How To Factory Reset A Macbook Pro – 6 Simple Steps

Looking forward to swiping clean your gadget? Then check this quick and easy guide to factory reset MacBook pro like a ‘pro.’

Are you looking forward to changing your gadget? Or all set to sell or give away your existing Mac Book? Then you may want to wipe all the data and make it fresh like new. The easiest way to do this is to factory reset.

However, these aren’t the only reasons to use ‘operation clean up’ on your device. Sometimes, we find out that many things aren’t working correctly or lagging; in such events running a factory reset is the best option to get a fresh slate to work on.

So, what’s stopping you? Maybe you are a newbie, and not having enough information is scaring you to end up blowing up your system? Just kidding.

Resetting a MacBook Pro isn’t rocket science. It’s easy, but yes, you just need to understand how things are working. This guide will show you how to factory reset macbook pro and reinstall a new operating system like a ‘pro.’ All set? Ok, and then let’s begin.

How to Factory Reset Your Mac?

Either you want to trade your Macbook or hand it over to someone; it is best suggested to return it in its factory form. In this post, we will tell you how to factory reset macbook pro easy breezy. So first, start with our ‘Master Pro Plan.’ To reset our Mac, we will need to follow these simple steps:

1. Create a current backup of your Mac – to make sure that nothing is going to lose
2. Sign out from all the accounts
3. Reset NVRAM
4. Boot into macOS Recovery
5. Erase your startup disk
6. Reinstall fresh macOS

Create a current Backup of Mac

One of the easiest ways to automatically backup your macbook pro is through Time Machine software that comes built-in in your machine. Once you configure your Time Machine software, it will auto back up hourly for the past 24 hours, daily for the past month, and will save a weekly backup for all previous months to your external hard drive or SSD.

However, just make sure your external hard drive is formatted for macOS if from some other brand.

Sign out from all the accounts

Most of the time, we forget to sign out from the accounts before sending our device into ‘cleanup,’ which makes this device halt anyone from going any further to protect your privacy. So, it’s better to sign out from all the accounts, including Facetime, iCloud, iTunes, and iMessage. You will get the options to sign out in the preferences of each app.

Reset NVRAM

NVRAM (Nonvolatile random-access memory) is a memory that Mac uses to store specific settings for your device to access quickly. Typically, these are minor information like sound volume, display resolution, disk selection, etc.

To Reset it Manually

Shut down your Mac. Then turn on and immediately press and hold these 4 keys together:

Option – Command – P – R. Release the keys after about 20 secs.

Boot into macOS Recovery

One of the essential steps to get your data clean is to boot into macOS recovery. Mac Recovery will probably install a different macOS version that you had before, depending on the key combination you used while starting up your Mac. For example, pressing Command + R will indicate the system to reinstall the latest macOS installed in your Mac without upgrading it to a later version.

While pressing Option Command + R will let you install an upgraded version of the macOS compatible with your system. Hold down one of the above-mentioned key combinations right after restarting your computer, and let go when you see an Apple logo or spinning globe.

After loading into Mac Recovery, you’ll see the Mac utilities window, and here is where our next step jumps into factory reset macbook pro. 

Erase your startup disk

So, here it is finally happening. Now it’s time to bid goodbye to your old Macbook pro data. To erase your startup disk, follow the steps mentioned below:

• From macOS utilities, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
• Select your startup disk from the sidebar of Disk Utility
• Click Erase on the top area of the utility window. (If for some reason you don’t see or select erase, then click on the ‘volume’ name beneath the disk name, i.e., Macintosh HD, and try again)
• Enter a new name for the disk. Macintosh HD will be a default name; however, you can change it. From the list, use Mac OS Extended (Journaled)as a format option and GUID Partition Map for the scheme.
• Click Erase
• Once the setup is completed, click Disk Utility in the Menu bar and select Quit Disk Utility to return to the macOS utility window.

Reinstall Fresh macOS

The last and final step to squeaky clean your device is reinstalling fresh macOS. To reinstall the new OS, follow the steps below.

1. On the main macOS utility window, click Reinstall macOS.
2. Follow the prompts and select in which disk you would like to install macOS.
3. If you are using a Mac notebook, plug in your power cable.
4. Click Install
5. On SSD, your macOS would take a maximum of 10-20 minutes to install, while on HDD, it would take longer.
6. When the installation is complete, you will see the welcome screen with the region selector. If you are keeping the device, then continue with the setup process; if you are going to trade or hand it over, press Control + Q to quit the process. Super easy way to factory reset macbook pro.