Make sure to select the disk, not the volume name listed beneath it. Open the Disk Utility and erase your built-in hard disk. Once you've done that, the Utilities window will pop up in the middle of your screen. Alternatively, you can hold Command + R to reinstall the latest MacOS installed on your Mac or Option + Command + R to upgrade to the latest version of the OS compatible with your computer. This will reinstall the operating system that came with your Mac. To perform a factory reset on Intel-based Macs, hold down the Shift + Option + Command + R keys while starting up your Mac until the Apple logo appears on the screen. This step isn’t required, but transferring those account names and passwords onto your new machine will save you the hassle of re-entering the WiFi password at the local coffee shop or the login info for online retailers. You should also copy your keychains to a flash drive. That can be done in the Apple ID section of the System Preferences app. Once again, before you begin, be sure to back up important files and then sign out of iCloud. You'll need to perform different steps to perform a factory reset on one of those (see below) than on a Mac with an Intel processor. But once that’s over and done with, and you’ve verified that the data has been safely backed up, actually carrying out a factory reset is simple whether you’re on a Mac, Chromebook, or Windows PC.Īpple last fall introduced computers using its own homegrown M1 processor, also known as Apple silicon. Of course, you’ll want to back up any important data you may have to another drive, or to the cloud, before you perform a factory reset (or, perhaps, break out the hammer and nails). “Just make sure you're wearing safety glasses.” “The gold standard in hard drive security consists of using a pointy nail and a few swift swings of a hammer,” he says half-jokingly. That’s why Richard Fisco, who oversees electronics testing for Consumer Reports, cautions that some consumers may feel more comfortable removing the hard drive altogether before sending the laptop off to its new home. Theoretically, however, a determined hacker may be able to use advanced data recovery software to unearth your old files, even if you’ve performed a factory reset.

So if you're handing off your old computer to a friend or sibling, or donating it to a well-known charitable organization, the steps listed below should suffice. In most cases, wiping a computer with a factory reset will be sufficient to safeguard your personal data. 'Reinstalling your system before sale is a much safer alternative.” Or you can miss deleting some important files altogether,' he says.

“You're likely to forget things like passwords saved in browsers and personal data in the deleted items folder.

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