How to restore a mac to factory settings. How to reset your MacBook Air to factory settings and do a system restore
Acquaintance with the material of the article will help you figure out when (and how) you need to reset the SMC - settings for the Macbook system management controller built on Intel processors. Acquaintance with the material of the article will help you figure out when (and how) you need to reset the SMC - settings for the MacBook built on Intel processors .
Resetting the Macbook system control settings is reasonable only when any other methods of setting up the device do not help fix the problem.
If there are no changes in the operation of the device (defects are relevant), all that remains is to reset the SMC.
Sequence of actions before resetting the SMC
- Use the "Command-Option-Escape" button combination to force quit a hung application.
- Select "Sleep" mode from the Apple menu and activate it. Wait for a while (10-15 minutes), then wake up the MacBook from Sleep mode.
- Restart the computer using the appropriate main menu option.
- Shut down the computer from the main menu.
- When turning on the MacBook, do not release the power button for 10 seconds.
Power supply (charger) and battery
Perhaps removing the MacBook battery for a short time will help fix the problem. If during the use of the computer arise due to defects in the power supply or battery:
- Disconnect the power supply adapter from the MacBook for a while (5 -15 minutes) and then reconnect.
- Extract battery from the installation bay for a while and then reinsert.
- Reboot the computer in each individual case of a power outage.
Only after performing all these actions in the specified sequence it is acceptable to proceed to the SMC reset process when none of the steps has corrected the problem.
System Reset Indicators
It is not necessary to disassemble the computer case to reset the SMC settings. Indicators showing that the SMC needs to be reset
The following symptoms usually indicate the need to reset the SMC:
- The cooling fans spin at a high speed, but at the same time, the computer's load parameters are kept at a minimum level and the processor does not require intensive cooling.
- There is an incorrect operation of the keyboard backlight system.
- Incorrect indication of the SIL status indicator.
- The battery charge indicator is incorrect.
- The display backlight does not respond to changes in the ambient light level.
- There is no reaction from the computer after pressing the power button.
- Closing and opening the display panel has no effect.
- MacBook involuntarily goes into "Sleep" mode or turns off for no reason.
- There is not enough battery charge.
- The adapter's power indicator is inaccurate.
- The computer is extremely slow despite the light load.
- There is an effect of "jumping" desktop icons for a long time after starting the computer.
- There is no launch of applications or there are, but they do not perform their functions.
- Operation mode does not turn on external display, if supported.15. There is no activation of illumination of input-output ports.
Resetting SMC settings on Macbooks
To reset the system settings, just use a certain key combination First of all, you need to determine the configuration of the battery installation in the device. There are two configuration options: the battery is removable and built into the case. If battery removal is supported then:
- Disconnect the charging module, remove the battery.
- Activate and hold the Macbook power key for 5 seconds.
- Connect the battery and start the device.
If the battery is built into the case
- Shut down computer.
- Connect your MacBook via MagSafe or via USB-C to an external power source.
- On the built-in keyboard (left), simultaneously activate and hold down the "Shift-Control-Option" + power button for at least 10 seconds.
- Turn on the MacBook in the standard way.
Reset on iMac, Mac Pro, Mac mini, Xserve
Mac keyboard shortcuts for different reset options The system settings of the marked computers should be reset to the default values in the following sequence:
- Turn on the computer through a standard power supply.
- After 3-5 minutes after switching on, unplug the power supply plug from the socket.
- After 15-20 seconds, reconnect the power supply plug to the mains.
- Wait 5-10 seconds and turn on the MacBook in the usual way- button.
For Xserve computers (Intel CPU): turn off the power by activating the power button and holding it for 5-7 seconds.
Information for thought
User actions to reset SMC, do not change the contents of the PRAM series memory chips (NVRAM) of computer Mac systems built for Intel microprocessors.
Like any other computers, MacBooks also have service keys. Mac users should remember that the SMC (System Management Controller) provides the following low-level (and other) functions:
- battery capacity control,
- monitoring the temperature of working elements,
- activation / deactivation of the position of the display panel,
- tracking activation / deactivation of the power button,
- motion sensor control,
- enable/disable keyboard backlight,
- external light sensor control,
- connecting an external display.
