What happens if I reset my Mac to factory settings?

A factory reset will wipe your Mac computer, restoring its software to the state it was in when you first turned it on. That means that all your personal files and data will disappear.
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What does factory reset do Mac?

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.
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What will I lose if I factory reset my Mac?

A factory reset completely erases your hard disk. If you care about the data on your Mac, you need to perform a backup so you can restore it later.
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Is it a good idea to reset my Mac?

Resetting your MacBook Pro to the way it was when you got it from the factory isn't difficult, but it isn't quick, either. You could do it if you've been consistently having serious problems with the MacBook Pro. However, the only time you should definitely do it is when you're about to sell or give away the machine.
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Should I restore my MacBook pro to factory settings?

If you're looking to sell or trade-in your old iPhone or MacBook, you'll want to wipe your personal data from the device. The easiest way to do that is a factory reset. Of course that is not the only reason you use your gadgets' self-wiping features. You could be looking to free up some precious iCloud space.
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How To Erase and Reset a Mac back to factory default



How do you clear everything off a Mac?

From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences. From the System Preferences menu in the menu bar, choose Erase All Content and Settings.
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How do I reset my MacBook pro without losing data?

Steps to Reset and Reinstall macOS Without Losing Data

Step 1: Hold the Command + R keys until the MacBook's utility window hasn't opened. Else click on the menu bar and type Disk utility. Step 2: Select Disk Utility and click on Continue. Step 4: Select the format as MAC OS Extended (Journaled) and click on Erase.
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Should I factory reset my computer?

It's good practice to factory reset your computer when you sell or dispose of it, regardless of whether it's a Mac or Windows PC. It doesn't matter if you use it every day for essential work or just the occasional picture viewing. Your device is bound to have all sorts of personal and sensitive information on it.
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Does resetting laptop delete everything?

Factory resets aren't perfect. They don't delete everything on the computer. The data will still exist on the hard drive. Such is the nature of hard drives that this type of erasure doesn't mean getting rid of the data written to them, it just means the data can no longer be accessed by your system.
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Does factory reset remove virus?

You will lose all your data. This means your photos, text messages, files and saved settings will all be removed and your device restored to the state it was in when it first left the factory. A factory reset is definitely a cool trick. It does remove viruses and malware, but not in 100% of cases.
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Can data be recovered from a Mac after factory reset?

Find the lost Mac files that you want to recover, and click "Restore". It will automatically recover those lost data from Time Machine on macOS Big Sur/Catalina/Mojave. After this, you can restart your Mac computer, then you can view and reuse these files where were lost due to reinstalling macOS/Mac OS X again.
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Does erasing Mac remove iCloud?

You will be asked whether to keep a copy of your iCloud data on this Mac. You can keep a copy, because you're erasing your Mac later. Your iCloud data remains in iCloud and on any other devices that are signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
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Can I reinstall macOS without losing data?

When you reinstall macOS from Recovery, you will not lose any data if you don't erase your main drive. A reinstall will only touch the system files and settings, while keeping all your data safe.
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How do I wipe my Mac and reinstall?

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.
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How do you hard reset a MacBook pro?

How to Hard Reset MacBook Air or MacBook Pro
  1. To force a restart your MacBook, you need to press and hold down the Command (⌘) button, the Control (Ctrl) key, and the power button at the same time.
  2. Hold these keys down until your MacBook's screen goes blank and the computer restarts itself.
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How do I factory reset my MacBook air?

How to reset a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro
  1. Hold down the Command and R keys on the keyboard and turn on the Mac. ...
  2. Select your language and continue.
  3. Choose Disk Utility and click Continue.
  4. Choose your startup disk (named Macintosh HD by default) from the sidebar and click the Erase button.
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Will factory reset make computer faster?

The short term answer to that question is yes. A factory reset will temporarily make your laptop run faster. Though after some time once you start loading up files and applications it could return to the same sluggish speed as before.
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How do I reset my laptop to sell it?

Erasing everything
  1. Open Settings.
  2. Click on Update & Security.
  3. Click on Recovery.
  4. Under the Reset this PC section, click the Get started button.
  5. Click the Remove everything button.
  6. Click the Change settings option.
  7. Turn on the Data erasure toggle switch. ...
  8. Click the Confirm button.
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What will happen if I reset my laptop?

This reset option will reinstall Windows operating system and keeps your personal files, such as photos, music, videos or personal files. However, it will remove apps and drivers you installed, and also removes the changes you made to the settings.
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Does resetting laptop make it faster?

Resetting the pc does not make it faster. It simply frees extra space in your hard drive and deletes some third party softwares. Due to this the pc runs more smoothly. But over the time when you again install the softwares and fill your hard drive, functioning again goes back to what it was.
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What do I need to save before factory resetting my computer?

Part 2: What to Backup Before Reset?
  1. System files and folders (all the data files related to the operating system)
  2. Media files (audio, video, pictures, recordings, etc.)
  3. Graphic files.
  4. Documents, word files, excel sheets, PowerPoint slides, etc.
  5. Applications and system drivers.
  6. System updates.
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What is the benefit of hard Reset?

The hard reset gets rid of all user data and more on your smartphone device, as discussed earlier. Once done, there is no need to worry about the user accessing your personal data. Nowadays, security and privacy are essential. And you don't want your valuable data to fall into the hands of a hacker.
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Will I lose Microsoft Office if I restore my Mac?

Unfortunately, if you reset a Mac to factory settings, you will lose all the installed applications, including Microsoft Office, and it's not possible to change this. After restoring the iMac to factory settings, you will have to reinstall Microsoft Office.
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How do I remove previous owners from my iMac?

All replies
  1. If you enabled FileVault, disable it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
  2. "Deauthorize" your iTunes account. Same for Audible if you have one.
  3. System Preferences > iCloud > de-select "Back to My Mac" and "Find my Mac".
  4. Sign out of iCloud. Select "Delete from Mac" when it appears.
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Does deleting a user account delete files Mac?

Yes, deleting a user on a Mac will delete all files associated with that user. This is because when a user is deleted, their home folder is also deleted. The home folder contains all of the user's files and folders.
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