This article tells you how to reset Mac to factory settings.
A computer will typically be at its best during its first few days of purchase. And from that point, its performance will only go down, until it reaches its limit and ceases functioning completely. The Mac operating system is no exception. This aging and slowdown process happens when you install more apps, exhaust the computer’s battery life, and accumulate more files into the storage. But while it’s impossible to completely stop this aging process, there are ways to at least slow it down. One particular method that’s known to work well in this regard is resetting the Mac computer, and here’s why.
Part1: What Happens When You Reset Mac to Factory Settings?
When you factory reset a Mac, there are several things that happen. These may include the following:
- The settings will go back to how it was when you first purchased the computer
- All the files on your internal storage will be deleted
- Most of your applications, excluding the built-in ones, will be uninstalled
- You’ll be signed out to the remaining apps, including Apple ID, Touch ID, Apple Wallet, and more
- Other data related to your settings will be wiped, such as the paired Bluetooth devices
Basically, when you reset Mac to factory settings, its settings and data go back to how it was when it was still in the store you purchase it from when it was fresh out of the factory. That’s exactly why the name of the operation is “factory reset”.
Though it’s a powerful feature that allows you to speed up your Mac considerably, it’s not always the best course of action.
Part2: When Should You Reset Mac to Factory Settings?
There are times when it’s advisable to reset Mac to factory settings. Similarly, there are instances where it’s not advisable and can bring more harm than good. So, with that in mind, here are instances where factory resetting Mac is advisable:
- When you need to sell the Mac computer
- When you’re stuck in an error screen and can’t fix it using conventional means
- When your computer is too slow to function properly
- When you can’t be bothered to delete all the files you no longer need
- When you need to make space for a new set of files
- When you just bought the second-hand Mac computer from someone else
If you’re not in any of these situations, then it might be best to hold off on factory resetting your Mac. But if you are, then there’s no better time to do it than now. Without further ado, let’s take a look at how to reset Mac to factory settings.
Part3: How to Reset Mac to Factory Settings With Erase Assistant
Your first option is to use the Erase Assistant—a feature that allows you to erase the content of your computer easily using onscreen instructions. Unfortunately, it’s only available to specific versions of macOS. If it’s available in yours, here’s what you need to do.
- On your Mac computer, click the System Preferences tab from the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Select Erase All Content and Settings… from the resulting dropdown menu.
- A window should pop up. Simply click the Continue button at the bottom-right corner of the window.
- You may be asked to enter your password. Simply type it in and press Enter.
- Follow the on-screen instructions from this point on. It should guide you throughout the process of factory resetting your computer. It should also display information about what the process will do to your computer.
This will factory reset your computer. It’s what most people think of when they say factory reset, but there is yet another method that, although it doesn’t exactly factory reset the computer, can reset a single storage drive of your Mac.
Part4: How to Reset Mac to Factory Settings Using Disk Utility
The Disk Utility is a feature in Mac that can perform various disk-related tasks. In particular, it can erase and disk and reset it accordingly. That’s what we’ll use to factory reset a Mac, or a storage drive, to be exact. Here’s what you need to do:
- Click the Apple logo from the top-left corner of the computer screen.
- Select Restart from the resulting options.
- Press and hold Command + R.
- The Recovery window should pop up, from which you must find and select Disk Utility.
- Select the volume or storage drive you wish to reset.
- Click Erase.
- Type the name for the new drive that will replace the selected disk.
- Click the Format popup menu.
- Select APFS.
- Click Erase Volume Group.
- Once the process is done, click Done and Quit Disk Utility.
- Finally, on the new window, select Reinstall for your macOS release.
- Follow the on-screen instructions from this point on to reset the computer.
Part5: Speed up Your Mac Without Resetting Using Mac Cleaner [RECOMMENDED]
Resetting your Mac computer, or any computer, for that matter, to its factory settings is arguably the best way to speed it up. Unfortunately, this method will delete a lot of your files and apps as a result. On the bright side, this is just one of the countless ways to optimize a computer. There are many other options you can choose from, most of which don’t require you to erase the files of your apps. One such option is simply using a Mac optimizer tool, and Mac Cleaner is an excellent example.
Mac Cleaner is software with several features, most of which involve deleting unnecessary files from your computer. However, it also has an optimization module that allows you to speed up your Mac. Here’s how you can use it:
Step #1: Open Mac Cleaner on Your Mac
To access the software, you’ll naturally have to get it from the internet first. You can do this by opening your browser and heading to the Mac Cleaner download page. There, you’ll find a white Download Now button. Click this to download a file, which you must then use to install the cleaner software. It should automatically open after installation.
Step #2: Pick the Speed Up Your Mac Module
If you look at the left side of the interface, you’ll find six different options. These include (1) Clean Up Junk, (2) Delete Large Files, (3) Delete Duplicate Files, (4) Erase Private Data, (5) Speed Up Your Mac, and (6) Manage Apps & Extensions. These are the modules that Mac Cleaner has. Though each module has its respective uses, for our purposes, we’ll only discuss the steps to use the Speed Up Your Mac module. It’s the module responsible for optimizing and speeding up your Mac, as the name suggests. Simply click on it from the left sidebar to pick the module.
Step #3: Click Start Now
The software will display information about the selected module. You can read it if you wish to learn more about the features of Speed up Your Mac. But once you’re done reading, you must click the Start Now button at the bottom of the software.
Step #4: Pick an Action
Upon clicking Start Now, the software will display exactly four options. These are the actions you can execute using the module. Each of these can optimize your computer’s performance. Here’s a look at each of them and what they can do:
- Disable Login Items closes apps and processes that automatically open when logging in to a Mac computer.
- Deactivate Heavy Consumers temporarily deactivates apps and processes that consume too much CPU.
- Remove Launch Agents force closes useless apps and processes that launch alongside other programs.
- Free Up RAM clears your RAM by force-closing apps and processes that consume RAM for no reason.
Once you select a module from the four options, you’ll find a list of items on the opposite side of the interface. These are the items that are subject to the action you chose. For instance, if you chose Disable Login Items, the items in the list will correspond to the apps and processes that startups on boot that you can close. Simply select the items by clicking on their corresponding checkboxes. You can also click Select All to include all the items in the list.
Step #5: Click the Blue Button
After selecting all the items you wish to deactivate, click the blue button at the top-right corner of the window. This should say any of the following: Deactivate, Disable, and Remove. This should finalize the entire process.
Not many people know that there are other ways to speed up a Mac computer. Fortunately, you’re not one of those people, not to mention you’re aware of a tool that can do just that. With this, speeding up your Mac should be fairly easy.
Wrapping Up
For most people, being able to see their Mac in a completely fresh look without any apps and files can be refreshing. There’s no clutter, organizing files is easier, but most importantly, the computer performs better. This is because all the files and apps that have been plaguing your Mac have been deleted along with other problematic files that may have been causing your computer to slow down. That’s precisely why experts suggest people at least learn how to reset Mac to factory settings if they want to speed up their computers. Fortunately, that’s already no problem for you, especially with this guide.
Latest Articles