Resetting a Mac to factory settings gets rid of all the data stored on that machine, so we recommend that you make a backup of the data first. You know you need to erase the Mac before you pass it on, but exactly how can you delete everything? We'll run through the process. We detail how to access Recovery on an M1 Mac below, but also in this article: How to do everything on an M1 Mac. Since the arrival of Catalina there is a change to the process of wiping your Mac due to the arrival of the Macintosh HD-Data partition so read on to find out how to delete or wipe your Mac in Catalina.Īdditionally, if you have an M1 Mac (such as the 2020 Mac mini, November 2020 MacBook Air, or November 2020 MacBook Pro), the process by which you access Recovery on your Mac has changed. Note the video above shows the method pre-macOS Catalina.

Restore your Mac to its factory settings.

Wiping a faulty Mac will allow you to set it up like a new Mac - which will hopefully fix any software-related issues you are having. Just remember that if someone is going to be using the Mac after you, removing personal information alone isn't enough - you also need to make sure there's a working version of macOS installed afterwards.Īnother reason why you might want to wipe your Mac is to perform a clean install of macOS - which can be a good way to fix issues with your Mac if it's starting to behave oddly. It also means the new user can restart the Mac as if it was brand new.

This is partly so that your data stays safe, but it will also avoid any issues at a later date that could come about if you don't disconnect that Mac from various services and software you might use. If you are selling your MacBook or Mac, trading it in, or just passing it on to friends or family - you would be wise to wipe the Mac and restore it to factory settings first.

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