Your Mac can start up with the wrong sound, display, startup disk, or time zone settings when its stored startup values get out of sync. On an Intel Mac, the Apple-supported PRAM/NVRAM reset clears those values and lets macOS rebuild them. On Apple silicon, the old keyboard shortcut does not apply, so the fix is to change the affected setting directly.
Reset PRAM on an Intel Mac
Use this when your Mac has an Intel processor and you want the standard Apple-supported reset.
- 1.Shut down your Mac.
- 2.Turn it on, then immediately press and hold Option, Command, P, and R together.
- 3.Keep holding the keys for about 20 seconds.
- 4.Release the keys and let your Mac finish starting up.
- 5.Adjust any system settings that were reset, such as Sound, Displays, Startup Disk, or Date & Time.
Check whether your Mac can use the shortcut
This fixes the biggest mistake: using an Intel-only reset on an Apple silicon Mac.
Open the Apple menu and choose About This Mac.
Look for Processor or Chip in the window.
If you see Processor, your Mac is Intel-based and can use Option-Command-P-R.
If you see Chip, your Mac has Apple silicon. Apple says the NVRAM reset steps do not apply to those Macs and are not needed.
Skip the shortcut on Apple silicon
Older advice tells Mac owners to press Option-Command-P-R at startup. That shortcut is for Intel-based Macs.
On a Mac with Apple silicon, Apple does not provide a consumer PRAM or NVRAM reset shortcut. Use the matching control in System Settings instead (named System Preferences on macOS Monterey and earlier).
For sound, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Sound. For display resolution, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Displays. For startup disk, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Startup Disk. For date and time, go to Apple menu > System Settings > General > Date & Time.
Fix the stored settings directly
Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, then click Sound in the sidebar to change output volume, Mute, alert volume, output devices, or Play sound on startup. Apple notes that not all of these options appear on every Mac model.
Open System Settings and click Displays to fix display resolution. Under Resolution, choose Default or another available resolution, and use Show all resolutions when you need more choices.
Open System Settings, click General, then click Startup Disk. Select the disk you want, then click Restart.
Open System Settings, click General, then click Date & Time. Use Set time and date automatically, or turn it off and click Set. Use Set time zone automatically using your current location, or turn it off and enter a city in the Time zone or Closest city field. Location Services must be turned on for your Mac to determine your current location.
Tip: If only one setting is wrong, changing that setting directly is cleaner than resetting NVRAM.
Make the startup keys work
If the reset shortcut does nothing, fix the startup timing and keyboard first.
- 1.Shut down the Mac first, then start it again instead of relying on a restart.
- 2.Immediately press and hold Option, Command, P, and R together.
- 3.If you use a wireless keyboard, plug it into the Mac when possible.
- 4.Use the built-in keyboard or a wired keyboard if the wireless keyboard misses the shortcut.
- 5.If you are using a PC keyboard, try a keyboard made for Mac.
Turn off a firmware password first
Start up from macOS Recovery.
Open the Utilities menu at the top of the screen, then choose Startup Security Utility or Firmware Password Utility.
Click Turn Off Firmware Password, then enter the firmware password again.
Quit the utility, choose Restart from the Apple menu, then retry Option-Command-P-R during startup.
Tip: Firmware password protection applies to Intel-based Macs, not Macs with Apple silicon.
Handle Boot Camp and managed Macs
If your Intel Mac starts in Microsoft Windows through Boot Camp, set the startup disk back to macOS before trying the reset shortcut. Use Startup Disk preferences, start from macOS, then shut down or restart and press Option-Command-P-R.
For a school or work Mac, contact the administrator when startup settings or security prompts block the reset.
Prepare an Intel Mac before selling or recycling
Use this at the end of Apple's manual erase and reinstall flow for an Intel-based Mac that you are transferring, trading in, giving away, or recycling.
After erasing the Mac and reinstalling macOS, reset NVRAM with Option-Command-P-R.
When the Mac starts up to setup assistant after the reset, press Command-Q and shut down instead of continuing setup.
Service a desktop Mac that keeps forgetting settings
If a desktop Intel Mac forgets settings such as sound volume or time zone every time you shut it down and unplug it, treat it as a service issue, not a repeat-reset job. Apple points to the small battery that helps NVRAM retain settings when the computer is unplugged from power.
Skip older Terminal advice such as sudo nvram -c for routine troubleshooting. Apple's consumer reset path is the startup shortcut on Intel Macs only.
If the reset fails or the same settings keep coming back wrong, change the affected setting directly in System Settings; for a desktop Intel Mac that forgets settings after being unplugged, arrange service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PRAM the same as NVRAM on a Mac?
Apple now uses NVRAM for this reset, but many Mac users still call it PRAM. On Intel Macs, the consumer shortcut is Option, Command, P, and R.
How long should I hold Option Command P R?
Hold all four keys for about 20 seconds, then release them and let your Mac finish starting up.
Can I reset PRAM on an M1, M2, M3, or newer Apple silicon Mac?
No. Apple says the NVRAM reset steps do not apply to Mac computers with Apple silicon and are not needed on those computers.
What should I check after resetting PRAM or NVRAM?
Check the settings NVRAM can store, especially sound volume, display resolution, startup disk, date, time, and time zone.