Restore imac to factory settings. How to reset Mac to factory settings. Mac backup

Feel like you need to start over from scratch? Know that you can factory reset your Mac at any time. This means that all your activities will be erased, and the device will look like it came out of the box (maybe except for a couple of scratches). This is a simple procedure that does not take much time, and we will tell you how to carry it out safely and effectively.

Often, deleting all data becomes a cause of concern and even tantrums, but there are cases when this is indispensable. For example, if you decide to sell your computer. Part of this is removing the device from iTunes and cutting off all cloud connections. But another important aspect is the restoration of factory settings.

First, make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet. The process of formatting a drive is quite simple, but you will need to access the factory settings when everything is finished. It also doesn't hurt to plug your MacBook into the mains to avoid draining the battery.

Now go to the Apple menu (the one with the Apple logo) and select the reboot command. Wait until the computer turns off and starts up again, then when the gray reboot screen appears, hold down the command key (Command) and the R key.

This will take you to the OS X Utilities, where you can make important and potentially dangerous changes. Select Disk Utility. Now the process will start to differ slightly depending on the version of OS X. Here you need to find the desired disks, select them and go to the Erase tab. Next, in the format options, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click Erase again. After completing the procedure, go to the Disk Utility menu and select Exit.

Now you have deleted all the data, but this is only half the way. When you exit the Disk Utility menu, you will see Reinstall current OS X. Select this option and confirm that you really want to continue. You may have to go through a few confirmations before the installation is ready to begin.

This is where you need an internet connection. Apple saves all factory data on its servers so your Mac can find the original version of the operating system and load all its settings.

Note: This online solution only works for newversions of OS X starting with like Lion, Mountain Lion. If you're running Snow Leopard or an earlier version of OS X, you'll need the original installation disc that came with your computer.

Obviously, a hard reset is a serious step, and you need to make sure that no important data is lost. Backing up your computer is a necessary part of the procedure and it is highly recommended to start with it. Here are a few ways you can save data.

Use Time Machine if possible. The program will allow you to save settings and data on an external drive. After that, you can put a "snapshot" of your Mac, including all the information, into the Time Capsule and move them to another system.
You may need to reinstall Apple apps on a new computer. Visit the Mac App Store and you will see an option to reinstall all applications.
If you already have a second computer, you can use Migration Assistant to simply move your data with a quick drive clone.
Cloud backup can help a little, but its volume is unlikely to be enough for all the information on the computer system, so it is better to use physical methods of copying in such procedures.

Quite often, Mac users are faced with the following problem - how to return the computer to factory settings, reset all user information, and reinstall the operating system "clean". Instructions for this process are provided below.

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Mac, like most other devices from Apple, is designed for personal use. And this means that usually computer owners fine-tune the system for themselves and another user will not be entirely comfortable working with it. If there is a need to completely get rid of the existing data and settings, then you need to follow the simple steps described below.

Clean Install macOS: Prerequisites

IMPORTANT: Before a clean install (reinstall, flash, factory reset) of a Mac, be sure to check:

Is the Mac tied to yours, and not to any other
Do you remember the credentials (login and password) of your Apple ID. You can check, for example, by logging in on this page (from a computer).

The fact is that if the function was activated on the Mac (located along the path: System settings → iCloud → ), then after reinstalling the system (resetting to factory settings), the system will ask you to enter the Apple ID to which the device is linked.

ON THIS TOPIC:

How to factory reset Macbook, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro (how to reinstall macOS)

Boot Mac in Recovery Mode

1. Make sure you have an internet connection (for later installation of macOS) and an electrical connection for a MacBook.

Attention! The following steps will lead to the complete deletion of ALL data on the Mac - save the necessary information in advance on external media;

2. Restart your computer (or turn it on if it was turned off) using the menu  → Reload;

3. During the reboot process, press and hold the key combination that suits you best:

⌘Cmd+R- install the version of macOS that was running on the computer before the problems occurred. Those. your Mac will install exactly the same version as before.

Option (Alt) + ⌘Cmd + R- update to the latest version of macOS that your Mac is compatible with. For example, if the "mac" worked on High Sierra, and the breakdown occurred after the release of the final build of macOS Mojave, the system will download from the Web and install Mojave.

