Restore Macbook to Factory Settings Without Disk?

I have looked online to find out how to reset my laptop without the disk, except none of the solutions seem to work for someone with Leopard. I am about to sell my computer, and I want to erase everything off of the computer to make it like new (factory settings). Does anyone know how to do this on a Macbook running Leopard without using the disk?

You can't. If you don't have the disk, phone AppleCare and order a replacement; if desired, you can use a retail Mac OS X 10.6 DVD instead, but this isn't a true factory restore and won't install iLife.
(98239)

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How do I reset MacBook pro with lion back to factory settings without disk?

Good evening everyone,
I recently purchased a MacBook pro with lion installed and I need to reset it to factory settings without a disk. anyone know how to do this?

Restart it... and hold down command+R
then choose disk utility and format your disk
then choose reinstall lion
and it's back to default.
source of info: http://www.maclife.com/article/howtos/how_boot_lion%E2%80%99s_recovery_mode
apple way is most slam.
how u like me now?
i just did this right now and my system so so fresh and pure.

Macbook Pro from 2011. Can I restore to factory settings without disk?

Hello I think I downloaded a virus on my mac. I dont have time machine so the only option I think I have is to restore my macbook but I dont think my macbook was baught with Lion. What are my options? P.s. My Model Identifier:
MacBookPro8,1

Hello I think I downloaded a virus on my mac.
Before you waste time restoring your computer to factory settings, what makes you believe you have a virus? Although Macs are not invulnerable, malware on the Mac is quite rare and most of it can't make it past the built-in defenses in Mac OS X. So, it's very unlikely that you have malware. Post a clear, concise description of the problems you're having.
Also, if you don't have backups, that needs to be your absolute top priority. Without backups, it's just a matter of time before all your data is irrevocably destroyed.

Need to revert to Factory Settings without disk.

Hi,
I have a friend (isn't that how they all start?) who has a new macbook pro and needs to reset to factory settings as she wants rid of the user IDs and names on the accounts. She has Snow Leopard but no disks (none were in her box).
How would I be able to revert to factory settings so she could access the computer as if it was new, without disks. Is there anywhere I can download such software?
Thank you
Jo
p.s. I would use my macbook pro and try to burn off a reset disk but I'm using Lion and thought this would cause even more issues. Thanks.

"She has Snow Leopard but no disks (none were in her box)."
Not probable. She either misplaced or lost the disks. She should get a replacement set by calling AppleCare. Then she can do what she intends and provide the disks to the new owner (which she is required to do). She can't use your disks.

How to set iBook G4 back to factory settings without disk.

I'm about to sell my iBook G4. But I want it back to it's factory settings. I got told:
Turn off mac.
Restart and as soon as you see the white screen press;
Command and S.
Type in:
/sbin/fsck -fy
/sbin/mount -uw
rm /var/db/.AppleSetupDone
Reboot
but it doesn't reboot it. HELP!

You can't; that procedure will cause it to rerun the Setup Assistant, but it isn't an actual factory reset. If you want to use it anyway, use 'shutdown -h now' as the final command.
The computer shouldn't be sold without its original disks.
(72117)

Return 2009 mac mini to factory settings without disk

Hello I just bought a used 2009 mac mini and it has programs and a partion I dont want    command+R    dose not work I dont think it has a recovery   start up + command only shows one harddrive

If it's running Mavericks but has no Recovery HD, then you need to do the following:
Use a Snow Leopard retail DVD:
Clean Install of Snow Leopard
Be sure to make a backup first because the following procedure will erase
the drive and everything on it.
     1. Boot the computer using the Snow Leopard Installer Disc or the Disc 1 that came
         with your computer. Insert the disc into the optical drive and restart the computer.
         After the chime press and hold down the "C" key. Release the key when you see
         a small spinning gear appear below the dark gray Apple logo.
     2. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue
         button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
         After DU loads select the hard drive entry from the left side list (mfgr.'s ID and drive
         size.) Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. Set the number of
         partitions to one (1) from the Partitions drop down menu, click on Options button
         and select GUID, click on OK, then set the format type to MacOS Extended
         (Journaled, if supported), then click on the Apply button.
     3. When the formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed
         with the OS X installation and follow the directions included with the installer.
     4. When the installation has completed your computer will Restart into the Setup
         Assistant. Be sure you configure your initial admin account with the exact same
         username and password that you used on your old drive. After you finish Setup
         Assistant will complete the installation after which you will be running a fresh
         install of OS X. You can now begin the update process by opening Software
         Update and installing all recommended updates to bring your installation current.
Download and install Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1.
From here you can redownload Mavericks.

