Most of your time will be spent downloading files for preparation and transferring files to and from your external hard drive. You might accidentally erase very valuable files like pictures and videos, if you don’t plan your reformat. One thing to keep in mind is that reformatting is something you have to carefully plan. Just print it out, tick each box and you’re good to go.Įxternal hard drive to use with Time Machine backupīonus: Dropbox, iCloud or any other cloud storage you use. We also have a checklist for you to use that you can download here. If you are planning to reformat your Mac, we recommend you save / bookmark this post. How to Factory Reset Your MacBook Before Selling or Giving it Away Restore your factory settings and reinstall macOS Make a Time Machine backup of your files, apps, and settings on an external hard drive or save your data in Dropbox or iCloud. Reformatting your Mac requires careful planning. Quick Summary To Erase And Reinstall macOS This erase process requires some careful planning to protect your data, but we have prepared a simple to follow checklist that will walk you through the entire process.

Before you say goodbye to one of your Apple devices, you need to factory reset your machine, erase all your personal data, and reinstall a fresh copy of the operating system. If you are ready to sell, trade, or give away your Mac, then it is time to reformat. Perhaps you have a new Mac (like a new Apple silicon based Mac), and it is time to pass on your old computer to a new owner. There are many legitimate reasons to reformat your Mac.

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