Complete Guide To Fix VirtualBox Errors While Installing Mac OS X At the WWDC 2018, Apple released the new macOS 10.14 Mojave — Packed with a significant number of features. The newly designed macOS is integrated with advanced security in a new interface, unique appearance, new features, new functions. Jun 26, 2020 Disk Utility is free and included with every copy of the Mac OS. And while the various cloning apps have a lot more features, if you don’t have access to third-party apps, using Disk Utility will create a perfectly usable clone, although it may require a few more steps and lacks some nice features, such as automation and scheduling.

An Apple Macintosh computer can get a virus or malware infection, so the short answer to the question is Yes. However, it's less likely for an Apple Macintosh computer to be infected compared to a MicrosoftWindows computer.

Note

The term 'virus' and 'malware' are often used interchangeably. For the sake of simplicity, 'virus' will be used on this page and refers to either a virus or malware.

Several examples of viruses that have infected Apple Macintosh computers include the following.

  • Flashback malware - Infected over 600,000 Apple computers in April 2012; designed to steal user's personal information, including account login credentials.
  • OSX/KitM.A virus - Infected a small number of Apple computers in May 2013; designed to take screenshots of a user's desktop and upload to one of several websites.
  • OSX.PROTON - Infected thousands of Apple computers in 2017; designed to steal user's account credentials by accessing the macOS Keychain app.
  • OSX/MaMi - Infected several thousand or more Apple computers in January 2018; designed to allow a person to view a computer's Internet traffic, also called 'snooping.'

In 2015, the senior e-threat analyst at Bitdefender, Bogdan Botezatu, was quoted as saying 'Mac OS X software has more high-risk vulnerabilities than all versions of Windows put together.' Despite that statement and apparent fact, Mac computers are still infected by viruses much less often than Windows computers. Below are some of the reasons why Apple Macintosh computers do not have as many viruses as Windows computers:

  1. Beginning with macOS X in March 2001, Macintosh operating systems are built on 'Darwin,' a fork of the BSDkernel.
  2. Most of the computer virus writers are more familiar with the IBM platform and Microsoft Windows, which means it's easier for them create a virus for that platform.
  3. Many of the tools, scripts, and code used to create viruses or other malware are designed for Microsoft Windows.
  4. Many of the targets of viruses are governments and businesses, with an aim to either steal information, money, or create havoc. The majority of computers used by government agencies and businesses have the Windows operating system, resulting in most viruses being targeted towards Windows computers, instead of Macs.
Note

If you are running a virtual PC on your Apple Macintosh or Windows in Bootcamp, because it is emulating Microsoft Windows, it can become infected with Windows viruses.

Software and plug-in threats

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Although the Apple OS is more secure than many versions of Windows, additional software, plug-ins, and add-ons that connect to the Internet can introduce security vulnerabilities. The most common ways to attack a Mac computer is through a third-party browser and browser plugins, like Adobe Reader, Flash, and Java. Today, most Mac users have these plugins installed and enabled on the computer, and, in doing so, compromise the overall security of the system.

Additional security threats

Although a Mac is less susceptible to viruses, Mac users can still be the victims of trojan horses, phishing scams, and online fraud. If you are a Mac computer user, we still recommend keeping informed about how to keep safe while online. There is no such thing as a 100% safe computer. Mac, Windows, and even Linux computers are all capable of being infected with a virus or other malware.

Additional information

  • See our malware and virus definitions for further information and related links.

Resetting Mac to factory settings offers a simple and effective way to counter MacOS problems. It is an easy way to wipe the Macbook of unwanted data and gives it a new life. Also if you are considering selling or giving away your device you should always Wipe your Macbook so that no one can access your data.

Are you wondering how to clean my Mac utilities app? Our guide here will discuss some of the efficient methods to reset Mac to factory settings. Read ahead to learn more about how to factory reset Mac and wipe away all your data from it.

Security Alerts

Before performing a factory reset for your Mac device ensure that you have a proper backup so that no personal information is compromised and it avoids you from suffering any data losses. Also ensure that you sign out from iMessage, iCloud and other accounts before you factory reset your Mac device.

