Erase and reinstall macOS (2024)

FAQs

Erase and reinstall macOS? ›

Restart your Mac. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down, press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears, select Options, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions. In the Recovery app window, select Reinstall for your macOS release, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.

You can use macOS Recovery to reinstall the Mac operating system (macOS). Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your apps or personal data.

Erases your content and settings, and any apps that you installed. Erases all volumes (not just the volume you're on).

From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings. Click General in the sidebar. Click Transfer or Reset on the right. Click Erase All Content and Settings.

Using Erase All Content and Settings is not the only way to factory reset your Mac. You can factory reset Mac without password in the Recovery Mode with Disk Utility and Reinstall macOS.

Sometimes, reinstalling the macOS is the only way. Or it could be that you have installed the most recent version and discovered you don't like it or it's not compatible with some apps you need to use. Or maybe you need to test software on an older version of macOS and need to reinstall it on an older Mac.

Some viruses and malware can embed themselves deep into your system, making them difficult to remove. If the virus or malware has infected the recovery partition or the firmware, a factory reset may not be enough to get rid of it.

Time machine is a built-in backup utility that automatically backs up your personal data on Mac, when enabled. This feature helps in regaining lost data files on your system, in case you ever delete them or are not able to access them. You will get the Restore from Time Machine option in the macOS Utilities window.

Don't delete or move files within System and Library folders appearing when you first double click your hard disk. Don't delete or move . App files in your Applications folder, these are Mac OS X native applications.

Restart your Mac. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down, press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears, select Options, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions. In the Recovery app window, select Reinstall for your macOS release, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.

How long does it take to reset macOS? ›

How long does resetting a Mac take? Resetting a Mac can take just seconds if you're using macOS Monterey or Ventura. However, before you erase everything, make sure that you back up anything you want to keep. This step can take considerably longer, depending on your preferred storage or backup method.

Before you spend big on a new Mac, though, try a factory reset, which wipes your computer and reinstalls a clean version of macOS. A factory reset is also the best way to prepare your old computer for a new owner to make sure no leftover data falls into the wrong hands.

Reset all Settings removes things like your Wifi password and settings you've set on your iPad for Apps, mail, etc. Erase All Content and Settings restores a device to it's out of the box state when it was first turned on. You should use Erase All Content and Settings to get it ready for the next owner.

Choose an option: WARNING: If you choose the Erase All Content and Settings option, all of your content is removed. See Erase iPhone. Reset All Settings: All settings—including network settings, the keyboard dictionary, location settings, privacy settings, and Apple Pay cards—are removed or reset to their defaults.

A reinstall does not delete user files... however you can likey solve the safari issue without reinstalling. Check under / Apple / system preferences ... make sure there is not a section callled Profiles ... if so click on Profiles and delete all of them.

Before you give away or trade in your Mac, you should back up your computer, disable some features and services, and restore to factory settings by erasing the hard drive and reinstalling macOS.

If you erase and reinstall macOS, your user accounts, network settings, and all of the files and folders on your Mac are deleted.