How Do I Restore My Macbook Air To Factory Settings

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When the time comes when you want to sell your Macbook, it would be wise to wipe all data in it and sell it with factory settings on it. It would also look healthier to the person you are selling to if the Macbook is restored. Make sure you have an Internet connection before restoring your Macbook.

1

Restart the Macbook. Click the Apple icon on the top-left corner of the screen and select "Restart."
2

Press and hold Command + R. Do so when the gray screen appears during the boot process.

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3

Select a Wi-Fi network. This option may not be available.
4

Select "Disk Utility. "
5

Erase the hard drive. Select your hard drive from the list and then click on "Erase."
6

Select "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)." This option will be available in the new window.
7

Type in a new name. This will be the new name for the hard drive.
8

Click "Erase. " This will wipe clear your hard drive.

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1

Quit Disk Utility. Once the hard drive is wiped, click on "Disk Utility" and then choose "Quit Disk Utility."
2

Choose to reinstall OS X. Click on "Continue".
3

Follow the onscreen instructions. Complete the re-installation of the OS.

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Add New Question

Question

What if I accidentally wipe everything out?
Question

What do I do if it is asking for my AppleID and password?

You will need to enter your AppleID and password. If you don't have one, you should make one! There are a lot of perks to having an Apple ID.
Question

Why does my Mac refuse my wifi password?

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Community Answer

Check to make sure that the password you're entering is correct. It may be case sensitive: you may have missed a capital or a number.
Question

How much available memory do I need to install OS X Lion?

You need at least 2GB of RAM. If you're talking about hard drive storage, you need at least 7GB.
Question

Can I save my Word program when erasing everything?

If you are resetting your Macbook to factory settings, all applications (except for the ones that came with the Mac) will be erased, including your MS Office (Word). However, if you have the original disk, or product key card for online download, or it is linked to your Microsoft account, you can reinstall it once you factory reset your Macbook.
Question

My parents bought me a Mac Book 2.1 from Walmart. The old user's name is on it and I cannot do updates without their passwords. Can I reset everything and still be able to reinstall the operating system?

Yes, a complete reinstall of the OS will wipe the user data and passwords, though it may be easier to bring it to Walmart for a replacement; a full restore should have been done before it left the store so as not to compromise the previous user's data and personal information as well as preparing it for your use.
Question

What do I do if my Macbook has a folder with a ? mark inside?

Restart while holding down command+R. If you do this correctly, it will take you back to the Mac OS X Utilities dialog shown above.