How To Wipe Macbook Clean And Reinstall

Is it fourth dimension to sell or give away your old Mac? Or do you merely want a fresh start to clean upward your auto? Here's how to securely delete all of your files, then install a fresh version of macOS.

If yous're selling or giving away your computer, this is the only way to make certain whoever ends up with your Mac tin can't access to your files, and won't have to deal with whatever modifications you've made to macOS over the years. Don't just delete your user contour and call it a day—yous'll want to completely wipe it.

Earlier you start, make sure you transfer whatever files you want to go on to a new computer or external drive. Even if you don't intend on wiping your drive, it's a skillful idea to dorsum up before reinstalling your operating organisation.

Step One: Boot From Recovery Mode, or an Installer

Your Mac's Recovery Mode is a treasure trove of useful tools, and it's the easiest way to wipe your computer and offset from scratch. Close down your Mac, turn information technology on while holding down Command+R. Your Mac will boot into the recovery partition.

If you're using an older Mac (from 2022 or earlier), at that place's a chance that you tin't use Recovery Mode. On those devices, agree "Option" while turning your estimator on, then select the recovery partitioning instead.

If neither of these options work, don't panic! You've got a couple of options yet. Y'all can access recovery without a partition using Network Recovery: concur Control+Shift+R while turning on your Mac and it will download the Recovery features for you lot. Failing that, you can create a bootable USB installer for macOS Sierra, and kicking from that past holding "Pick" while turning on your Mac.

One time you've managed to open up the Recovery Mode in some fashion, nosotros can move on to wiping your drive deeply.

RELATED: viii Mac Arrangement Features You Can Access in Recovery Mode

Step Two: Securely Wipe Your Difficult Drive (Optional)

If y'all want to re-install your operating system, simply leave your files in place, you can skip this footstep. Your user accounts and files will stay exactly where they are—only your operating system will be overwritten. Nosotros recommend backing upwardly files before you lot do this, merely in case, only otherwise yous're ready for step three.

If you want a truly clean installation, however, y'all need to commencement wipe your difficult drive. We've shown y'all how to securely wipe a hard drive with your Mac, and doing so in Recovery Mode isn't actually different from doing so within macOS.

To get started, click the Disk Utility option.

Depending on how you started Recovery Mode, you may be presented with the option to commencement Deejay Utility right away, as seen in a higher place. If not you can find Disk Utility in the menu bar: click Utilities then Deejay Utility.

You'll now encounter your listing of hard drives. Click your main bulldoze, then click "Erase"

If you're wiping a mechanical drive, click "Security Options" in the window that pops up. (If your Mac has a solid land drive, yous tin skip this role: your SSD will already securely erase files thank you to TRIM. You notwithstanding need to wipe the bulldoze, however, or your files will remain in place, so skip to the cease of this stride to practise so.)

Now move the dial up, to randomly write data over your entire drive. Y'all only demand to write over a bulldoze one time to securely wipe it, merely if you're paranoid you tin can also wipe it three or five times.

Click "OK" once you lot've decided, merely recall: if your Mac has a solid state bulldoze, you do not need to employ these options. Just requite your drive a name (I recommend "Macintosh HD", just for consistency'southward sake), then click "Erase" to beginning the overwriting process.

If yous opted to wipe your bulldoze securely, this might accept a while—30 minutes to an hr is non unreasonable for ane pass. If yous choose three or five passes, you might want to leave this running overnight.

Step Three: Reinstall macOS

With your information wipe consummate, y'all are now ready to reinstall macOS. If y'all booted from a functioning recovery partition, click the "Reinstall macOS" button. The installation process volition begin.

If you booted from a USB disk, click "Go on" to accelerate to the installer.

You'll be asked which difficult drive you want to install to. Choose the Macintosh HD you named earlier.

Just like that, macOS will brainstorm installing.

This might take a while. Eventually, your Mac volition restart and inquire you to create an business relationship. If you're giving your Mac away or selling it, we recommend that you just shut down at this point and let whoever you're giving your Mac to create their own business relationship. After all, information technology's theirs now. Otherwise, relish your at present-fresh Mac!