Reset non-volatile RAM on Mac
A non-volatile memory chip (NVRAM) is present in the circuits of many laptop models. The memory chip is designed to store the so-called quick access settings. For example, the NVRAM chip area typically stores:
- set sound volume level,
- boot disk information
- screen resolution settings
- kernel error data.
The full list of settings stored in NVRAM depends on the system configuration, as well as on the number of devices connected as external modules to the MacBook.
The appearance of such messages on the MacBook screen may indicate the presence of firmware errors. Resetting NVRAM is usually preceded by a brief “?” on the screen. when starting the computer. If such a sign appears, then there are all prerequisites for resetting the NVRAM memory settings.
Reset NVRAM MacBook
You must first turn off the running computer. Then turn on the device again with the start button and hold it pressed at the same time Option keys+ Command + P + R.
The pressed combination is held for 20-25 seconds - until two sound signal computer. After that, the keys should be released. The device should go into reboot mode.
After rebooting the Mac, you should open the system preferences panel using the user menu and set the settings reset to default as you see fit.
p.s. If a password was previously set for the firmware file of the NVRAM chip, the password must be disabled.
How to disable firmware password
- After starting the MacBook, hold down the "Command + R" key combination until the "Apple" logo appears, followed by the system utilities window.
- Select the Firmware Password utility from the menu
- Activate the option "Disable firmware password".
- Specify an existing password in the corresponding field and activate the "Disable password" option.
- Restart Mac.
How to reset macbook system settings visually
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Mac monoblocks are configured individually for each user. If you sell or transfer your device to another person, you will need to perform a factory reset or reinstall the operating system. Before doing these procedures, make sure you remember the data account Apple ID. AT otherwise you risk not getting your Mac activated.
There are three ways to reset the settings: resetting data to factory settings, restoring and reinstalling the system. In all cases, before you begin the reset or reinstall process, make sure that Find iMac is active. If the function is activated, make sure that the authorization is passed under your ID, and you know the data from it (login, password).
Find the function along the path: "system settings", then "iCloud". If there is a check mark in the "search for Mac" field, the function is active. To uncheck the box, you will need to enter your ID password. If you have forgotten your password, please reset your password. After resetting the settings, restoring and reinstalling, a password is also requested.
How to factory reset iMac?
Connect your device to the internet with a good signal strength. To format user data, make a copy of the data to flash drives in advance. Use the reboot command in the menu. When booting, press the "Cmd" and "R" keys at the same time. This is the exit to the "bios". The computer will boot into recovery mode.
The next window displays "Utility mac programs OS" on iMac. Click Disk Utility, then Continue. Specify the disk located on the left side. Click "erase" in the upper area of the display. Click "format" in the menu section and select "Mac OS Extended". Click "erase". The data formatting process will start. When it finishes, click "finish" to go to the "disk utility" section. Now you need to reinstall macOS. Open the recovery section.
How to reinstall the system?
In the "OS recovery" section, click "reinstall". "Continue", select boot volume, "installation". When finished, the PC will reboot. If the boot volume for sale was cleared, press "Command" + "Q" to exit the assistant. Turn off your computer.
An easy way to reinstall is to reinstall OS X from App Store. Mac installation OS starts by disabling "Find My Device" and all company services. If you know the data from an authorized Apple ID, this is not necessary. Open the store and go to the shopping section. Find the OS name in the list and download/install it.
Next, in the recovery section, using various key combinations, carry out the desired method of installing the OS. "Command" + "R" puts the latest OS version on iMac without updates. "Option" + "Command" + "R" » The OS is updated to the latest version compatible with the PC. "Shift" + "Option" + "Command" + "R" to install the OS from the package and close to it.
Reset NVRAM
To restore your iMac to its original settings, reset the NVRAM. This is a special non-volatile memory that stores the startup parameters of the device. Resetting these options will restart the computer and reset the all-in-one to its original settings. If there are problems with the battery that powers the NVRAM board, you need to reset the SMC. Diagnostics is needed to identify such problems.
