Last night, I was working on a small project on my MacBook Air and had to find an old file. It took me some time to find that file in a pile of folders that had a lot of data in them. It got me thinking that I should reset my laptop and get rid of the old files to have a fresh start.
As a MacBook user, you may also want to reset your laptop for a number of reasons. Maybe you want to upgrade the software or simply clean out the data just like me. In this guide blog, I am going to discuss how to reset MacBook Air quickly. Let’s start.
What Does it Mean by Resetting a MacBook Air?
Resetting a MacBook Air means erasing all of its data and settings. Just like you reset a smartphone, performing a reset on this laptop restores it to its factory settings. When you perform this action, the device completely wipes out its data including pictures, videos, apps, etc.
How to Reset MacBook Air?
There are two different methods you can try to reset MacBook Air. I’ve discussed their details below:
Method #1 – Factory Reset Automatically:
Factory resetting your laptop automatically is easy. You can do it with the help of macOS Erase Assistant. Here are the guidelines for it:
- Go to the Apple menu and select “System Settings.”
- Click the “General “ option.
- Now, click on the “Transfer or Reset” option.
- Select “Erase All Content and Settings.”
- You’ll see the option of backing up the data with the help of Time Machine.
- If you don’t want it, click on “Continue’.
- Now, click on “Erase All Content & Settings.”
- It will reset the laptop completely.
Method #2 – Resetting Manually:
Knowing how to reset the MacBook manually can also be helpful. It is a simple process but you have to go through a few extra steps here.
- First, go to Messages and then click on the “Messages” option.
- Now, click on settings.
- Here, you’ll have to click on the “iMessages” icon and then “Sign Out”.
- Once done, head towards the settings and open your ID.
- Now, find the option of “Sign Out” and click on it.
- Head to the Music App and click on “Account”.
- Then, click “Sign Out”.
These were some necessary steps you need to follow in order to prepare for the manual reset.
Resetting:
- Shut down the laptop and then start it again.
- Now, press the key combination of Command + R.
- Hold these keys until the Apple logo appears.
- Now, open the macOS utility window.
- Select “Disk Utility”.
- Here, click on “internal disk/startup disk” and then select “Erase”.
- Once done, give a name to the disk and choose APFS format.
- Once you select “Erase Volume Group”, the laptop drive will be reset.
- You’ll be directed to the utility window after that.
- Here, click on “Reinstall macOS” to start things over.
Before You Reset Your MacBook Air…
Before you reset your laptop, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind. I’ve listed them below:
- Back up and save the laptop data to iCloud or any other external device.
- Sign out of the iCloud ID first in order to avoid any activation lock issues.
- As demonstrated earlier, sign out of other services like iMessage and iTunes to avoid any errors.
- Unpair from any device that is connected with Bluetooth (in case you’re giving the laptop to someone).
- To make things even smoother, turn off the “Find My Mac” feature as well.
Conclusion:
Many people are interested in knowing how to reset MacBook Air. You may want to sell your MacBook or simply erase the files in it. Resetting the laptop can help with that. It involves following some simple and straightforward guidelines. You can pick any of the two main methods discussed above. However, make sure to follow the discussed consideration points before resetting.
FAQs:
How do I factory reset a MacBook Air?
Factory resetting a MacBook Air is a simple process. Users can use two main methods to do this. The first method is automatic and involves using the Erase Assistant. The second method is manual and involves clearing out the disk.
Can you perform a hard restart on a MacBook Air?
Yes. It is possible to perform a hard reset on this model. It is done by pressing and holding the Command + Control + Power buttons for a while. You should perform this restart in case the device becomes unresponsive.
How do I back up my entire iCloud?
Backing up the entire data on iCloud is easy. First, you need to go to the settings and then to iCloud. Here, simply click on Backup and the data will start backing up.
How to restore data on a Mac?
You can restore the data on a Mac by using the Time Machine feature. Open this option and then restore any file that you want on the laptop.