⇧Shift + ⌥Option (Alt) + ⌘Cmd + R– installing the version of macOS that was originally installed on the computer (or the closest available version to it).

Note: macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or newer required.

4 . Then the window " macOS Utilities»(may be called "macOS Utilities" on versions below macOS High Sierra). Here you need to select " Disk Utility" and click " Continue";

1 . Select in Disk Utility your drive in the menu on the left (usually Macintosh HD, it is at the very top).

2 . Click on the caption First aid.

3 . Click Run. The application will check the boot disk for a "health condition" i.e. performance and fix any bugs. This process may take some time.

4 . Once the verification is complete, click Ready.

Erase boot drive

1. In the application disk utility, select a verified boot disk, go to the section "Erase"(at the top of the screen);

2. On the menu "Format" select APFS (for computers with macOS Sierra installed and an older version of the OS, select Mac OS Extended) and press " Erase";

3. When the disk formatting process is complete, click " Complete" to exit Disk Utility.

Reinstalling the macOS operating system (factory reset)

Reinstall macOS using the appropriate item (screenshot below) and follow the instructions. The latest version of macOS will be downloaded from the Internet and the macOS reinstallation process will begin. During this time, the computer may restart.

Note: when you install from scratch, you will have to configure your Mac and programs settings again.

You can reset the personal settings of an Apple laptop or monoblock in many cases. If your system began to boot for a long time, slow down during operation, the programs you needed stopped opening, and much more, then in this case a reset is simply necessary. To understand how to reset a Macbook to factory settings, read our instructions.

Possible Methods

First you need to determine the extent of the problem that you have. There are two ways to reset the system:

complete;
reset system settings to factory defaults.

In many cases (for example, system or program freezes) it is enough. Before you reset your Macbook Air, Pro, or iMac to factory settings using a reinstall, back up all your important files and programs as this method involves cleaning your hard drive.

The second option is simpler and more loyal - reset only the system parameters, but leave all the information on the disk intact. Let's consider both options step by step.

How to restore Macbook Air, Pro, iMac to factory settings?

This method is suitable if the problem with the computer is not serious and non-critical. For example, a long turn on, malfunctioning of a program, etc. In any case, we recommend that you use this method first before proceeding with the reinstallation. To reset to factory settings, follow these steps:

turn off the MacBook in any convenient way. You can also read about them in the next section of our site;
hold down the key combination Command + Option + P + R + power button;
wait until the power-up sound is played twice, then release the keys;
after turning on the computer will be reset to factory settings. This way you can set up your Macbook like new.

How to restore macbook air, Pro, iMac to factory settings: reinstall OS

Before this process, you need to do the following:

connect the Internet to the computer;
copy all valuable information to an external drive;

connect the device to a power source so that it does not turn off during the installation of the OS;
Now let's move on to the installation process:
restart your Macbook in a convenient way;
press Command+R while booting;

wait for the computer to start recovery mode;
in the window that opens, select "Disk Utility";
select boot disk;
go to the "Erase" section;
select the installed OS and click the "Erase" button;

then return to the menu with a choice of programs for recovery;
click the "reinstall OS" button;
after that, the computer will connect to the Internet and start downloading the distribution.

Restoring macbook air, pro or iMac to factory settings in this way will not work without an Internet connection.

After the download is complete, the device will unpack all files and reboot. Next, the main settings screen will appear. Log in with your Apple ID account, select the system language, and so on.

If you do not have the ability to connect to the Internet, then you will need a bootable USB flash drive with the distribution. However, without the OS installer downloaded from the network, nothing will work anyway. Now you know how to reset settings on a macbook in two different ways and you can put them into practice.

To use your Macbook at 100%, you need to be able to perform various operations. The most important of them are the return of data from backup, the recovery of password symbols, the return to the original settings. The last operation is discussed in detail below, but the others are also mentioned. All procedures are easily performed using "native" tools. In difficult situations, an installation disc is required.