You need to go to the apple menu and reboot. A window will open showing a one-minute countdown. After the minute has elapsed, the computer will automatically restart the system. Simultaneously press and hold the "Option", "Command" keys and the "P", "R" buttons. Press them until a gray display appears. Keep the buttons pressed until the command is processed and the download starts. After that, release the buttons, the system should boot.
How to restore the system?
Connect your device to the internet with a strong signal. When we restore the system, user data is deleted, a fresh copy of OS X is installed and the settings are reset to factory settings. Go to the apple menu and click "restart computer". A window with a timer for one minute will be displayed, after the time has elapsed, the device will reboot. Hold down the "Command" and "R" buttons at the same time (while the gray display is lit). Press when "apple" is displayed.
When the next window loads, select "disk utility". Click Continue at the bottom of the display. A notification will appear that the device will send system data to the company's server to check that the iMac is compatible with the version of the OS that will be installed.
Click "continue". Specify "Disk Utility" in the set of options that appear after confirmation. Select the boot disk from the list. Click the "Erase" tab. Specify the Extended download form. Change the drive name if needed. Click "delete" to start the process. Enter your Apple ID username and password. Updating an iMac does not delete user data, but a restore does. Upgrading the OS means supplementing existing version functions modified by the developers.
Greetings dear reader. In this article, we will explore - How to reset Mac to factory settings.
Usually the loss of all information from hard drive but it causes negative feelings in people, but sometimes it is also connected with joyful events, for example, you bought a new MAC, transferred all the information from the old computer to it and decided to transfer your old computer to someone (or sell it). In the case of transferring your computer to strangers, for security reasons, it is better reset Mac to factory settings. And so from the words to the delu
Before proceeding to reset Mac to factory settings check:
- That you copied all the information you need or made a backup
- That your Mac book's battery is charged and you have a charger handy
- That you have a stable internet connection
Our plan of action is as follows - Firstly, we will format our hard drive by deleting ALL FILES from the disk, then we will install a clean Mac OS(operating system)
To start, restart your computer
Wait until the computer turns off and starts to boot again, when the gray reboot screen appears, hold down the command key (Command) and the R key.
After that, you will be taken to the MAC OS X Utilities screen, where we need Disk Utility
In the Disk Utility window, select the main disk, select it and go to the Erase tab. Next, in the format options, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click Erase again. After completing the procedure, go to the Disk Utility menu and select Exit. ( appearance Disk Utility window may differ depending on the version)
When you exit the Disk Utility menu, you will see Reinstall current OS X. Select this option and confirm that you really want to continue.
This is where we need an internet connection. Apple saves all factory data on its servers so your Mac can find the original version operating system and load all its settings.
After installation, you will have to go through several confirmations before you get to the Mac OS X desktop.
Sometimes there are situations on Mac computers when some kind of failure occurs, and the MacBook or iMac, or peripherals connected to it, do not work properly. In such cases, the first thing to do is to reset the NVRAM and PRAM settings, as well as the parameters of the SMC system management controller. Often, possible problem will disappear immediately after the reset.
Reset NVRAM and PRAM
If you are having problems with the system or devices connected to your Mac, then one way to solve the problem is to reset the computer's memory data (NVRAM and PRAM), which is stored on the hard drive and is not erased when you turn it off. This memory stores settings such as boot disk data, virtual memory, monitor and speaker settings, system fonts and other settings. To reset NVRAM and PRAM:
Step 1 Turn off and on again Mac computer
Step 2 Hold down ⌥Option(Alt) + ⌘Cmd + P + R on your keyboard
Step 3 After a while, the image on the computer screen will turn off and it may seem to you that the Mac has restarted
- For Mac models released before mid-2016, you will hear the startup tone again, after which you can release the keys
- For Mac models released since the end of 2016, the keys can be released a few seconds after the restart
Note! If you have a firmware password set on your Mac, using hotkeys will not reset and your Mac may start in macOS recovery mode. To reset the NVRAM memory, you will need to first remove the firmware password
After booting your Mac, adjust the reset settings: sound volume, screen resolution, boot disk if you have multiple systems or disks installed, you may also need to set the timezone again.
