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User profile for user: karim.S
karim.S Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

My Macbook Won't Factory Reset! Please Help.

Hey there! I really need to factory reset this Mac because it has tons of crap and adware on it. My sister won't be using it anymore so thought it would be better if i start over and use my own settings. I spent hours trying to figure out how to factory reset it. Why hours you might ask? It's because I tried the cmd and R thing but it didn't really work. when I tried holding options, it worked, but it only showed one drive. Every time I click on it, the macbook just boots back. I don't have the installation disc.


This macbook is really old. Yosemite, Early 2011, 4 GB of memory, intel HD Graphics 3000 384 MB, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5.


Thanks!

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), It's Pretty Crappy!

Posted on May 27, 2017 2:30 PM

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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,765 points

Posted on May 27, 2017 2:40 PM

I think you have a MacBook Pro because there is no MacBook model in 2011. In order to reset to factory default, you will need the original two restore disks that came with the computer when it was new.


Before Selling or Giving Away Your Pre-Lion Mac


Follow these instructions until you get to Step 5:


What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support


At Step 5 you will need a Snow Leopard DVD or the installer disc that came with the computer.


  1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer. After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
  2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continuebutton. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities' menu. After Disk Utility loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (un-dented entry - mfgr.'s ID and drive size.) Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility main window. Set the number of partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended (Journaled), then click on the Apply button.
  3. When the formatting has finished quit Disk Utility. Proceed with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
  4. If you are planning to sell or give your computer away, then do the following: After you reformat your hard drive and reinstall OS X, the computer restarts to a Welcome screen and asks you to choose a country or region. If you want to leave the Mac in an out-of-box state, don't continue with the setup of your system. Instead, press Command-Q to shut down the Mac. When the new owner turns on the Mac, the Setup Assistant will guide them through the setup process.
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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,765 points

May 27, 2017 2:40 PM in response to karim.S

I think you have a MacBook Pro because there is no MacBook model in 2011. In order to reset to factory default, you will need the original two restore disks that came with the computer when it was new.


Before Selling or Giving Away Your Pre-Lion Mac


Follow these instructions until you get to Step 5:


What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support


At Step 5 you will need a Snow Leopard DVD or the installer disc that came with the computer.


  1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer. After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
  2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continuebutton. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities' menu. After Disk Utility loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (un-dented entry - mfgr.'s ID and drive size.) Click on the Partition tab in the Disk Utility main window. Set the number of partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended (Journaled), then click on the Apply button.
  3. When the formatting has finished quit Disk Utility. Proceed with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
  4. If you are planning to sell or give your computer away, then do the following: After you reformat your hard drive and reinstall OS X, the computer restarts to a Welcome screen and asks you to choose a country or region. If you want to leave the Mac in an out-of-box state, don't continue with the setup of your system. Instead, press Command-Q to shut down the Mac. When the new owner turns on the Mac, the Setup Assistant will guide them through the setup process.
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User profile for user: Kappy
Kappy
User level: Level 10
361,765 points

May 28, 2017 1:00 PM in response to karim.S

You may be able to order replacements from Apple:


Contacting Apple Customer and Support Service


  1. Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 or visit online Help for more information.
  2. To contact product and tech support: Contacting Apple for support and service including international calling numbers.
  3. For Mac App Store: Apple - Support - Mac App Store.
  4. For iTunes: Apple - Support - iTunes.
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My Macbook Won't Factory Reset! Please Help.

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