How to reset a MacBook or Mac desktop before selling or giving it away
How to reset MacBook and Mac desktops
macOS Ventura: How to reset your Mac
- Open System Settings on MacApps
- From the left sidebar Select General
- Now click Transfer or Reset > Remove all content and settings
- If necessary, enter your password, then follow the steps to reset your Mac
Shortcut: You can also use Spotlight Search to search for "Erase" on your Mac ” (magnifying glass in the upper right corner or use the keyboard shortcut cmd spacebar)

macOS Monterey: How to Reset Your Mac
macOS Monterey for 2018 A new erasure assistant is available on Macs and later. If you haven't upgraded yet, the easiest way is to factory reset your Mac running Monterey.
- Make a fresh backup of your Mac
- OpenSystem Preferences
- Click System Preferences >Delete in the menu bar All content and settings
- Follow the prompts to completely erase your Mac
- Like iOS, the new erasure process in macOS Monterey can handle everything to completely wipe your Mac
- The currently installed version of macOS will be retained
Here’s what the process will look like:

You can download it from Apple here Read more about the new erasure assistant in macOS Monterey in the support documentation.
Note: If your M1/M1 Pro/M1 Max MacBook won't boot properly, you may need to restore or restore it.
- How to Restore and Restore an M1 Mac, What's the Difference, and When to Use Them
Resetting MacBook on macOS Big Sur or Earlier and Mac Desktop
- Make a fresh backup of your Mac
- Exit iCloud (System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Exit)
- Quit iMessage and FaceTime (in each in the preferences of an app)
- Reset NVRAM (see below for details on steps 4-7)
- Boot into macOS Recovery
- Erase your Startup Disk
- Reinstall a fresh copy of macOS
Reset NVRAM
Apple states in a support document that for Intel Macs without the Apple T2 security chip, resetting Setting NVRAM is important because it clears user settings and restores safe defaults. Here's how to do it:
Turn off your Mac, then turn it on and immediately hold down these four keys simultaneously: Option, Command, P, and R. Release the keys after approximately 20 seconds.
Boot into macOS Recovery
On Apple Silicon Mac
- If your Mac is on, shut it down
- Hold Power button to turn it on and continue to hold it until you see the boot options
- Select macOS Recovery
- Select Reinstall macOS
- Follow the prompts
On Intel Macs
For Intel Macs, macOS Recovery will install different versions of macOS based on the key combinations you use when starting your Mac (no installation disc or macOS loading required on an external drive). Press and hold one of the following key combinations immediately after starting your Mac and release when you see the globe or Apple logo.
- ⌘R (Command R) = Reinstall the latest macOS installed on your Mac without upgrading to a higher version.
- ⌥⌘R (option command R) = upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac
Apple states on its support page, "If you are selling or giving away use OS X El Capitan or earlier Macs, use Option-Command-R to ensure the installation is independent of your Apple ID." This will also install the latest available software.


The load time for macOS recovery will vary depending on your internet connection. Once the process is complete, you will see the macOS utility window.

Wipe your startup disk (hard drive/solid state drive)
- Click Disk Utility in the Utilities window and click Continue.
- Select your startup disk in the sidebar of Disk Utility (click the item at the top, such as Apple SSD, not the volume name, Macintosh HD)
- Click at the top of the Utility window Erase
- Enter a name for the disk (Macintosh HD is the default name on new Macs), format it with Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and use a GUID partition map as scheme or APFS, regardless of the disk What Utility Recommends
- Click Erase (when finished, click Disk Utility → Exit Disk Utility in the menu bar to return to the macOS Utility window)
By re- Install macOS Complete the reset
- Return to the main macOS Utilities window, click Reinstall macOS
- Follow the prompts to select the disk to install macOS on (if you have multiple drives)
- If you are using a Mac laptop, please plug in the power cord
- Click Install
- If you have an SSD, you may see a 10-20 minute installation estimate if you May be longer with HDD
- Once the installation is complete, you will see a welcome screen with a region selector. If you keep your Mac, continue with the setup process. If you sell or give your Mac to someone else, use the keyboard shortcut ⌘Q to exit Setup Assistant and shut down your Mac.
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