Resetting the SMC
If you notice problems related to the computer's power, entering and exiting sleep mode, charging the battery and temperature of the MacBook, or other problems related to power, as well as the operation of the ambient light sensor and keyboard backlight, then in this case, the solution is to reset the parameters and settings of the controller SMC.
MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro
Step 1 Turn off your laptop and plug it in with a MagSafe or USB-C power adapter
Step 2 Hold down the ⇧Shift + ⌃Ctrl + ⌥Option(Alt) keys and, without releasing them, press the power button
Step 3 Release the keys and press the power button again to turn on the laptop
iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro
Step 1 Turn off your Mac and unplug the power cable
Step 2 Wait 15 seconds and reconnect the power cable
Step 3 Wait 5 seconds and then press the power button to turn on the computer
Quite often, Mac users are faced with the following problem - how to return the computer to factory settings, reset all user information, and reinstall the operating system "clean". Instructions for this process are provided below.
The Mac, like most other Apple devices, is designed to personal use. And this means that usually computer owners fine-tune the system for themselves and another user will not be entirely comfortable working with it. If there is a need to completely get rid of the existing data and settings, then you need to follow the simple steps described below.
Clean Install macOS: Prerequisites
IMPORTANT: Before clean install(by reinstalling, flashing, factory reset) Mac, be sure to check:
- Is the Mac tied to yours, and not to any other
- Do you remember the credentials (login and password) of your Apple ID. You can check, for example, by logging in on this page (from a computer).
The fact is that if the function was activated on the Mac (located along the path: System settings → iCloud → ), then after reinstalling the system (resetting to factory settings), the system will ask you to enter the Apple ID to which the device is linked.
ON THIS TOPIC:
How to factory reset Macbook, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro (how to reinstall macOS)
Boot Mac in Recovery Mode
1. Make sure you have an internet connection (for later installation of macOS) and an electrical connection for a MacBook.
Attention! The next step will lead to complete removal ALL data on Mac - save in advance necessary information on external media;
2. Restart your computer (or turn it on if it was turned off) using the menu → Reload;
3. During the reboot process, press and hold the key combination that suits you best:
⌘Cmd+R- install the version of macOS that was running on the computer before the problems occurred. Those. your Mac will install exactly the same version as before.
Option (Alt) + ⌘Cmd + R- update to the latest version of macOS that your Mac is compatible with. For example, if the "mac" worked on High Sierra, and the breakdown occurred after the release of the final build of macOS Mojave, the system will download from the Web and install Mojave.
⇧Shift + ⌥Option (Alt) + ⌘Cmd + R– installing the version of macOS that was originally installed on the computer (or the closest available version to it).
Note: macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later required a new version OS.
4 . Then the window " macOS Utilities»(on versions below macOS High Sierra, it may be called "Utility macOS programs"). Here you need to select " Disk Utility" and click " Proceed";
1 . Select in Disk Utility your drive in the menu on the left (usually Macintosh HD, it is at the very top).
2 . Click on the caption First aid.
3 . Click Run. The application will check the boot disk for a "health condition" i.e. performance and fix any bugs. This process may take some time.
4 . Once the verification is complete, click Ready.
Erase boot drive
1. In the application disk utility, select a verified boot disk, go to the section "Erase"(at the top of the screen);
2. On the menu "Format" select APFS (for computers with macOS Sierra installed and above) old version OS select Mac OS Extended) and press " Erase";
3.
When the disk formatting process is complete, click " To complete" to exit Disk Utility.
Reinstalling the macOS operating system (factory reset)
Reinstall macOS using the appropriate item (screenshot below) and follow the instructions. latest version macOS will be downloaded from the Internet and the process will begin reinstalling macOS. During this time, the computer may restart.
Note: when you install from scratch, you will have to configure your Mac and programs settings again.