I'm having a small problem when trying to restore my macbook to the factory settings without the disk

Hey, everyone. Just a quick question. I know that to reset a macbook to it's factory settings without the disk you press the OPTION key during startup; however, when you do so, apparently you see 2 hard drives and one says "recovery." When I do it, I only see one hard drive that does not say recovery. Any one know why this could be? Thanks so much for any help offered.

shldr2thewheel wrote:
that option is only for 10.7 and higher. for 10.6 you need the disk.
I have 10.8 installed on this computer...I know it didn't come with it, it came with Snow Leopard....Anyway I've updated it, and when I boot if I press and hold the Option key, it still just boots off the drive. The only way I can get it to spring to life and do anything else is to press and hold Command + R in which case it then goes to the recovery option with the ability to restore OS X...Am I missing something??

How do I restore my MacBook to it's factory settings, without it's original disc?

How do I restore my MacBook to it's factory settings, without it's original disc?

Eustace gave you the correct answer here - you cannot restore your Mac to its factory settings without its original DVDs or a retail copy of another Mac OS, such as Snow Leopard.
You can try calling Apple to request a replacement set of DVDs, but I believe that also comes at a cost.
If your Mac is running Lion (OS X 10.7), then I believe the Recovery HD is available to you and can be used to wipe the computer and start fresh.
However, if you are running 10.5 or 10.6, the Recovery HD is not present and you must use a DVD.
~Lyssa

If I upgraded my MacBook Pro from Snow Leopard to Lion via the web and now wish to erase the hard drive and restore it to factory settings to sell. How do I accomplish this?

I upgraded the operating system on my MacBook Pro from Snow Leopard to Lion via the web. Now I need to erase the hard drive and restore it to factory settings, so that I can pass it on. How do I accomplish this? When I insert the Mac OS X install disk, the only option is to erase the free space. Any insight would be appreciated.
Thank you

You need to boot off the original Snow Leopard DVD's that came with the system.
Once you are running off of the DVD you will be able to do a clean install of SL
To boot off the DVD with the system up running Lion insert the DVD. Open Sytem Preferences->Startup Disk and select the DVD then restart the machine.
Message was edited by: Frank Caggiano

Taking family macbook to college, can I restore it to factory settings?

My mom has a macbook air with mountain lion that the whole famly uses (1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 GB 1067 MHz DDR3). We all have a login with documents, files etc stored on it. To save money I'm going to take it to college instead of buying a new one (plus it's light!) but I want to restore it to factory settings and start fresh. Is this possible? Should I take it to a mac store? Also, a friend of mine got extra storage added to her macbook pro (bought like 5 years ago) to make it faster, is it possible to do the same to mine?

You can only add more memory or change the HDD if the model you have permits that. The latest MBAs, for example, are not user upgradeable.
The last of the C2D MBA models supported a maximum of 4 GBs of RAM and came with flash drives, not HDDs. They are essentially not upgradeable.
Follow these instructions step by step to prepare a Mac for sale:
Step One - Back up your data:
       A. If you have any Virtual PCs shut them down. They cannot be in their "fast saved" state. They must be shut down from inside Windows.
       B. Clone to an external drive using using Carbon Copy Cloner.
          1. Open Carbon Copy Cloner.
          2. Select the Source volume from the Select a source drop down menu on the left side.
          3. Select the Destination volume from the Select a destination drop down menu on the right
              side.
          4. Click on the Clone button. If you are prompted about creating a clone of the Recovery HD be
              sure to opt for that.
               Destination means a freshly erased external backup drive. Source means the internal
               startup drive.
Step Two - Prepare the machine for the new buyer:
          1. De-authorize the computer in iTunes! De-authorize both iTunes and Audible accounts.
          2, Remove any Open Firmware passwords or Firmware passwords.
          3. Turn the brightness full up and volume nearly so.
          4. Turn off File Vault, if enabled.
          5. Disable iCloud, if enabled: See.What to do with iCloud before selling your computer
Step Three - Install a fresh OS:
     A. Snow Leopard and earlier versions of OS X
          1. Insert the original OS X install CD/DVD that came with your computer.
          2. Restart the computer while holding down the C key to boot from the CD/DVD.
          3. Select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu; repartition and reformat the internal hard drive.
              Optionally, click on the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
          4. Install OS X.
          5. Upon completion DO NOT restart the computer.
          6. Shutdown the computer.
     B. Lion and Mountain Lion (if pre-installed on the computer at purchase*)
         Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because
                   it is three times faster than wireless.
          1. Restart the computer while holding down the COMMAND and R keys until the Mac OS X
              Utilities window appears.
          2. Select Disk Utility from the Mac OS X Utilities window and click on the Continue button.
          3. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click
              on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
          4. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on the Security button
              and set the Zero Data option to one-pass.
          5. Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
          6. Quit DU and return to the Mac OS X Utilities window.
          7. Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
          8. Upon completion shutdown the computer.
*If your computer came with Lion or Mountain Lion pre-installed then you are entitled to transfer your license once. If you purchased Lion or Mountain Lion from the App Store then you cannot transfer your license to another party. In the case of the latter you should install the original version of OS X that came with your computer. You need to repartition the hard drive as well as reformat it; this will assure that the Recovery HD partition is removed. See Step Three above. You may verify these requirements by reviewing your OS X Software License.

