Are you preparing your Mac for sale or trading it for a new model? Do you want to free up storage space? Or do you want to give your Mac a fresh start? You can achieve your objective by erasing all content and settings on your Mac.
Mac’s Erase Assistant is a new feature added to macOS Ventura, simplifying the process of deleting everything on your Mac. The feature also supports macOS Monterey. But if Erase Assistant is not working on your device and it isn’t because of a system glitch, it might be because your Mac doesn’t support this feature.
The answer to why is Erase Assistant not supported on my Mac is that you have an outdated OS, and your Mac doesn’t have a T2 Security Chip. The feature is available on Macs running Monterey and Ventura.
Now that you know why you see the error, let’s delve deeper into knowing about Erase Assistant and what it does.
What is the Meaning of Erasing All Content and Settings on Mac?
Starting from macOS Monterey, Apple has started borrowing features and designs from iOS to macOS. And macOS Ventura has further narrowed the gap between the two devices. This is why some users find that the System Settings on macOS Ventura is similar to the Settings application on iPad and iPhone. Similarly, Apple mirrors the Erase All Content and Settings feature to Mac.
This feature is also known as the Erase Assistant, and it is a robust option available on T2-secured Intel Macs and Apple Silicon Macs with macOS Monterey and macOS Ventura. The Erase Assistant can be used to reset your computer to factory settings and erase all the data and settings stored in the computer before reinstalling macOS.
Removing or deleting all content and settings is a good way to give your Mac a new start. It might be because you are selling your device or getting it ready to install macOS Sonoma, which is the next macOS version after Ventura and is due to make its official public introduction in the fall.
What does Erase Assistant Do?
The following things on your Mac are achieved with the Erase Assistant feature:
- You will be signed out of Apple services, including iCloud.
- Activation Lock and Find My will be disabled, so the Mac you are erasing is no longer associated with you.
- All the content, installed programs, and settings will be erased.
- The volumes on your computer will be erased. For instance, if you had used Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows on your Mac, it would be removed.
- All the user accounts and their associated data will be removed.
Steps to Erase All Content and Settings on Your Mac
It is essential to back up your essential files and folders before erasing all content and settings on your Mac. This feature gives your Mac a fresh start, and everything will be removed. After erasing all content and settings, switching on your Mac will feel like the first time you brought your Mac home. You will have to start the setup process from scratch.
Hence, if there is anything important on your computer that you will need for future reference, you must back it up via Time Machine or transfer it to iCloud.
Once the backup is created, follow the steps given below to erase all content and settings. Please note that the steps vary depending on your macOS version.
- Launch Erase Assistant. There are two ways to launch, depending on the macOS version.
- On macOS Ventura, go to the Apple menu and click System Settings > select General > choose Transfer and Reset > click Erase All Content and Settings.
- On macOS Monterey, navigate to the Apple menu and click System Preferences > select Erase All Content and Settings.
- Unlock Erase Assistant by entering the admin password.
- If the backup is already created, select Continue to bypass the Time Machine suggestion. If you have not created a backup, launch Time Machine and back up your data to an external drive.
- Select Continue to confirm your choice of removing all media, settings, and data.
- Enter your Apple ID password if prompted and click Continue.
- Start the removal process by clicking the Erase All Content and Settings option.
- Your Mac will restart, and you will see a progress bar or a black screen. You can switch off your device to leave it in an out-of-box state or proceed to set it up.
- Follow the instructions on the screen to switch on the accessory, select a network, choose a language, etc.
- Click Restart on the screen when it says Your Mac is Activated, and then the setup assistant will take you through the rest of the process.
Now you have a clean Mac, and you can load it up with anything you want.
So, now you know how to use the Erase Assistant feature. All the best!
