would want to reset and restore your Mac computer back to factory settings:
- To Erase Your Macbook Pro and Start Over
- To Remove Everything from Your Macbook Pro and Start Fresh
- To Format a Macbook Pro for Sale or Donation
Resetting a Macbook Pro back to factory settings for a fresh start
You can reset your Macbook back to factory settings if your goal is to start fresh with a completely empty and clean Macbook. This will erase everything that is currently stored on your computer.
To do this, you will need to:
Step 1: Restart your Macbook and hold down the Command + R keys while it is restarting.
Step 2: When you see the Apple logo, release the keys.
Step 3: Click on Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities window.
Step 4: Select your Macintosh HD drive from the left sidebar.
Step 5: Click on the Erase button.
Step 6: Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format drop-down menu.
Step 7: Click on the Erase button to confirm.
Step 8: Quit Disk Utility and click on Reinstall macOS from the macOS Utilities window.
Step 9: Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the reinstallation process.
How to format a Macbook Pro for sale or donation
If you are planning on selling or donating your Macbook, you will need to format it first so that all of your personal data is erased. To do this, you will need to:
Step 1: Restart your Macbook and hold down the Command + R keys while it is restarting.
Step 2: When you see the Apple logo, release the keys.
Step 3: Click on Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities window.
Step 4: Select your Macintosh HD drive from the left sidebar.
Step 5: Click on the Erase button.
Step 6: Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the Format drop-down menu.
Step 7: Click on the Erase button to confirm.
Step 8: Quit Disk Utility and click on Reinstall macOS from the macOS Utilities window.
Step 9: Follow the onscreen instructions to complete the reinstallation process.
Once the reinstallation is complete, your Macbook will be reset to factory settings and all of your personal data will be erased.
Overall, erasing all content and settings on Mac back to factory settings is the best way to safeguard your personal data particularly when you are donating or selling off your used Macbook Pro.
If you are planning to erase your data and start afresh, or simply want to get rid of old files taking up valuable storage space on your computer, then following the steps above on How To Reset Macbook Pro To Factory Settings is the best way to go.
While resetting a Macbook pro back to factory settings is a pretty straightforward process, don’t forget that there are a few vital housekeeping steps to take before your reset of a Macbook pro back to its factory settings. They are included in the process of resetting your Mac computer back to factory settings as part of your Apple Gadget data wipe.
First, you will want to back up your data. This is critical unless you have no intention of ever using the data again or you are comfortable with the idea of losing all your personal files, settings, and photos. You can use Time Machine if you have an external hard drive to create backups or you can store everything in iCloud.
Backup all your important data: Before you erase anything from your Macbook Pro, it is always a good idea to back up your files in case something goes wrong. You can either use an external hard drive or iCloud to backup your data.
Shut down your MacBook Pro: Once you have backed up your data, shut down your Macbook Pro by clicking on the Apple logo in the top left corner of the screen and selecting Shut Down.
Hold down the Command and R keys: Once your Macbook Pro has shut down, hold down the Command and R keys and turn on your computer. Once you hold down the command and R keys, you will see the Apple logo appear on your screen.
Release the keys when you see the Apple logo: Keep holding down the keys until you see the Apple logo and then release them.
Select Restore From Time Machine Backup: This will take you to the restore menu. From here, select Restore From Time Machine Backup.
If you have a backup of your Macbook Pro on an external hard drive, then choose that option. If not, then choose the option to Restore from iCloud Backup. Enter your iCloud login credentials and wait for the process to finish.
While the above steps works when resetting your Macbook Pro back to factory settings, resetting your NVRAM on your Macbook Pro can also prove to be helpful. NVRAM is responsible for storing certain settings on your Macbook Pro such as the time and date, screen resolution, etc. If these settings are not working properly, then resetting your NVRAM can help fix the issue.
Reset NVRAM on your Mac to reset your mac computer back to factory settings.
NVRAM (nonvolatile random-access memory) is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store certain settings and access them quickly. Settings that can be stored in NVRAM include sound volume, display resolution, startup disk selection, time zone, and recent kernel panic information. The process of resetting NVRAM is different depending on the type of Mac you have.
On Mac computers that have the T2 Security Chip, follow these steps to reset NVRAM:
Shut down your Mac.
Press and hold the power button for about 20 seconds.
Release the power button.
On iMac Pro (2017) and later, and Mac Pro (2019) and later, the power button has a Touch ID sensor. If you’re using macOS Catalina 10.15 or later on one of these models, authenticate with Touch ID or your passcode to unlock your Mac and reset NVRAM.
On Mac computers that don’t have the T2 Security Chip, follow these steps to reset NVRAM:
Shut down your Mac.
Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
Turn on your Mac.
Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys immediately after you hear the startup sound.
Hold these keys until your Mac restarts and you hear the startup sound for a second time.
Release the keys.
What Is NVRAM And Why Reset It Back To Factory Settings?
NVRAM (or PRAM) is a small amount of memory that your Mac uses to store and quickly access certain system settings. Your Mac then stores and rapidly retrieves system settings including sound volume, display resolution, startup-disk selection, and time zone as faster as it can from this little memory called NVRAM (or PRAM). Each Mac and its associated hardware has its own unique preferences.
These preferences do not typically require resetting NVRAM because they can be managed in System Preferences. Resetting the NVRAM may assist if one or more settings still aren’t functioning properly. Before parting with an Intel-based Mac in any way, resetting the NVRAM is a must.
