How to delete everything on Macbook Air? (Quick Guide 2023)

When we want to say goodbye to our MacBook, whether it’s because we’re selling it, passing it to someone else, or it’s just not feeling well due to a virus, there are good reasons to start from deletion. It’s not only about keeping our personal stuff safe, but it’s also essential for our company’s safety if we’re upgrading our computers. To give our MacBook a fresh start, we need to figure out how to delete everything from its hard drive and put a brand-new operating system in there.

So if you don’t know how could you totally bring it to the start through delete everything, then you will acknowledge through this article. 

What steps could we do to delete everything on Macbook Air?

Before I start the process of cleaning my MacBook Air and starting fresh, I want to ensure that all my important data is safely backed up. I’ll use iCloud and an external hard drive to make sure nothing is lost.

Next, I’ll sign out of all my accounts. It’s crucial to disconnect my iTunes, iCloud, and iMessage accounts from the MacBook to avoid any issues during the reset.

To speed up the process, I’ll turn off FileVault, which encrypts my files.

Now, I’m ready to proceed with the reset. Since I’m using macOS Monterey or a later version:

• I click on the Apple menu (the Apple logo) in the top left corner of my screen.
• I select “System Preferences” and click on “General” in the sidebar (scrolling down if I don’t see it).
• On the right side, I click on “Transfer or Reset” and then choose “Erase All Content and Settings.”
• The Erase Assistant appears, and I enter my administrator information and click “Unlock.”
• I review the list of items that will be removed, including my files and settings.
• If there are multiple user accounts on my Mac, I click the arrow next to my account name to review what will be deleted.
• I click “Continue” and follow the onscreen instructions.
• My Mac will restart, and it will guide me through the initial setup, just like when I first got my MacBook Air.

For older macOS versions like Big Sur, the process is slightly different:

• I restart my MacBook Air.
• While it’s restarting, I press and hold the “Command” and “R” keys together to access macOS Utilities.
• In macOS Utilities, I select “Disk Utility” and click “Continue.”
• I find my startup disk (usually named something like “Macintosh HD”) in the list on the left.
• I click on it and then click the “Erase” button at the top.
• I give my disk a name and choose a format (either “Mac OS Extended” or “APFS”).
• I click “Erase” to wipe the disk clean.
• After erasing, I exit Disk Utility and select “Reinstall macOS” from the macOS Utilities menu.

Some additional tips to keep in mind:

• To unpair Bluetooth devices, I go to the Apple Menu, select “System Preferences,” and then choose “Bluetooth.” I click on the devices I want to remove and click the “X” to unpair them.
• If I use iTunes, I open it, go to “Account,” then “Authorizations,” and choose “Deauthorize This Computer.”
• To sign out of iCloud, I go to the Apple Menu, select “System Preferences,” click “Apple ID” in the sidebar, choose “iCloud,” and click “Sign Out.”
• To sign out of iMessage, I open the Messages app, go to “Preferences,” select “iMessage,” and click “Sign Out.”
• I turn off FileVault by going to the Apple Menu, selecting “System Preferences,” choosing “Security & Privacy,” clicking the lock icon (entering my password), and then turning off FileVault.

It’s crucial to have my administrator password ready during these steps. I’m aware that following these instructions will erase everything on my MacBook Air, so I’ve made sure to back up what I need before proceeding.

Summary 

In the last,you should keep your data data safe when  you saying goodbye to your MacBook Air. And you cam do this by follow these steps: Back up important files using iCloud or an external drive. Sign out from accounts like iTunes and iCloud. Turn off encryption like FileVault. The steps for erasing the MacBook vary by macOS version, but if we do it right, our laptop starts fresh, and we can say goodbye with confidence, knowing our data is secure.

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