Erase mac mini to factory settings

This guide walks through exactly how to reset and restore a Mac to original factory settings.

Create a backup

The result is that all personal data will be removed from the computer completely and a fresh reset original version of Mac OS system software will be installed on the computer, just like the computer was new and how it originated from the factory again thus why this is called a factory reset. You can also perform the exact same actions as described here from a boot USB disk if you have one. Note the difference between a reset of the Mac and a simple reinstall of system software: The initial erase and data removal process is how this primarily differs from simply reinstalling OS X system software on the Mac without formatting the Mac to begin with, which would maintain files and apps and user data, whereas the factory reset completely removes everything and starts fresh.

This will completely erase everything on the Mac, no personal files will remain, no apps, nothing, the Mac will be completely formatted and wiped clear, and the only thing left will be the factory reset stock version of MacOS or Mac OS X system software, just as if the Mac was new. Be sure you backup any and all personal files and data that you care about before starting this process, if you do not back up your personal data and files they will be permanently lost as this process erases the Mac and resets the computer to factory default settings.

How to Reset Mac to Factory Settings

Do not skip backups of your stuff! If you want to completely erase the Mac and get a factory reset Mac OS X version that is blank and back to default settings as if the computer was brand new, this is the process to achieve that.

This will reset Mac to the factory default version of Mac OS X on the computer, everything else will be removed in the process. On the other hand if you are setting it up yourself, go ahead and go through the initial setup process, it will be just like it was when the Mac was brand new, requiring setup of the user account and system software, setting up as a clean slate of factory default settings. This means that recovering lost or deleted data is much more complicated on these types of drives.

There are a few handy steps you should take before you proceed to reset your Mac to factory settings. Please see our handy tips below:. There are a few other common applications which may also need to be deauthorized such as purchased Adobe products think Illustrator, Acrobat, Photoshop, etc.

You or someone else may have accidentally reset your Mac to factory settings or you may not have been aware of what a factory reset really does before performing one. Important files and folders will be deleted from your computer after a factory reset. Disk Drill utilizes powerful scanning technology to recover remnants of files from your drive.

The faster Disk Drill is run after a factory reset the better the chances are for optimal file recovery. You can run a scan to detect which files can be recovered at no charge with Disk Drill Basic Edition. To get started:. Pro Tip: This is also the best way to find files that have been lost or deleted for long periods of times. Deep Scan will rebuild the files based on information it finds on the disk and functions even when metadata or a backup copy of the file cannot be found, this is especially useful after a Mac OS factory reset has been performed.

How to wipe your Mac and reset it to factory settings

The lost partition search is used to find partitions which have been deleted or removed after reformatting restoring your computer to factory settings. You can run a lost partition search to scan your disk for partitions which have been removed and may still be recoverable. Disk Drill can still recover files even if your Mac was repartitioned after a factory reset.

• 8 Steps to Reset Your Mac to Factory Settings [Tutorial].
• Step-by-step Guide to Reset Mac to Factory Settings - Blog - MacKeeper™.
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• The ultimate checklist before you reset MacBook Pro.

The Basic edition of Disk Drill allows you to preview and verify which data can be recovered at no charge. You can run a scan at no charge to detect which files can be found by our powerful software before upgrading to the Pro edition for unlimited file recovery. Disk Drill features an intuitive preview option which allows you to preview found files and verify their contents.