Once you’ve backed up your user data to either Time Machine or the backup application of your choice, it’s time to factory reset your MacBook Air. This process can help you solve most sorts of bugs and problems with your MacBook air, including issues with slowdowns, and freezing applications.
A factory reset will generally increase the speed of your machine back to what it was when you first got your machine in its original state. A factory reset’s also a necessary process if you’re looking to sell your MacBook Air, to remove any user data left on the computer.
By performing a factory reset, you can wipe all the data from your device and drive, and then you can install macOS and set up a fresh one for the new user to use. To know how to perform a factory reset, follow the steps mentioned below.
Step 1: Create A Backup
As mentioned, by executing a factory reset on your MacBook Air, you will erase all of its data. So if you want to continue using it afterward, you better make a backup of the important files.
Step 2: Restart Your Mac
Now you need to restart your computer. There are a couple of ways to do this. The most straightforward way is to hold down the power button until a dialog box appears, then choose the Restart option. Otherwise, you can access the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and select Restart.
In the case that your MacBook Air is frozen, you can force restart it via the key combination of the Control + Command + Power button.
Step 3: Boot Your Mac in Recovery Mode
When your Mac turns off, hold Command + R until you see the Apple logo. Release the keys and allow the Mac to boot up. Be patient as it may take some time to load. Instead of going straight to your desktop, as usual, your device will boot into Recovery Mode.
You will have to select the appropriate user profile and enter the password before gaining full control. Now the macOS utility window will appear. From there, you will have the options to restore from a Time Machine backup, install a new copy of macOS, access help documentation, repair a damaged disk, or erase all data.
As we are doing the factory reset, go ahead and select Disk Utility and then hit Continue.
Step 4: Erase Your Data
- Choose your startup disk under the Internal heading.
- Click Erase at the top of the Disk Utility window.
- A dialog box will pop up.
- Change the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
- Click Erase.
- Once the process is complete, go to the Disk Utility menu in the upper-left corner and choose Quit Disk Utility.
Be aware that once this process is done, you will no longer be able to recover any deleted data.
Step 5: Reinstall macOS
Now to make your Mac work again, you need to install a new copy of macOS onto it. This is quite simple to do. After you quit the Disc utility window, you will be back at the macOS utility screen. Click Reinstall macOS and follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall a clean version of the operating system.
If you plan to sell, trade, or gift your Mac, you can skip this step.
Step 6: Restore From Backup
If you have backed up your files through Time Machine, you can now restore those files through the macOS Utility screen. Click Restore From Time Machine Backup, then select the appropriate backup from the list to reinstall your saved files.
There you go, now you know how to reset MacBook Air and other Mac Models to Factory Settings.