Feb 15, 2019 When you restore from a Time Machine backup, you can choose to restore all your files, or restore both the Mac operating system (macOS) and all your files. Restore all your files Make sure that your Time Machine backup disk is connected and turned on, then turn on your Mac. The first step you need to follow before restoring mac to factory settings it to take a backup of all your data. Once that is done, you need to restart your Mac and hold Command + R keys to launch macOS utilities windows. Here, select the startup disk and click Erase. But this is not it, there is more to it, to reset mac to factory settings you need to logout of all accounts also, to know how.
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Apple’s iMac computer has a built-in recovery mode that lets you reset the Mac to its original factory settings. This is a relatively straightforward and painless process that doesn’t take an advanced degree in computer science to accomplish. It does require a little time however so allow a few hours to work through the steps.
Why Restore Factory Settings?
Small business owners typically reinstall Mac OS for a few reasons. They might want to sell an iMac and want to remove any trace of confidential or proprietary data from the computer. Similarly, you’ll want to do this to a used iMac you just bought. The restore process will also clean up an iMac infected with malware and viruses.
Get USB Accessories
Part of the Mac reformat involves unpairing any wireless Bluetooth accessories, including keyboard and mouse or other pointing device, if your Mac has them. Without the Bluetooth devices, your iMac will need some other way to control the computer, so you will need a standard USB keyboard and mouse, at least temporarily. When you have successfully restored macOS, you can pair the iMac with the Bluetooth devices again.
Backup the Computer
The macOS restore procedure erases all your personal data. Any personal or company files, programs or settings will be completely erased. Before beginning, back up your Mac to an external hard drive or internet backup service to preserve any needed information, and to serve as protection if the restore process fails for any reason. Note that if you’re restoring someone else’s computer you just bought used, you might not need to do a backup.
Deactivate Accounts
If this is your own computer, deactivate your iTunes, iCloud, and iMessage accounts, if you have them. iTunes deactivates from the app. Click the Account menu, select Authorizations, then click Deauthorize This Computer. Deactivate iCloud through System Preferences and iMessage through the app.
Bluetooth Speakers, Mice and Keyboards
Unpair any Bluetooth devices associated with the iMac. To do this, click the Apple menu and select System Preferences. Click on Bluetooth. Move the mouse pointer over the names of the devices. An x button appears when you do; click to unpair the device. Afterward, connect a wired USB equivalent keyboard or mouse to the Mac.
Reboot to Recovery Mode
Restart your iMac by clicking the Apple menu, then select Restart…. Click the Restart button when the dialog box appears. After the iMac shuts down completely but before it begins to restart, hold down the Command (⌘) and R keys at the same time. The Mac will display the macOS Utilities menu, from which you can reinstall Mac OS.
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Run Disk Utility
Run the Disk Utility in the Utilities window by clicking it. Click Macintosh HD, then click Erase to erase the data on your hard drive. Click Quit Disk Utility when the erase success message appears.
Install macOS to the iMac
After erasing the hard drive, install a fresh copy of macOS to your iMac. Click Reinstall macOS from the main utilities window. Older versions of the Mac software, called OS X, will instead have the selection, Reinstall OS X, that accomplishes the same task. The utility prompts you to choose a language and accept the license agreement. When the process is complete, your iMac will have a clean operating system with factory settings.
References (2)
Resources (5)
- Mac OS X Lion: The Missing Manual; David Pogue
About the Author
Chicago native John Papiewski has decades of IT consulting experience, and has worked with a wide range of businesses including finance, real estate, distribution and publishing. His articles have appeared in various outlets including azcentral.com and seattlepi.com. Please, no workplace calls/emails!
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macOS Recovery is part of the built-in recovery system of your Mac. You can start up from macOS Recovery and use its utilities to recover from certain software issues or take other actions on your Mac.
How to use macOS Recovery
Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R or one of the other macOS Recovery key combinations on your keyboard. Continue holding until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. Startup is complete when you see the utilities window:
After starting up from macOS Recovery, select from these utilities, then click Continue:
Restore From Time Machine Backup: Restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup of your Mac.
Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X): Download and reinstall the Mac operating system.
The Reinstall macOS utility installs different versions of macOS depending on the key combination you used while starting up. Learn how to reinstall macOS.
Get Help Online: Use Safari to browse the web and find help for your Mac. Links to Apple's support website are included. Browser plug-ins and extensions are disabled.
Disk Utility: Use Disk Utility to repair or erase your startup disk or other hard disk.
These additional utilities are available from the Utilities menu in the menu bar:
- Firmware Password Utility or Startup Security Utility
- Terminal
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To quit macOS Recovery, choose Restart or Shut Down from the Apple () menu. If you want to choose a different startup disk before quitting, choose Startup Disk from the Apple menu.
If you can't start up from macOS Recovery
Newer Mac computers and some older Mac computers automatically try to start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet when unable to start up from the built-in recovery system. When that happens, you see a spinning globe instead of an Apple logo during startup. To manually start up from macOS Recovery over the Internet, press and hold Option-Command-R or Shift-Option-Command-R at startup. Learn more about these key combinations.
If you still can't start up from macOS Recovery, you might need to reinstall macOS after starting up from another disk or volume, or by using a bootable installer.
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macOS Recovery over the Internet, the Reinstall macOS utility, and the Get Help Online utility all require an Internet connection. If you need to connect to a Wi-Fi network, move your pointer to the top of the screen, then choose a network from the Wi-Fi menu in the menu bar.