Apple’s MacBook lineup is one of the most efficient and reliable lineups of notebooks in the market. However, there’s always a chance for things to go wrong. If they do, you might be thinking of doing a factory reset since everyone recommends that. But a factory reset also means deleting all of your Mac data.
If you want to reset your MacBook Air in a safe way that also saves your important data, read on for a step-by-step guide. This can also be applied to the MacBook Pro and iMac.
Steps To Reset MacBook Air
- Have A Backup
Make a backup of the MacBook Air before you begin the process of resetting it. This is especially important if you intend to use the device again in the future or if you intend to use a different Mac to access your data and documents.
Apple’s computers come with an application called Time Machine that makes it easier to create and store backup copies of your data, including music, images, and applications, on an external hard drive.
Here’s how you can create a backup using Time Machine:
- Connect your MacBook Air with an external storage device.
- In the top corner of the screen, select the Apple icon
- Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Select Time Machine from the drop-down menu.
- Select a backup disk by clicking on it.
- Choose Encrypt backups and Use Disk after selecting your external device.
- Select the ON option in the Time Machine window’s left column if it isn’t already selected.
Time Machine starts a backup of your MacBook Air once you choose Use Disk or ON. You may restore this backup afterward, when your MacBook Air has been restored to factory settings, by attaching your external hard disk to the Mac and following the above instructions.
- Sign Out Of All Apple Services
If you are resetting your MacBook Air with the intention of selling it or giving it away to someone else, there is one thing that you should do that is somewhat minor but extremely important. This requires you to log out of any Apple services, including iTunes, iCloud, and iMessage, that you are currently signed in to on your Macbook.
By signing out of all Apple services, you’ll keep your purchases and payment information, as well as iCloud data, safe.
- Reset Your Macbook Air
Once you’ve decided to reset your MacBook Air, follow these instructions to quickly and effectively do a factory reset.
- Switch your device on and off, then press Command + R. Wait until you see an Apple symbol or a rotating globe animation on the screen before leaving it.
- After a few seconds, the macOS utility window – known as Recovery Mode – will appear.
- Click “Continue” after selecting “Disk Utility.”
- To see all of your devices, go to the menu bar and click View > Show All Devices.
- Select the drive you wish to wipe from the list in Disk Utility’s sidebar.
- At the top of the screen, select the “Erase” button.
- It will take a few minutes to remove the disk. When it’s done, go to the Apple menu and pick “Quick Disk Utility.“
- Reinstall macOS using the “Quick Disk Utility” option.
- Continue by pressing the Enter key. And that’s it.