If the device on Mac OS is functioning with errors or the owner is preparing it for sale, you will need to perform a factory reset procedure. Before starting, you should create a backup, since all information during the operation will be irretrievably erased. To do this, it is recommended to use the Time Machine software. The backup location is an external hard drive. It should be formatted in Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

After completing the preparatory steps, the algorithm of actions will be as follows:

Open the list of software and launch Time Machine.
Click on the disk selection section.
Specify the external source where the backup will be saved and click on “Use. disk".
The backup function will offer to erase the data present on the external drive. You must agree to this operation, otherwise the creation of a copy will not be possible.
If you need to include not all elements in the backup, proceed to the settings section. There, using the "plus" button, we add to the list the data that will not be included in the backup.
Once the value settings are complete, the Time Machine slider will become enabled. A complete backup operation will take a long time. After the end of the procedure, you can return the original parameters to the device. To this end, we move on to the next step.
Restart your MacBook by pressing Command and R.
We open the utilities section and start the disk.
On the left on the panel, select the boot disk and proceed to the erasing section.
Specify the format "Mac OS Extended" and click on the erase button.

At the end of the procedure for formatting the disk and resetting the values to the original ones, we exit the disk utility. We reinstall the operating system again, following the advice in the corresponding utility window.

Backup data recovery method

To return all the information lost during the data reset process, you need to make a backup. The steps to make a copy are:

We connect an external drive with a copy from the macbook.
We place the installation disk in the device. When starting the system, press the element "C" to enter the installer section. We select the language.
Open the utilities section and start the system restore operation from backup.
Click on the continuation element in the pop-up window.
Select the drive where the backup is saved .
Specify the date of the final backup .
Select the disk where we will perform data recovery.

After the end of the calculation of the time for this operation, click on the restore button. A warning will pop up about cleaning up the disk you are working with. Press the continue button and the recovery mode will start. Upon completion of the operation, reboot the device. During the startup process, the system will be displayed as it was on the date the copy was made. All edits made after the operation will be undone.

Steps to recover password symbols

You can reset your forgotten password using one of 3 methods:

Using the installation disk.
By ID number.
Using the terminal in recovery mode.

If you have an installation disc for Mac OS X operating system, it will not take hours to reset the password characters, just a few minutes will suffice:

Place the disc in the drive and reboot the device.
When you hear startup sounds, press the "C" item. Hold until the spinning gear appears.
Select the language and press the continue element.
In the operating system installation menu, select the service software section and start the password reset mechanism.

The wizard will throw off the current key, forgotten by you, and will set up new characters. This method is the easiest. But if you do not have an operating disk, nothing will come of it. In such a situation, try to enter the wrong password characters three times, the installation window will pop up through the ID - number.

However, there is also a requirement. The option to recover password characters using ID must be active in the settings of the macbook. If this is not the case, you should resort to the following method, which works on all variations of the operating system, and always works 100%:

Reboot your device. To do this, press Command+R at the same time until the loading indication appears.
Make the choice of Russian as the main language. The system will boot into recovery mode.
Open the utilities section at the top and launch the operating system.
Type "resetpassword" and hit enter.
Mark the section where the user account is located.
Select an account and type in new password characters twice.
Click on the consent element to confirm the data reset.

After throwing off the characters, restart the operating system. At startup, a warning will pop up about the impossibility of unlocking the keychain for signing in. Click on the element of the new login and type in the characters of the password set after resetting the old key.

That's all the instructions on how to restore the macbook to factory settings, how to backup and restore the system. All these operations will not be difficult to perform on any model of an "apple" laptop - Air or MacBook Pro. They are needed when various kinds of problems or errors arise. Each owner of the device should know how to reset to the original settings, because if the device is sold (or when it needs to be restored), this is simply necessary. But before returning the factory settings, you will need a backup copy, because all data will inevitably be erased. The copying process is also very simple. The easiest way to do this is to use iCloud.

Sometimes the operating system of the MacBook Pro or MacBook Air crashes. The same thing often happens with software. In both situations, it becomes necessary to return the original settings. In general, Mac OS is stable, but even it is not immune from troubles. Anything can happen.

In the situation with MacBooks, resetting to factory settings implies a complete reinstallation of the system. In this case, all data will be erased. The device will become empty, as if you just purchased it. Therefore, before performing a hard reset, a backup is required. It is advisable to save a copy on a separate medium. The operation itself is simple, but a stable network connection is required. How to reset macbook to factory settings - see this guide.

