Mac devices are generally so reliable and durable. However, sometimes we suffer from the wrong things with any electronic device, and we make mistakes in a hurry. Therefore before you spend a lot of money buying a new make device, you can give a try some steps to get it on track again. If you can try the factory reset option, it will wipe your computer, and it will also install a new and clean version of macOS. This is the also best way for you to prepare your Old Mac if you are selling it out to another person. In this way, no data will be leftover in any wrong hand.
Everyone who owns a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air will definitely look for the best test solution. Each time some common questions are running around your mind related to your MacBook Air device. Is there any issue you cannot solve even after giving so much try? What if I sell my MacBook Air without wiping out my personal data? How to reset MacBook Air if it’s not working anymore?
To all the questions, this article has some useful guides to overcome the little issues of your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. This guide will explain to you how how to reset MacBook Air by different methods. Reset the MacBook Air factory settings if you are selling it for having performance issues. This guide also has complete information on how you can create a backup with the Mac device, how you can sign out of Apple services like messages and iCloud. How you can reinstall the Mac OS and how you can apply it to macOS, big Sur through OS X Yosemite.
Table of Contents
Why you would want to reset MacBook Air?
There are lots of reasons why you might need to reset your MacBook Air. However, you can also do it normally as a routine if you find any speed issues or performance issues.
The most popular reason, however, for resetting the MacBook Air is that you are selling it out. In this case, it is essential to reset your MacBook Air because you would definitely don’t want to pass on your personal data and the repository to any stranger. Therefore, you need to wipe out all your personal information and the settings from your MacBook Air so that you can sell it out without compromising your security and privacy.
Another reason to reset a MacBook Air device is to solve the performance issues. In case your MacBook Air is lagging and working very slowly, and you have tried a lot of options of it and improving the performance, but not successful. Therefore it’s a good time to reset the factory settings of the MacBook Air. This is the last strategy that may help you out with so many cases listed above; also, it worked for many Mac users. When you complete reset, you may get feelings similar to when you have purchased it and unboxed it.
There are three main ways to reset macbook air
- Creating a backup
before you begin the resetting, you must create a backup of the MacBook Air. Specifically, if you are planning to reuse it and I want to reuse your files and data with a new Mac device.
This is a very common way to get the backup which involves the time machine; this is a pre-installed application that can backup your data or files, which includes photos, music, apps, to the external drive. Here are the steps how we can create a backup using the time machine app:
- First, you need to connect an external storage device to your MacBook Air
- Click on the Apple icon available in the upper left corner of the computer screen
- Now click on system preferences
- Click on the time machine app
- Click on “select backup disc”
- Now select the external drive, then click on the option ” encrypt backups and use disk”
- Click the “ON” button available in the left column of The Time Machine app in case it is not ON
Once you click use disk or “ON”, The Time Machine will start creating the backup of your MacBook Air. Air after the MacBook Air is reset to its factory settings, and you are able to restore the backup by simply reconnecting the external device for the hard disk to your MacBook Air-air and follow the on-screen instructions.
The time machine application is usually recommended for most MacBook Air users; however, it sometimes does not do everything as a backup application. For example, the time machine application can copy your files and application, but it cannot create a bootable clone of the MacBook Air device. Therefore, this is something that you will need in case you want to have your MacBook Air for another Mac device running like it was working before.
In this case, you may want to consider another third party free application downloading for the backup, such as carbon copper cleaner and SuperDuper.
- Sign Out of the iServices
This is a small but yet important thing which you should do if you want to reset your MacBook Air. Alternatively, the purpose can be different, like if you want to sell it or to give it away. This step involves how you can sign out of the iServices in which you have signed in through your MacBook devices such as iCloud, iTunes, and iMessage.
Here are the steps how you can sign out of iCloud
- Click on the Apple I can, which you can find in the upper left corner of your MacBook Air screen
- Now click on system preferences
- Next, click on Apple ID in macOS Catalina
- Click on “overview and sign out” out in macOS Catalina
How to sign out of iTunes
First, you need to open the music app in macOS Catalina for iTunes in macOS Mojave
- Scroll up to the given menu bar available at the top of the MacBook screen, then click on “account.”
