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User profile for user: help_92
help_92 Author
User level: Level 1
4 points

how do I factory reset Mac book catalina

I bought a refurbished Mac book crptapmk4n2llarb 2017 and need to return as keys stick and make it impossible for me to enter my password as the keys that stick are the ones in use. I need to delete and factory reset before I can send it back and I have gotten instructions from seller watched YouTube videos and searched for info to help me but nothing seems to work. Its running Catalina 10.15 I believe. and has update for big Sur but never downloads when I try to update I figured it was a memory thing. I believe I got my account deleted but I can not for the life of me find the iTunes or general erase all and rest options I've read. I've also tried command R NOTHING WORKS. Can anyone hep me please?


Posted on Nov 24, 2022 8:27 PM

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User profile for user: Lee_ms
Lee_ms
User level: Community Specialist

Posted on Nov 26, 2022 3:02 PM

We see you're posting from the Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings resource. If you're running Big Sur or Catalina macOS recovery is going to be the best option for erasing the contents of your Mac. Here's some information to make sure that you're attempting to enter recovery correctly:


1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > Restart. As your Mac restarts, hold down the Command and R keys until the macOS Utilities window appears.
2. Select Disk Utility, then click Continue.
3. Select your startup disk on the left, then click Erase.
4. Click the Format pop-up menu, choose an APFS or Mac OS Extended format, enter a name, then click Erase.
Important: Erasing the disk removes all the information from the disk. Be sure to back up the information you want to keep to an external device.
5. After the disk is erased, choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.
6. Select Reinstall macOS, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.


You can read the full resource here: Erase and reinstall macOS - Apple Support


If the issue persists you can reach out for additional support here: Get Support


Take care.

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User profile for user: Lee_ms
Lee_ms
User level: Community Specialist

Nov 26, 2022 3:02 PM in response to help_92

We see you're posting from the Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings resource. If you're running Big Sur or Catalina macOS recovery is going to be the best option for erasing the contents of your Mac. Here's some information to make sure that you're attempting to enter recovery correctly:


1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > Restart. As your Mac restarts, hold down the Command and R keys until the macOS Utilities window appears.
2. Select Disk Utility, then click Continue.
3. Select your startup disk on the left, then click Erase.
4. Click the Format pop-up menu, choose an APFS or Mac OS Extended format, enter a name, then click Erase.
Important: Erasing the disk removes all the information from the disk. Be sure to back up the information you want to keep to an external device.
5. After the disk is erased, choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.
6. Select Reinstall macOS, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.


You can read the full resource here: Erase and reinstall macOS - Apple Support


If the issue persists you can reach out for additional support here: Get Support


Take care.

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how do I factory reset Mac book catalina

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