How to Restore MacBook Pro to Factory Settings

Q: Can you erase a MacBook Pro remotely?

Yes, if you already enabled Find My on the Mac. You can request an erase through the app named Find My on an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac, or through iCloud Find Devices in a browser. A remote erase does not guarantee that macOS is reinstalled.

Q: Can your organization prevent a factory reset?

Yes, management policy can prevent you from initiating Erase All Content and Settings on an enrolled MacBook Pro. Ask your organization's administrator to handle the wipe through its device-management service. If that service uses an obliteration fallback, macOS must be reinstalled afterward.

To restore your MacBook Pro to factory settings, use Erase All Content and Settings on an eligible Mac, or erase its startup disk in macOS Recovery and reinstall macOS. Either reset erases your personal content, so back up the files you want to keep before starting. The settings option retains the installed macOS, while the Recovery method requires installation after erasing.

The short version

Back up first: Save the files you want to keep before erasing your Mac.
Preferred method: Eligible Macs can use Erase All Content and Settings while retaining the installed macOS.
Recovery fallback: Erase the startup disk with Disk Utility, then reinstall macOS.
New owner: Shut down at Setup Assistant instead of completing setup.

Method	When to use it	What it does
Erase All Content and Settings	Apple silicon or T2 with a supported macOS version	Erases personal content and retains macOS
Apple silicon Recovery	The settings reset fails or is unavailable	Hold `power`, erase with Disk Utility, then reinstall
Intel local Recovery	Built-in Recovery is functioning	`Command` + `R` normally offers the most recently installed macOS
Intel Internet Recovery for the latest version	Your Intel Mac supports Internet Recovery	`Option` + `Command` + `R` requests the latest compatible macOS
Intel Internet Recovery for the original version	Your Intel Mac supports this Recovery option	`Option` + `Shift` + `Command` + `R` requests the original or closest available macOS
Recovery Assistant erase	Password recovery fails and the erase option appears	Erases the Mac before reinstallation
Bootable USB installer	You need an advanced installation fallback	Installs macOS after you separately erase the startup disk

Back up your files and choose your reset method

Back up your files and have your administrator login password and Apple Account password ready. Erase Assistant can request both passwords. You may also need an internet connection for activation or macOS installation.

Choose Erase All Content and Settings first if your MacBook Pro has Apple silicon or an Apple T2 Security Chip and runs macOS Ventura 13 or later. Apple also documents this feature in macOS Monterey 12, where its menu location differs. For an Intel model without T2, or when the settings reset is unavailable or fails, use Recovery to erase and reinstall.

Erase your Mac through settings

This reset erases your personal content, so finish your backup before proceeding. On macOS Ventura 13 or later, open the Apple menu > System Settings > General > Transfer or Reset, then click Erase All Content and Settings. Enter your administrator login password when requested.

On macOS Monterey 12 with Apple silicon or T2, open the Apple menu > System Preferences. In the menu bar, choose System Preferences > Erase All Content and Settings. Authenticate and follow Erase Assistant.

Supply your Apple Account password when asked. The final confirmation erases your personal content, so check that your backup is complete before proceeding. Click Erase All Content & Settings, then connect to Wi-Fi if requested and let activation and the restart finish.

This method retains the installed macOS, so you do not need to reinstall it afterward. When Setup Assistant opens, complete setup if you are keeping the Mac. For a new owner, hold the power button to shut down at that screen.

Prepare your accounts before a manual handoff

If you are selling or giving away your Mac without using Erase All Content and Settings, complete the account sign-outs before the manual erase. These steps do not factory-reset the Mac. Sign in only through Apple’s own app or website, and never share a code, password, or remote access with someone who contacts you.

Signing out ends the relevant account session on this Mac. On current macOS, open the Apple menu > System Settings, select your name, then click Sign Out. On macOS Catalina through Monterey, use System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview > Sign Out. On older systems, use System Preferences > iCloud > Sign Out.

Signing out of Messages ends its account session on the Mac. Open Messages, choose Messages > Settings (or Preferences) > iMessage, then click Sign Out. Continue with the disk erase and macOS installation after completing your account preparation.

On systems earlier than macOS Catalina, deauthorizing iTunes removes this computer's authorization. Open iTunes, choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer, authenticate, then click Deauthorize. This additional step applies only to those older systems.

Start your MacBook Pro in Recovery

On an Apple silicon MacBook Pro, choose the Apple menu > Shut Down. Press and hold the power or Touch ID button until startup options appear. Select Options, click Continue, and complete the requested authentication.

On an Intel MacBook Pro, restart your MacBook Pro by choosing the Apple menu > Restart. Immediately hold Command + R until the startup screen appears, then authenticate if requested. This starts the built-in Recovery system when it is functioning and normally offers the most recently installed macOS.

For an Intel Mac that supports Internet Recovery, restart and immediately hold Option + Command + R until the startup screen appears to request the latest compatible macOS. Connect to the internet and authenticate when requested. Use this route when you need Internet Recovery instead of the built-in system.

On an Intel Mac supporting the original-version option, restart and immediately hold Option + Shift + Command + R until the startup screen appears. Connect to the internet and authenticate when requested. Apple says this requests the macOS version originally supplied with your Mac or the closest version still available, so the exact original version is not guaranteed.