- From the given dropdown menu, click “authorizations.”
- Now click on “authorize this computer.”
- You may need to enter your Apple ID and password for this, and then click “Deauthorize.”
How to sign out of iMessage
- First, you need to open the iMessage app
- Click on “messages.”
- Now click on preferences, then click on the iMessage tab
- Click on the option “sign out” images available at the right side of your Apple ID.
It completes all the necessary steps which you need to take if you are planning to sell your mat device for giving it to you some other ones you know. The next step is to reset the factory.
- Do a factory reset
If you want to reset the MacBook Air to the factory settings, you must connect your MacBook Air with the internet. In addition, you need to boot up the MacBook Air in recovery mode. To do this, you need to press and hold “Command+R” when you are restart in MacBook Air, or you switch it on. Hold both the keys until the Apple logo starts displaying.
Once the Apple logo appears and it is also finished, they start in UP; you will see the utilities window. From here, you can try out the hard disc and also perform the reset factory. Below are the steps how you can do this:
- Click on ” disk utility“, then continue
- Now click on view> to show all devices
- Select the hard disk and click on “Erase.”
- Select APF is an option on macOS High Sierra or later under the format field. On the Mac OS Sierra or earlier, select the macOS Extended (Journaled) option
- Now, click “Erase,” and this completes the process.
If you want to access all the options to wipe out your data and reinstall the operating system, you will be required to enter the macOS recovery. However, in the new Mac inversions, you will find two different ways to do this; it depends on the chip inside your Mac.
How to reset macbook air to factory settings without disc
Intel-based Macs
For the Intel Processor Mac, you just need to hold down the power button and then select the restart option available on the pop-up menu. In addition, you can open the Apple icon available in the top left corner of your screen and select to restart. An hour from here, hold down the “Command+R.” Until you see the logo of Apple, now restart the cheese and allow your Mac to boot up, and then open into the recovery.
Apple silicone-based Macs
If you are using Mac Apple silicone-based, it requires a different method in which you should turn off the computer. Then the Apple menu and then select shut down, or you can hold down the power button then select shut down from the given pop-up menu. Holding down the power button will help you to turn your Mac again. Also, you can hold it for a few seconds until you see “Loading startup options.” You can select the options from the given startup screen then you will enter the macOS recovery.
Case your computer has been frozen, or the general reset settings are not working, try this out Control+Command+Eject (or the power button. This is a shortcut that may solve the resetting issue.
- Reinstall and restore
If you are planning to sell your computer, then you can stop only here then let the other person install the clean version of macOS. If you want to keep the Mac, then the next step is to reinstall your macOS into the computer.
Before doing this, connect your computer to the power source and also to the internet. Now back at the macOS Utilities screen, you should install the makeovers then follow the instruction if you want to download a new version of the macOS.
In case you have saved your files with machine backup, you can restore the files by using the migration assistant, which is a part of the installation process. Here you will be asked whether you want to transfer the information from another computer or Through the Time Machine backup. Here you need to select the time machine then continue the process if you want to restore the files.
If you have decided not to follow this process while wiping out your MacBook Air, you can go back to the macOS Recovery screen then choose to restore from The Time Machine backup. Now you can select an appropriate backup from the given list then install the saved files.
NOTE: you will not find any #undo feature if you are raising the SSD of your MacBook Air. Therefore, you must take care of each step and ensure that you have taken the backup of all your personal data in the file before you click to erase it.
The next option is to wipe out your MacBook Air hard disk and clean it. Again, it will take a few minutes to complete the process. Once it has been finished, you are ready to reinstall your macOS; the steps are described below:
- Go to the Utilities menu, then click on “reinstall macOS.”
- Click to continue
- Now, follow the instruction displayed on-screen to finish the installation
All the above steps can complete the whole process of restart and restore all your MacBook Air device. The process and steps have been similar for years on the Mac OS along with the Intel processors. However, the step to Apple Silicon has altered slightly, and the method of wiping and reinstalling the OS is a bit changed. We hope this article of How to Reset MacBook Air and reinstall the OS on your MacBook Air to may help you out.