Most experienced iOS device owners probably make copies regularly. But if you forgot about this important procedure, start it immediately. Only after completion can you click on the reset element.

Why is backup so important? Yes, simply because if you do not save a copy of all the data that is important to you, then in the future you will not be able to return them. This means you will lose your data forever.

The Apple company recommends first checking for updates, and then updating and connecting the device to a PC / laptop to create a copy manually. Or you can do it even easier - enter the "cloud", and the service will do its job.

How to reinstall Mac OS

Before the reset operation, you need to make sure that the network is connected. Macbook also needs to be connected to the network. Then the algorithm of actions will be as follows:

We send the device to reboot.
In the process, we clamp the set of elements Cmnd + R.
We are waiting for the download of the recovery mode operating system.
Select the disk utility partition in the utilities window.
Select the boot disk and go to the additional erasing section.
From the selected disk, select the operating system and confirm its erasure.
Upon completion of formatting, we return to the utilities section.
Select the option to reinstall the operating system.

Further, the OS will be downloaded fully automatically through the network. After that, following the instructions on the display, you can re-install the operating system. This operation does not take much time. The main thing is to monitor the stability of the network connection. A sudden break can occur due to the end of the battery charge, which will lead to trouble.

It would be nice to take care of creating a bootable flash drive ahead of time. Or a disk - if it came in the original configuration. And to create a backup from the hard drive, you can use external software.

Factory reset: steps

Sometimes problems with the “braking” of the device are easily solved by resetting the system settings and fixing errors. Usually this method is suitable if there are problems with the download speed of the system. If this method proves useful, then a factory reset will not be required. Of course, it is necessary to know how to perform it - just in case.

So, to reset, follow these steps:

Turn off macbook.
We clamp the set of elements Cmnd + Opt + P + R (including the battery).
We hold all this for the moment when the sounds of turning on will play twice.
Check the download speed and system settings.

That's all. But if the problem persists, try resetting to the original settings.

Password characters are required to log into the PC. It may also be requested when installing some software. And these characters are generated during the initial setup of the PC. Also, a password can be generated when adding a new account. However, the situation when the owner of an iOS device does not remember the password characters and logs in is quite common.

If this happened to you, try recovering your password using:

Recovery procedure via ID.
Using a boot disk.
Reset via recovery mode.

And the very first thing to do in such an unpleasant situation is to turn to the hint about the set password characters. Maybe you can bring it back yourself? For this purpose, deliberately incorrect characters are driven in three times, and then the hint written by the owner of the MacBook (or other "apple" device) will pop up on the display.

Working with Apple ID

How the operation of resetting password characters via ID is performed is described in detail on the company's technical support resource. On operating systems from version 10 and older, the system is tied to an ID, so at the step of setting up a PC, it is better to check the box next to the password reset section using your ID.

You need to enter the wrong password characters three times. After the system will be prompted to perform a recovery (a hint will also pop up). You will need to give consent, drive in an identifier and click on the password reset section. A new set of keys will be generated, but the old one will not disappear. But if you ever remember the old password, you can use it without any problems.

Using the boot element

To change the password characters through the boot disk, you will need access to it. Modern lines of MacBooks are not equipped with such in principle. So this method is only for those owners of "apple" laptops who had a disk and have not gone away. You can also prepare a bootable USB flash drive in advance in case of any trouble during cleaning.

You can reset your password using the following steps:

We insert a disk.
When loading the PC, we hold the element "C".
We are waiting for the installer to appear.
Open the utilities section.
Select "Password Reset".
We stop on the disk with the system and the user profile on which we want to reset.
We drive "resetpassword".
We press on "Enter".
We drive in new characters of the password.

Now you can safely reboot the device and generate new password characters.

Turning to macbook recovery mode

The procedure for resetting macbook password characters through recovery mode will not require binding to an ID or an installation disk. The algorithm of actions will be as follows:

Press Command + R while rebooting.
Wait for transition to recovery mode.
Select bootloader language.
Go to the terminal section through the panel with utilities.
Driving in (double) new characters in the pop-up window.
Confirm character change.