Guide: Factory Reset MacBook Air: Tips and Tutorial
Performing a factory reset on a MacBook Air can help restore it to its former glory and improve performance.
To ensure your personal data is secure, a factory reset of your MacBook Air is essential before selling it. Additionally, having the new owner sign in and start using the device will help you maintain good seller ratings. You don’t need to delete your information after the sale is finalized.
Backing up your MacBook Air with Time Machine and resetting it to factory settings will give you the feeling of having a brand-new device.
It’s time to get your MacBook Air up-to-date: macOS Mojave is now available and offers a range of improvements and system changes that will keep your device running smoothly. Note that Mojave is only compatible with Airs produced after mid-2012.
If you need to factory reset your MacBook Air, back up your data and follow the steps for a successful reset.
Backing Up Your data with Time Machine
Apple’s MacBook Air makes data backup simple with Time Machine and an external hard drive. This allows users to safeguard their documents, applications and other important information.
Now is the perfect time to invest in an external hard drive, such as Apple’s AirPort Time Capsule, designed specifically for Time Machine backups.
To begin backing up your Mac, open Time Machine.
Mac users can quickly access Time Machine, Apple’s backup software, by launching Launchpad or selecting System Preferences from the Apple menu.
Time Machine, Apple’s backup software, supports data up to a certain point and can be used for one-time backups. For those who don’t keep their hard drive connected to their MacBook Air all the time, Time Machine is an ideal solution.
To back up your computer, click “Select Backup Disk” and select your hard drive from the list of connected devices. Tap “Use Disk” to save it as a Time Machine backup disk.
Time Machine on macOS automatically backs up your Macbook Air every 24 hours, ensuring you have an up-to-date version available for restoration. You can also manually back up at any time by selecting the “Back Up Now” option in the Time Machine menu.
Choose the Time Machine options in System Preferences to determine what it backs up. Depending on the size of your device, the initial backup may take some time.
If you’re looking to do a clean install of macOS, check your options menu to see what will and won’t be supported.
Ensure your drive is securely disconnected from your MacBook Air before unplugging it, following completion of the backup.
To safely remove your external hard drive, open the Finder and select the device. Click on the ‘Eject’ icon, which looks like an arrow with a line below it. If you’re unable to eject it, this may be because your backup hasn’t finished or another application is still using it.
Factory reset your MacBook Air
Factory resetting your Macbook Air can help fix most bugs and issues, such as lag and application crashes. To do this, first back up your user data with Time Machine or another backup application.
Performing a factory reset can help restore your MacBook Air to its original speed and erase all user data, making it ready for sale.
Mac users can easily restore their operating system to its original state by using the built-in disk repair utility. This utility allows them to erase and reinstall the OS, which can be downloaded again from the boot screen on their Mac.
If you want to reset your MacBook Air, you can do so from the boot screen on your device. This requires an active internet connection and instructions can be found online. Alternatively, you can download macOS Mojave from the Mac App Store and create a bootable USB drive from the download file.
To restart your MacBook, click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and select “Restart” from the drop-down menu. You’ll need to press some keys on your keyboard to complete the process.
Press and hold Command + R on your keyboard when the Apple logo appears on your MacBook Air’s screen. Keep these keys held until the macOS ‘Tools’ window appears.
Press Command + R on your keyboard to open the macOS Utilities window. From there, select ‘Reinstall macOS’ to reinstall the operating system over your current file system.
Restoring your device to its original settings is as easy as clicking “Disk Utility” at the bottom of the list.
Disk Utility displays a list of drives installed on your computer in its left pane.
Locate your MacBook Air’s startup disk: typically, it will be the only disk displayed.
To reformat your startup disk, open Disk Utility and select the drive from the list. Click “Erase” and choose Mac OS Extended in the pop-up window. Give it a name, then confirm to complete the erasure.
The disk and data on your MacBook Air will be erased when you see the screen. Once the process is finished, your drive has been wiped clean.
Your computer is missing its operating system, so you’ll need to reinstall it to get your laptop up and running again. To improve speed or performance, you can reformat the drive.
Reinstall macOS on your MacBook Air
To reset your MacBook Air, select “Disk Utility” and then “Shut Down” in the menu.
Select “Reinstall macOS” from the macOS Utilities screen to begin the reinstallation process.
This option reinstalls macOS on your hard drive, providing a fresh start with no user data remaining.
Installing the latest version of macOS is now possible on your MacBook Air, thanks to the macOS installer.
You’ll be prompted to select a drive for system installation; most MacBook Airs have one storage drive, so select the default.
Tap Install and you’ll be prompted to allow certain permissions. Your computer will then begin downloading macOS, which may take a while if your internet connection is slow. Allow the reinstallation process to complete, which can take several hours. To ensure a successful reboot, take the time to restart your system before getting back to work.
Once macOS has finished downloading, you may need to accept the installation on your computer to begin the setup process. Upon completion, your laptop will automatically reboot and boot into the macOS welcome screen, allowing you to create a new account and complete the setup.
Shipping your MacBook Air with its factory settings restored ensures the buyer won’t have access to your personal or private information.
A Time Machine backupup to recover
Restoring files from an external hard drive with a Time Machine backup is easy to do on a newly formatted Mac. Follow these steps to get your data back.
You can restore files to your device by selecting them and clicking the Recover button. To preview a file, select it and press the space bar.
If you’re looking to restore your system from a Time Machine backup, you can use the macOS recovery screen to format and reinstall the operating system.
Press the “Restart” button on your device, wait for it to turn back on, then hold down “Command + R” when the Apple logo appears.
To restore your apps and files, select “Recover from Disk Utility” at the MacOS Utilities screen and follow the onscreen instructions.
Errors while repairing
Periodically resetting your MacBook Air can help keep it running like new. A simple reinstallation can make an older Mac feel refreshed, so don’t be afraid to give it a try every few years.
If you’re having trouble restoring your MacBook Air, contact Apple Support. Some users have encountered a “No bag access” error when attempting to reinstall older software. Without the ability to connect to the App Store, macOS cannot be reinstalled.
Ensure your MacBook Air is connected to a reliable Wi-Fi network for successful restoration, as public WiFi has been known to cause issues.
Factory Reset MacBook Air: Tips and Tutorial: benefits
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Final note
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