Brand New Methods to Reset/Erasing Mac M1/M2 [Safe & Secure]

Why would I need to erase my Mac and do a factory reset? Folks might have to wipe their Mac when dealing with a computer virus, getting ready to sell or give away the device, upgrading to macOS Ventura, experiencing slow performance, or simply because the macOS Base System is running sluggish on their machine.

Mac users can erase their Macs using the "Erase All Content and Settings" feature and Recovery Mode. For your convenience, here's a chart to guide you directly to these two methods:

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How to sign out of an associated account before erasing your Mac?

If you want to keep your personal information private, sign out of all linked accounts on your Mac before giving it away or selling it.

Tip 1: Log Out of Accounts on Mac

You should log out of Apple TV, Apple Music, and other connected accounts on your Mac to prevent others from using them.

Step 1. Run the target applications on your Mac.

Step 2. Click on "Account" in the top left corner.

Step 3. Select "Authorizations."

Step 4. Click "De-authorise This Computer," and then type your password to confirm.

Tip 2: Log Out of iCloud on Mac

iCloud is an Apple service that enables users to store photos, documents, memos, and other personal data on the cloud. Signing out of iCloud on a Mac ensures that your information stored in the cloud remains secure.

Step 1. Click the Apple icon to open the Apple menu.

Step 2. Select "System Preferences" and click on "Apple ID".

Step 3. Click the "Sign Out" button.

Tip 3: Remove Bluetooth Devices from your Mac

If you're passing your Mac on to family members who live with you, it's essential to unpair Bluetooth devices on your Mac. Failure to do so will result in your Bluetooth devices automatically connecting to your old Mac, which can be inconvenient when using a new one.

Step 1. Click the Apple icon to open the Apple menu.

Step 2. Click "Bluetooth," and you will see a list of all connected devices on your Mac.

Step 3. Click "X" to unpair Bluetooth devices.

How to erase and reset your Mac to factory settings in two different ways?

After logging out of linked accounts, iCloud, and unpairing connected Bluetooth devices, you can proceed to erase your macOS using the Mac Erase Assistant and Recovery Mode. Here's a video tutorial on how to erase and perform a factory reset on your Mac. Feel free to watch it before proceeding with the written guide. We've provided time markers for your convenience: [Insert Video Link] Time Nodes: 00:00 - Introduction 00:30 - Steps to prepare for erasure 01:00 - Entering Recovery Mode 01:30 - Using Disk Utility 02:00 - Selecting the drive to erase 02:30 - Formatting process 03:00 - Performing the factory reset 04:00 - Restoring from a backup (optional) 05:00 - Conclusion and tips

• 00:13 Backup your data
• 00:24 Erase Macs from 2018 and later
• 01:24 How to erase older Macs

Method 1: Erase Mac Using the "Erase All Content and Settings" Option

It's a new option introduced with macOS Monterey, and if you're using macOS Monterey or Ventura on your Mac, you can utilize this method to easily factory reset an M1 Mac.

How to Locate Erase Assistant on macOS Ventura and Monterey

The location of the Erase Assistant option varies between macOS Ventura and Monterey. Let's discover where to find it on these different macOS baseline systems.

For macOS Ventura:

Step 1. Click on the Apple icon and select "System Settings".

Step 2. Click the "General" button.

Step 3. Select "Transfer or Reset," and you'll see the Erase Assistant option.

Step 4. Tap on the "Erase All Content and Settings" option.

For macOS Monterey:

Step 1. Click on the Apple icon and select "System Preferences."

Step 2. You will now see the "Erase All Content and Settings" option.

Next up, we'll use Erase Assistant to wipe your Mac.

Step 1. After selecting the "Erase All Content and Settings" option, you might be prompted to enter the admin password to proceed with the erasure.

Step 2. The Erase Assistant will ask you to back up with Time Machine.

Step 3. The following information will be erased. Click "Continue" to confirm.

Step 4. Click "Erase All Content & Settings," and your Mac will begin erasing.

