How to Reset a Mac Without a Keyboard if It’s Not Working

Do you know when and why you might need to reset your Mac to factory settings? Restoring your Mac to its original state can be a great idea before selling it, passing it on to a sibling, or just because you want a fresh start. Maybe you're dealing with some Mac issues like a virus attack, ransomware, or your Mac has just gotten too slow, and you want to fix these problems by resetting your Mac.

It's frustrating to try to factory reset your Mac only to find that your keyboard isn't working. Sometimes, you might even forget your admin password. You can still perform a Mac factory reset without a password, and you can reset your Mac without a keyboard, too! So, **how do you reset a Mac without a keyboard**? Read on to learn how to **reset your Mac without a keyboard**! We'll teach you how to connect a wireless or USB keyboard and provide a full guide for resetting your Mac to its factory settings.

There are two things you'll need to do before proceeding with a factory reset on macOS, ideally.

Two Things to Do Before You Factory Reset Your Mac

Before resetting your Mac to factory settings, it's important to back up your hard drive to keep your files safe. You can use specialized backup software to create a quick and efficient Mac backup. If you don't have a backup, you can still recover the data. How? With a reliable recovery tool.

1. Recover Data Before Factory Resetting macOS

There could be various reasons why you would want to reset your MacBook to factory settings, and you might have already lost some important data in the process. It's best to download the Data Recovery Wizard for Mac tool and let it help you recover lost files from your Mac before resetting.

Step 1. Search for the Lost File

On macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura, and the latest Sonoma, select the disk location where you want to search for the lost file (it can be your internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device). Then, click the "Search Lost Files" button.

Note: Before you attempt data recovery, it's best to click “Disk Backup” from the left sidebar to create a backup of your Mac to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from the Mac backup, and your computer can write new data again.

Step 2: Browse the scan results

Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan the disk volume you select and display the scanning results.

Step 3: Select the files and recover them.

In the scan results, select the files(s) you want to preview and then click the “Recover” button to get them back.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine

If you're not familiar with Time Machine or have never used it, there's no better time to learn. In simple terms, your Mac takes snapshots of your drive at intervals that you specify – hourly, daily, or for as long as you like. Let's take a look at how to back up your Mac with Time Machine!

Step 1. Click on the Apple menu and select “System Preferences.”

Step 2: Click on "Time Machine" to run it.

Step 3. Follow the onscreen instructions to create a backup of your Mac.

Backups are saved to an external or USB flash drive. You can't save Time Machine snapshots in the cloud. If you didn't set up Time Machine previously, you won't be able to recover lost data. However, you can use tools like Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to retrieve files and data.

How to Factory Reset a Mac Without a Keyboard

Well, there are quite a few reasons why your keyboard might not be working. If you have a MacBook with a Butterfly mechanism keyboard, we're pretty sure you're experiencing issues.

So if your MacBook keyboard is broken, here's how to reset your MacBook without a keyboard.

• Connect your Mac to a wireless keyboard
• Connect your Mac to a USB keyboard

How to Connect a Wireless Keyboard to a Mac

To connect a wireless keyboard to your Mac, do this:

Step 1. Open System Preferences.

Click on System Preferences.

Step 2: Click on “Bluetooth” in the left pane of the Bluetooth window and turn on Bluetooth.

Step 3. Now, press the button on your keyboard that has the Bluetooth icon on it, or the one next to it.

Step 4: Your Mac should now detect any nearby Bluetooth signals.

Step 5: When your keyboard is detected, click on it to connect.

Step 6: If prompted, pair the keyboard with your Mac.

You have now successfully connected your wireless keyboard to your MacBook.

How to Connect a USB Keyboard to a Mac

It's a lot easier than pairing a wireless keyboard with a Mac, but there's a catch: The latest MacBooks don't have USB-A ports, and most newer ones use USB-C.

If your keyboard has a USB-C port on one end, you can plug it directly into the Mac. If your keyboard has a USB-A port, get a USB-A to USB-C adapter and plug your keyboard into the MacBook.

How to Factory Reset a Mac [2 Ways]

Now, let's look at how to reset your Mac. You can reset it by selecting the “Erase All Content and Settings” option, or you can boot your Mac into Recovery Mode and use Disk Utility to reset it.

Here's how to reset your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro using the “Erase All Content and Settings” option:

Step 1: Open Spotlight and search for “System Preferences.”

Step 2: Now, click on “System Preferences” from the menu bar, and then choose “Erase All Content and Settings.”

Step 3. Enter your MacBook's login credentials and click “OK.”

Step 4: Follow the instructions.

Step 5: Your MacBook will restart. Once it does, click the Apple logo in your menu bar.