I have an original iPad and need to restore it to factory settings. It was loaned to me and I don't have a back up via iTunes. Can anyone tell me how to do it without iTunes back up?

I have an oritinal iPad and need to restore it to factory settings. I've followed the instuctions from the reset menu. When it powers back up it takes me to a screen indicating I need to attach it to iTunes. The iPad was loaned to me so I did not have a need to back it up. Can anyone help me restore the settings without connecting to iTunes?

Helpjere-
When you reset to factory settings, you erased all content and settings. That restored it to factory settings except that it kept the latest iOS update.
The person who loaned it to you can connect it to iTunes on their computer. They will be given the option to restore from their backup.
Fred

My iphone 4 is disabled and asking to connect to itunes..... but i resently restored my laptop by which i deleted itune.. so i dont have any back up. so now how can i unlock my phone without restoring it to factory settings... because i eant all my stuff

my iphone 4 is disabled and asking to connect to itunes..... but i resently restored my laptop by which i deleted itune.. so i dont have any back up. so now how can i unlock my phone without restoring it to factory settings... because i eant all my stuff

there should ba a way to undisable it without loosing all of your data

HT1212 it says my ipod is disabled for 22 million minutes. any ideas on how to get it unlocked without restoring it to factory settings?

it says my ipod is disabled for 22 million minutes. any ideas on how to get it unlocked without restoring it to factory settings?

By restoring from backup or waiting
Place the iOS device in Recovery Mode and then connect to your computer and restore via iTunes. The iPod will be erased.
iOS: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
If recovery mode does not work try DFU mode.
How to put iPod touch / iPhone into DFU mode « Karthik's scribblings
For how to restore:
iTunes: Restoring iOS software
To restore from backup see:
iOS: How to back up
If you restore from iCloud backup the apps will be automatically downloaded. If you restore from iTunes backup the apps and music have to be in the iTunes library since synced media like apps and music are not included in the backup of the iOS device that iTunes makes.
You can redownload most iTunes purchases by:
Downloading past purchases from the App Store, iBookstore, and iTunes Store

TS1717 restoring default factory settings without itunes as both may have malware

How can I restoring default factory settings without itunes on my ipod 1 and ipod 3rd generation, as both may have malware aswell as 3 laptops, 2 mobile, TV snd BluRay Browser.
any advice will be greatly appreciated.
have tried to disinfect with Kaspersky products but the malware just overwrites everything that is put into the p.c. so I need to use just the pad itself, that is, of course, if it allows me access.
theres nothing like a ipad scorned, ask my weary eyes. cheers

yep, unfortunately can't reset without the passcode either.
With regards to doing a restore, do you mean:
open itunes on my computer
click on my device on the left
go to the device summary
click restore
it then asks if i want to back up before i restore (to which i say no)
then it asks me if i'm sure I want to restore to factory settings and that all of me media and data will be erased and replaced with the newest version ( to which I say yes)
then it takes about 90 mins to do this but when I look at my phone, everything is exactly the same.
Am I missing something? Obviously I'm technologically challenged, but I HAVE to get to the bottom of this!

Item unavailable when restoring a macbook to factory settings

I am in the process of restoring my Macbook to factory settings. while following the steps listed on the Apple website. Unfortunately when I get to the step where you select where the OS X will be installed on, I get an error message that says the item is temporarily unavailable Try again later. I attempted to complete the reset earlier as well and did not have this issue. Unfortunately, I had a limited internet connection and had to cancel. I am now stuck at the Mac OS X Utilities screen unable to install an operating system. I am attempting to reinstall OSX Lion (10.7).
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Hey RyNem,
It sounds as if your erase and reinstall of Lion on your MacBook Pro was interrrupted and you need to start over again. You should be able to restart the computer by holding down the power button to shut it down.
Use the steps in this article to erase and reinstall -
OS X Lion: Erase and reinstall Mac OS X
Note that it is important that you have a good Internet connection when doing this.
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
Be well,
Brett L

Restore Macbook to Factory Settings Without Disk?

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