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Erase All Content and Settings</a></p> <p class="gb-paragraph"><a href="#dontseeit" class="gb-anchor" link-type="ANCHOR">If you can’t use Erase All Content and Settings</a></p> <h2 id="eacs" class="gb-header">Use Erase All Content and Settings</h2> <div class="note gb-note"><p class="gb-paragraph">Requires macOS Monterey or later on a Mac with Apple silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip</p></div> <ol class="list gb-list"><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">If using macOS Ventura or later:</p><ol class="list gb-list"><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Settings.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">Click General in the sidebar.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">Click Transfer or Reset on the right.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">Click Erase All Content and Settings. <a href="#dontseeit" class="gb-anchor">Don't see this button?</a></p></li></ol></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">If using macOS Monterey:</p><ol class="list gb-list"><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">From the System Preferences menu in the menu bar, choose Erase All Content and Settings. <a href="#dontseeit" class="gb-anchor">Don't see this option?</a></p></li></ol></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">An erase assistant opens. Follow the onscreen instructions. Before the erase begins, you will see a summary of all the settings, media, data, and other items that will be erased or turned off. </p><ul class="list gb-list"><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">When asked to sign in with your administrator credentials, enter the password that you use to log in to your Mac. <a href="/en-lk/102633" class="gb-anchor">Forgot your login password?</a></p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">You might be asked to enter your Apple Account password so that your Mac can sign out of Find My. <a href="/en-lk/102656" class="gb-anchor">Forgot your password?</a></p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">You might be asked if you want to <a href="/en-lk/102307" class="gb-anchor">back up your Mac</a> before resetting it.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">After you click the Erase All Content & Settings button to confirm that you want to proceed, your Mac restarts and briefly shows a black screen or progress bar.</p><img class="gb-image" alt="Erase All Content & Settings prompt" src="https://cdsassets.apple.com/live/7WUAS350/images/mac-os/monterey/macos-monterey-erase-all-content-and-settings.png" height="1200" width="1600" style="max-width: min(100%,800px);"/></li></ul></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">If your Mac needs to reconnect to a Bluetooth accessory such as a keyboard or mouse, you might be asked to turn on the accessory. If the accessory doesn't connect within 30 seconds, turn the accessory off and back on. When reconnecting to a Bluetooth keyboard, you're asked to choose a language.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">You might be asked to select a Wi-Fi network or attach a network cable. To select a Wi-Fi network, use the <span class='inline-icon gb-inline-icon'>Wi-Fi menu<img class="gb-inline-icon-image" alt="Wi-Fi menu" src="https://cdsassets.apple.com/live/7WUAS350/images/macos/big-sur/macos-big-sur-wifi-icon-full.png" height="60" width="60" style="max-width: 20px"/></span> in the upper-right corner of the screen.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">Your Mac then activates. Click Restart.</p><img class="gb-image" alt="Activate Mac window with Restart button" src="https://cdsassets.apple.com/live/7WUAS350/images/mac-os/monterey/macos-monterery-erase-all-mac-activated.png" height="618" width="800" style="max-width: min(100%,800px);"/></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">After your Mac restarts, a setup assistant guides you through the setup process, as if you're setting up your Mac for the first time.</p></li></ol> <p class="gb-paragraph">If you're selling, giving away, or trading-in your Mac and want to leave it in an out-of-box state, don't use the setup assistant or your previously connected Bluetooth devices, if any. Just press and hold the power button on your Mac until it turns off.</p> <h2 id="dontseeit" class="gb-header">If you can't use Erase All Content and Settings</h2> <p class="gb-paragraph">Erase All Content and Settings is available only in macOS Monterey or later, and only on a <a href="/en-lk/116943" class="gb-anchor">Mac with Apple silicon</a> or a <a href="/en-lk/103265" class="gb-anchor">Mac with the Apple T2 Security Chip</a>. If this feature isn't available or doesn't work on your Mac:</p> <ul class="list gb-list"><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">To both erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings, follow the steps in <a href="/en-lk/102773" class="gb-anchor">what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac</a>, but disregard the instructions for using Erase All Content and Settings.</p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">To only erase your Mac without resetting it to factory settings, learn how to <a href="/en-lk/102506" class="gb-anchor">erase a Mac with Apple silicon</a> or <a href="/en-lk/102639" class="gb-anchor">erase an Intel-based Mac</a>. </p></li><li class="gb-list_item"><p class="gb-paragraph">When using Erase All Content and Settings, if you see a message explaining that other volumes need to be erased before you can erase all content and settings, you might have used Boot Camp to install Microsoft Windows. In that case, <a href="https://support.apple.com/guide/bootcamp-assistant/remove-windows-from-your-mac-using-boot-camp-bcmp59c41c31/mac" class="gb-anchor">use Boot Camp to remove Windows and its partition</a>.</p></li></ul> <p class="gb-paragraph">No matter the model or condition, we can turn your device into something good for you and good for the planet: <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/trade-in" class="gb-anchor">Learn how to trade in or recycle your Mac with Apple Trade In</a>.</p> <div class='mod-date'> <span>Published Date:</span> <time dateTime=October 02, 2024itemprop='datePublished'>October 02, 2024</time> </div> </div> </div> <div id='helpful-rating-wrapper'> <div id='helpful' class='ratings okapi-enabled'> <div> <fieldset id='question-state' class='show'> <legend class='helpful-heading'> <span id="okapi-a">Helpful?</span> </legend> <div class='helpful-btn-grp'> <button class='button button-reduced button-secondary' id='yes-button' data-ss-analytics-link-component_name='helpful' data-ss-analytics-link-component_type='helpful' data-ss-analytics-link-text='yes' data-ss-analytics-event=acs.link_click title='Solved my problem'> Yes </button> <button class='button button-reduced button-secondary' id='no-button' data-ss-analytics-link-component_name='helpful' data-ss-analytics-link-component_type='helpful' data-ss-analytics-link-text='no' data-ss-analytics-event=acs.link_click title='Not helpful'> No </button> </div> </fieldset> </div> <div id='feedback-state' class="form-element form-textbox-labelbelow hide"> <form autocomplete="off"> <input type='hidden' id='form-counter-error-message' value="Maximum character limit is 250." /> <label id='feedback-label' data-no-label="Thanks for letting us know." data-yes-label="We’re glad this article helped." ></label> <div class='form-element form-textbox-labelbelow' id='feedback'> <div class="textarea-wrapper"> <div> <div class="form-textbox form-textbox-with-counter"> <span class="form-label" id="optional_label" aria-hidden="true"></span> <textarea type="text" class="form-textbox-textarea form-counter-textarea form-text-area form-textbox-input" data-max-length='250' aria-labelledby="optional_label" aria-describedby="char_limit_counter" data-no-placeholder="How can we make this article more helpful? 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