Step 6: Click “Shut Down.”

Here's how to reset your MacBook Air or MacBook Pro using Disk Utility in Recovery Mode:

Step 1. Shut down your Mac by clicking the Apple icon in the menu bar and selecting “Shut Down.”

Step 2. Turn on your Mac and hold down CMD+R. When you see the Apple logo, release the keys.

Step 3. On the latest M-series Macs, the process is slightly different. Shut down your Mac, then press the power button. Hold down the power button until you see the “Startup Options” window.

4. Click “Options,” then click “Continue” to open the Utilities window.

Click Disk Utility.

Step 5: Click on “Disk Utility,” then click “Continue.” In the Utilities window, select “Internal Drive/Boot Drive.”

Step 6: Click the “Erase” button at the top of the Disk Utility window.

Step 7. Name your drive and choose the format type as “APFS.”

Step 8: Click “Erase Volume Group,” and after a short wait, your hard drive will be wiped.

**Step 9.** After the reset, you'll be returned to the macOS Utilities window. If you aren't automatically taken here, restart your Mac and press Command + R again to boot it into Recovery Mode.

Step 10: Click “Reinstall macOS,” and follow the on-screen instructions.

**Step 11:** When the installation of macOS is complete, the Setup Assistant will appear. Quit the Setup Assistant, then shut down the Mac.

Step 12: You have now restored your Mac to its factory settings.

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Didn't I say so?

The butterfly mechanism was a mess, and many MacBook users with the butterfly keyboard found their keys breaking within days or weeks. If your MacBook has the butterfly keyboard and it's no longer working, you can try performing a factory reset without using the keyboard, as described above.

We highly recommend downloading and installing the tool Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. It's a data recovery software that can help you restore files that have been permanently deleted from your Mac. With this secure tool, you can recover data after resetting your Mac or even after reinstalling macOS.

Frequently Asked Questions About Resetting a Mac to Factory Settings Without a Keyboard (UTF-8)

Have more questions about resetting a Mac? This section should help!

Can I reset a Mac without a keyboard?

Yes, you certainly can! Here's how to restore your Mac to its factory settings: 1. **Backup Your Data**: Before proceeding, it's crucial to back up any important files and data you want to keep using Time Machine or an external drive. 2. **Restart in Recovery Mode**: Restart your Mac while holding down the `Command` + `R` keys until you see the Apple logo. This will boot your Mac into Recovery Mode. 3. **Select Disk Utility**: In the Utilities menu at the top, click on "Disk Utility" to launch it. 4. **Erase the Hard Drive**: In Disk Utility, select your main hard drive (usually named "Macintosh HD") in the left panel. Then click on the "Erase" tab and choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" as the format. Enter a new name if desired and click "Erase". 5. **Exit Disk Utility**: Once the erasing process is complete, close Disk Utility. 6. **Reinstall macOS**: Back in the Recovery Mode window, click on "Reinstall macOS" (or "Reinstall macOS Catalina" or the version of macOS you have). Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall the operating system. 7. **Restore from Backup (optional)**: After the installation is finished, you'll be prompted to set up your Mac as new or restore from a backup. If you've backed up your data, choose "Restore from Time Machine Backup" and follow the steps to recover your files. Remember that restoring your Mac to factory settings will remove all personal files, apps, and settings. Make sure you have a backup before proceeding.

1. Connect a new keyboard to your Mac. 2. Use the "Erase All Content and Settings" option. 3. Follow the prompts to erase the data from your Mac.

How do I factory reset a Mac using a Windows keyboard with the UTF-8 encoding format?

If it's a Bluetooth keyboard, connect the keyboard to your Mac via Bluetooth. If the keyboard uses a USB-A port, plug it into your Mac with a USB-A to USB-C adapter. You can then reset your Mac to its factory settings.

1. Connect a new keyboard to your Mac.
2. Erase all content and settings, or enter Recovery Mode.
3. If using Erase Assistant, follow the prompts to erase the data from your Mac.
4. Alternatively, use Disk Utility to wipe the disk and reinstall macOS.

How can I force my Mac to erase everything without a keyboard?

Unfortunately, you will need to use your keyboard for some of the steps, even though you can use a trackpad or mouse to confirm certain actions.

What can I do if my keyboard isn't working and I need to log in to my Mac?

Please connect an external keyboard or use the on-screen keyboard. To open the on-screen keyboard, do the following:

1. Press CMD+Option+F5, and open the Accessibility Shortcut.
2. In the Body & Motion section, click the checkbox for Assistive Keyboard to bring up a virtual keyboard.
3. Use the virtual keyboard to type in your password.