Home > Questions

How to factory reset Mac without 'Erase All Content and Settings' button?

I am trying to reset my Mac to factory settings, but the "Erase All Content and Settings" button doesn’t appear. How should I proceed to erase all my data and reset my computer?

Best Answered by

iBoysoft author Jenny Zeng

Jenny Zeng

Answered on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

You can erase all your data and reset your Mac in Recovery Mode.

The "Erase All Content and Settings" button is only available on Apple Silicon and T2 Macs running macOS Monterey or later. If your Mac doesn't have it, you can boot into Recovery Mode to factory reset your Mac. Don't forget to back up the important files before erasing your Mac.

If you're selling or giving away your Mac, you also need to cancel your AppleCare coverage and sign out of iCloud, and iMessage.

When you're ready, follow the steps below to erase your Mac and reinstall macOS:

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold Command + R.
  3. Release the two keys when you see an Apple logo.
  4. If asked, select your user account and enter the administrator password.
  5. Click Disk Utility > Continue.
  6. Select Macintosh HD from the left sidebar.
  7. Click the Erase button in the toolbar.
  8. Name the drive Macintosh HD.
  9. Keep the file system recommended by Disk Utility.
  10. Click "Erase Volume Group." (If it's not shown, click Erase instead.)
  11. If there are other internal volumes, select one and click the ( - ) button to delete them.
  12. Quit Disk Utility.
  13. Click "Reinstall macOS" to install a new operating system.
  14. Follow the on-screen instruction to finish the installation.
  15. When your Mac restarts to a setup assistant, you can press Command + Q to quit it and click Shut Down to close your Mac so that the new user can start up and use their own information to set up the Mac.

If you can't erase your startup disk, try the solutions in this guide: [Fixed] Disk Utility Won't Let You Erase Hard Drives

People Also Ask

Read More Questions

Read More Advice From iBoysoft's Computer Experts

Apple Ecosystem

Apple Ecosystem Explained: What Is It and How It Affects You

A brief introduction about Apple Ecosystem, including what is Apple Ecosystem and how it works on Apple devices.

Wiki Tips

Fix the error Unable to write to the last block of the device on Mac

Fix 'Unable to write to the last block of the device' 69760

Getting 'Unable to write to the last block of the device.: (-69760).' on Mac when erasing or partitioning your internal or external drive? Read on to learn the solutions.

How to Tips

Selecione um disco para inicializar o seu Mac

Como corrigir o Mac não reconhecendo o disco rígido interno?

Corrigir o Mac não reconhecendo o disco rígido interno, ajudando você a encontrar o disco rígido que está faltando no Mac e recuperar dados de discos rígidos não reconhecíveis no Mac.

recuperacion de datos mac