These keyboard combinations apply to Intel models; Apple silicon uses the startup options procedure above. Whichever Recovery route you use, erase the startup disk before reinstalling. Reinstalling macOS alone preserves files and settings.

Erase the startup disk and reinstall macOS

Erasing the startup disk removes your data, so back up the files you want to keep before continuing. In Recovery, select Disk Utility, then click Continue. Follow the paragraph for your processor type because the format and finishing steps differ.

On Apple silicon, deleting additional internal volumes erases their contents, so back up anything you need from them first. Delete any additional internal volumes you created, leaving Macintosh HD and its Data volume for the main erase. Select Macintosh HD, click Erase, set Name to Macintosh HD, and set Format to APFS.

The next confirmation erases the selected startup volume group and its data. Click Erase Volume Group; if that button is absent, click Erase. Provide your Apple Account credentials when requested.

The final confirmation erases the Mac, so make sure your backup is complete. Click Erase Mac. After the Mac restarts, choose a language and connect to the internet.

Click Exit to Recovery Utilities, select Reinstall macOS, then click Continue. Follow the installation prompts to put macOS back on the erased Apple silicon Mac.

On Intel, select Macintosh HD in Disk Utility, then click Erase. Set Name to Macintosh HD and choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled), as Disk Utility recommends. The next confirmation erases the startup volume and its data, so finish your backup before proceeding. Click Erase Volume Group, or click Erase when that is the available button.

Enter your Apple Account information if requested. Erasing additional internal volumes deletes their contents too, so back up anything needed from them first. Erase those volumes separately if needed, then quit Disk Utility. Select Reinstall macOS, click Continue, and complete installation.

Fix password and Boot Camp blockers

If password-recovery attempts fail, shut down and start Recovery using the hardware instructions above. When Recovery asks you to select a user whose password you know, the Recovery Assistant erase route may be offered. This route erases the Mac's data, so back up any files you can still access before proceeding. Choose Recovery Assistant > Erase Mac from the menu bar.

The following confirmations erase the Mac. Click Erase Mac, then click Erase Mac again to confirm. After the restart, connect to the internet and supply your Apple Account information if activation requests it.

Click Exit to Recovery, then reinstall macOS. If a question mark appears instead, restart into Recovery and reinstall macOS from there. Use this route only when Recovery presents the described option after password-recovery attempts fail.

On an Intel MacBook Pro with Boot Camp, Erase Assistant can report that other volumes must be erased first. Removing the Boot Camp partition deletes Windows and its files, so back up the Windows files you need before continuing. Start in macOS, quit apps, log out other users, then open Boot Camp Assistant and click Continue.

If Select Tasks appears, select Remove Windows 10 or later version, then click Continue. The next step removes Windows from the internal disk, so confirm your Windows backup is complete before proceeding. Click Restore, then perform the macOS factory reset. That Boot Camp button does not reset macOS.

Use a bootable installer if installation needs a fallback

A bootable USB installer gives you another way to install macOS after erasing. Download a compatible full installer into Applications through Apple's macOS download options. Keep an internet connection available for installation.

Creating the installer erases the USB drive, so use an expendable drive. Connect that drive with the name MyVolume, then open Terminal and run the matching command from Apple's bootable installer instructions. For a compatible Mac using the macOS 27 full installer, the command is:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ 27\ Golden\ Gate.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume

Enter your administrator password when requested. Confirming the next prompt erases the USB drive's contents. When prompted, type Y, then press Return. If removable-volume access is requested, click OK.

After creating the installer, shut down the target Mac and connect it. On Apple silicon, hold the power button, select the installer, then click Continue. On Intel, hold Option at startup, select the installer, then press Return.

T2 models may need external boot permission in Startup Security Utility. Installing from USB alone does not erase personal data. Erasing the internal startup volume deletes its data, so back up your files first. Use the applicable Disk Utility erase procedure above before installing macOS.

Finish setup or leave the Mac for its next owner

Once the reset and any required installation are complete, set up the Mac if you are keeping it. If you used Erase All Content and Settings for a handoff, hold the power button to shut down at Setup Assistant. After a manual erase and reinstall, press Command + Q at Setup Assistant to shut down for the new owner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you erase a MacBook Pro remotely?

Yes, if you already enabled Find My on the Mac. You can request an erase through the app named Find My on an iPhone, iPad, or another Mac, or through iCloud Find Devices in a browser. A remote erase does not guarantee that macOS is reinstalled.

What happens if the Mac is offline when you request a remote erase?

The erase starts when your Mac next connects to the internet. In the current iPhone interface, open Find My to see Erase Pending for an offline Mac awaiting erasure.

Does a firmware revive erase your MacBook Pro?

No, a firmware revive does not erase your Mac. For Apple silicon or T2 models needing firmware recovery, Apple recommends trying a revive before a firmware restore. That recovery process requires another Mac running macOS Sonoma 14 or later with internet access.

Can your organization prevent a factory reset?

Yes, management policy can prevent you from initiating Erase All Content and Settings on an enrolled MacBook Pro. Ask your organization's administrator to handle the wipe through its device-management service. If that service uses an obliteration fallback, macOS must be reinstalled afterward.

Does deleting the AppleSetupDone file factory reset a Mac?

No, restarting Setup Assistant does not erase your data. On macOS Sonoma 14 or later, deleting that file no longer relaunches Setup Assistant when a local user exists. Use Erase All Content and Settings or an actual erase and reinstall workflow.