To factory reset a MacBook Pro without a password, the most common and effective method is to use macOS Recovery Mode to erase the startup disk and reinstall macOS. The steps differ slightly depending on whether your MacBook Pro has an Intel processor or Apple silicon (M1 or later):
- Identify your Mac's processor type:
- Click the Apple menu > About This Mac.
- If it shows "Chip" with a name, it's Apple silicon.
- If it shows "Processor" with Intel name, it's Intel-based.
- Enter Recovery Mode:
- For Intel Macs: Shut down the Mac. Press and hold Command (⌘) + R, then press the power button. Keep holding until the Apple logo or recovery screen appears.
- For Apple silicon Macs: Shut down the Mac. Hold the power button until the startup options appear, then select Options > Continue.
- In macOS Utilities:
- Select Disk Utility.
- Choose the boot disk (usually "Macintosh HD"). Make sure to select the disk itself, not just the volume.
- Click Erase, format as APFS, and confirm.
- After erasing, exit Disk Utility and select Reinstall macOS from the Utilities menu.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS.
- After reinstall, the Mac will be like new and prompt for setup.
Note: If Activation Lock is enabled (linked to the original owner's Apple ID), after reset the Mac will still require that Apple ID and password to activate. This method wipes the entire content and allows factory resetting without needing the original password, but it will remove all data on the device and create a fresh system install.