Step 5. Wait for the erasing process to complete, then restart your Mac.

Method 2: How to Wipe Mac Using Recovery Mode

If you forget your Mac's login password, you can perform a factory reset on Mac without password by accessing the Recovery Mode and using Disk Utility to erase your Mac, followed by reinstalling macOS.

Step 1. Shut down your Mac.

Step 2. Turn on your Mac and press and hold the Command + R keys or the power button to enter Recovery Mode. (Click the link to resolve issues with Mac Recovery Mode not working.)

Step 3. When you see the Recovery Mode menu, click on "Disk Utility".

Click on Disk Utility.

Step 4. Select the startup disk as "Macintosh HD" and erase the disk.

Step 5. After erasing, you can quit Disk Utility and choose "Reinstall macOS".

Step 6. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS.

How to Recover Lost Files Using Software After Accidentally Deleting Them on a Mac

After erasing your Mac, you might wish to recover some lost files, and occasionally, you might face data loss situations even before erasing your Mac. To recover lost files from an erased Mac, you can utilize a tool like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

What can the tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac do for your Mac?

• Recover lost data due to formatting, deletion, system crashes, operational errors, hard drive damage, and other reasons.
• Recover deleted files on Mac from camcorders, cameras, SD cards, memory cards, external hard drives, USB flash drives, and other devices.
• Retrieve data from Mac OS X, macOS Catalina, macOS Big Sur, macOS Monterey, and macOS Ventura.

From the tutorial below, you'll discover that the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is a convenient tool:

Step 1. Choose the location to scan

Launch the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and select the hard drive, SSD, SD card, USB flash drive, or TF card where you lost your data. Click "Search for lost files" to initiate the scanning process.

Note: Before data recovery, it's recommended to click "Disk Backup" from the left sidebar to create a backup of your Mac to prevent additional data loss. Once the backup is done, the software can retrieve data from the Mac backup, and your computer can start writing new data again.

Step 2. Filter Lost Mac Data

The software will automatically scan for lost data on your MacBook or iMac. Once the scan is complete, filter the desired data using the "Type" and "Path" buttons.

Step 3. Recover Lost Data or Files

Double-click a file to preview it. Then, click the "Recover" button to restore the lost data to another location.

Erase Mac FAQs

Below, we prepared four questions and answers about erasing Macs that you may find interesting.

Does erasing a Mac and performing a factory reset remove everything?

Does a factory reset delete everything? When erasing a Mac or performing a factory reset, you have the option to retain your data. If you wish to recover deleted files, you can download and install the tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.

1. Scan for deleted files on Mac. 2. Preview the lost files. 3. Retrieve the files on Mac.

How do I securely erase my Mac before selling it?

To ensure the safety of your personal information after selling your Mac, you should log out of all linked accounts, sign out of iCloud, and unpair Bluetooth devices. Next, proceed to boot into Recovery Mode, then use Disk Utility to erase the hard drive. Once that's done, exit Disk Utility and reinstall macOS.

How to use Erase Assistant on a Mac?

This option is located in different places depending on whether you're using macOS Ventura or Monterey. Once you locate the Erase Assistant, you'll need to follow the on-screen instructions to erase your Mac.

For macOS Ventura:

1. Click on the Apple icon and select "System Settings". 2. Click on the "General" tab. 3. Choose "Transfer or Reset", which will bring up the Erase Assistant. 4. Click on the "Erase All Content and Settings" option.

For macOS Monterey:

1. Click the Apple icon and select "System Preferences". 2. Next, locate the "Erase All Content and Settings" option.

How to Boot into Disk Utility to Erase a Mac?

It's straightforward to start your Mac in Disk Utility or Recovery Mode. First, turn off your Mac and hold down the power button. (If you have an Intel-based Mac, press the Command and R keys simultaneously.) This will bring up the Recovery Mode menu, from which you can select "Disk Utility" and proceed to erase the startup disk.