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I am struggling to figure out the best route to take for this: I have several Macs that have been sent back to me within my organization that I need to reset and prepare for the next user but the one thing we want above all else is the ability for the devices to be able to reset and then have the current macOS installed.

I have tried installing from USB but that doesn't seem to be what we are looking for as this requires that I set up the whole device, enable USB, and then install macOS.

How can I install the latest macOS easily (assume the Mac supports it) and such that the next user starts using it fresh as if the Mac just came out of the box?

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  • Would it be easier to create a payload in Apple Configurator that loads macOS Monterey/Ventura(When its available)?
    – K3str3l
    Commented Sep 8, 2022 at 13:04

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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If these computers are Intel computers, use recovery mode. At startup press:

  • ⌘+R: Reinstall the operating system already installed
  • ⌘+⌥+R: Reinstall the latest macOS operating system available
  • ⌘+⌥+⇧+R: Reinstall the original macOS operating system for that device, if available

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/use-macos-recovery-on-an-intel-based-mac-mchl338cf9a8/mac

If these devices are Apple Silicon, hold the power button at startup. You can only reinstall using this approach the latest OS.

Before reinstalling, you'll need to erase the disk. You can do that using the information in this support articles: https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208496

Some issues can arise if the user registered the device on Find My and didn't properly de-register it. If you are regularly following this process, users should sign out of Find My (ideally never sign in in the first place if it's a company device...) and ensure they've removed their account.

This document outlines everything Apple recommends before selling. In the future, Steps 2-6 should be done by the user before sending it to you, if possible.

https://support.apple.com/HT201065

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    This isn't going to prep for a new user though, it will preserve the existing user unless you nuke first - What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac - I'm not sure this is the best method for a company Mac though, some kind of MDM solution would be more appropriate, but that's not my area of expertise.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 16:29
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    If you want a clean reinstall for an Apple Silicon device, use Apple Configurator 2 from another Mac - faster and easier. See here: support.apple.com/guide/apple-configurator-mac/…
    – da4
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 16:35
  • After the edit - It's also very dependent on releasing it from the last user, which is why you want MDM… otherwise you can get stuck on 'Find My'.
    – Tetsujin
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 17:59
  • This is true, but that's either been done or not. I'll add a note though.
    – Ezekiel
    Commented Sep 6, 2022 at 18:03

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