Are you looking for an easy way to reset your iMac? Maybe you’re experiencing technical issues, want to improve performance, or are planning to sell or give away your iMac. Whatever your reason, resetting your iMac can be a challenge, especially if you’re afraid of losing data or are unsure of the right steps. But don’t worry, we’ve put together a clear and simple step-by-step guide for you to reset your iMac without any hassle. Let’s get started!
Step-by-step plan for resetting your iMac
Here's our comprehensive step-by-step guide for resetting your iMac:
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Back up your data
Before you start resetting your iMac, it is important to back up all your important files and data. This can be easily done with Time Machine, the built-in backup feature of macOS. To do this, connect an external hard drive to your iMac. Then open Time Machine and select "Back Up Now". After that, all that is left is to wait for the backup process to complete. -
Sign out of iCloud and other accounts
To ensure your personal data is completely removed, you need to sign out of iCloud and other accounts. Go to “System Preferences” and click on “Apple ID”. Then select “Summary” and click on “Sign Out”. Repeat this process for other accounts such as iTunes, iMessage and FaceTime. -
Reboot your iMac into macOS Recovery
Restart your iMac and hold down the Command (⌘) and R keys until the Apple logo appears. Release the keys and wait for the macOS Recovery window to appear. -
Wipe the hard drive
Select "Disk Utility" and click "Continue". Choose your startup disk (usually "Macintosh HD") and click "Erase". Give the disk a name and select APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Now click "Erase" to complete the process. -
Reinstall macOS
Close Disk Utility and select “Reinstall macOS” in the macOS Recovery window. Follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall macOS. -
Complete the installation
Once the installation is complete, your iMac will restart and walk you through the Setup Assistant. Follow the instructions to set up your iMac as new or restore your data from your Time Machine backup.