How To Completely Wipe A Mac Methods To Factory Reset Mac

Resetting Mac to factory settings is an efficient way to give your old PC a new life and also offers an easy way to erase data and deep clear Mac devices to remove any leftover traces.

So, without wasting any more time, let’s learn from scratch how to erase everything from the Mac laptop.

1. Restart Your Mac Device

If you are trying to restore Mac to factory settings then restarting your device is the first step towards it. Doing this is exceptionally easy, just hold the power button until a dialogue box appears on your Mac screen, choose the Restart button from the list of options displayed.

Alternatively, you can also click on the Apple button located on the top left corner of your device screen and then choose restart from the drop-down list.

To reset Mac to factory settings you can also use keyboard shortcuts. Simultaneously press Control + Command + Eject button.

2. Open In Recovery Mode

Yet another useful method to reset Mac to factory settings. Open your device in Recovery Mode by pressing the Command + R key on the keyboard until the Apple sign appears on the screen. Doing this will boot your device in Recovery mode. Now enter the set user id and password to access the device. Here you can access help documentations, erase data, create Time Machine backup, install new OS and also repair all the damaged and problematic disks.

Read Also: Best App for Removing Duplicate Photos on Mac

3. Erase your Data

Wondering how to reset Mac to factory settings, follow simple steps to get the job done. So, once you are finished restarting your device, it’s time to clear your Macbook along with the data stored on it.

  • Under the Internal Headings pick the relevant startup disk.
  • Now from the Disk Utility Window click on the Erase button.
  • A new dialog box will appear on your Mac screen.
  • To Wipe your Macbook, set the format to Journaled.
  • Now click on the Erase button.
  • Wait for the process to complete, Once it is done choose The Quit Disk Utility option from the top left corner of your device screen.

These simple steps provide an easy way on how to completely wipe a Mac device, but an important point to remember here is that once you erase your data you cannot recover it under any circumstances. So we recommend you to have a proper backup to avoid any data losses before you wipe your Macbooks.

Read Also: What is The Best Antivirus Software for Mac

4. Reinstall MacOS

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If you are considering selling your Mac device you should be well aware of how to reset Mac to factory settings to avoid giving unwanted access to your private data to anyone else. The next step to factory reset Mac is to reinstall macOS on your device. For this follow simple steps as mentioned below:

  • Launch the Mac Utilities Screen.
  • Then select the Reinstall option and follow the steps as described.
  • Doing this will install a clear version of the operating system on your Mac device.

5. Restore From Backup

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So, once you are through following the above steps, now is the time to restore the backup to created before resetting Mac to factory settings.

Important Things to Do Before You Restore Mac To Factory Settings

Now that you have learned how to completely wipe a Mac, here are a few important points to remember. There are greater chances that you might suffer data loss while Wiping your Macbook, so if you don’t want to lose any important data here are a few recommended actions that you should be well aware of.

  • Create Backup: Before your clear Mac ensure that you have created a proper backup of all your important files and data. Usually, people tend to underestimate this step but regret later on as once you factory reset your Mac device there is no chance that you can recover your data.
  • Sign out of iCloud: Another important point to remember before you reset Mac to factory settings is to sign out of your iCloud account. To do so, open the Apple menu, then choose Apple ID from the System Preferences option. In the next step choose iCloud and deactivate the Find My Mac option. To finish, open the Overview section and click on the Sign Out button. Remember doing this before you device to reset Mac to factory settings.
  • Sign Out of iTunes: This step does not hold any relevance for users who are working on macOS Catalina, but for others, it is an important step to remember while resetting mac to factory settings. Follow the steps to sign out of iTunes, Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize your device.

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  • Sign out of iMessage: Doing this is fairly simple, just launch the Messages app on your device, then choose the Messages option followed by the Preferences button. Select the iMessage button and finally click on the Sign Out button.
  • Unpair Bluetooth: Another recommender step to consider before you Wipe your Macbook is to unpair Bluetooth connection. Apple menu> System Preferences > Bluetooth > Unpair all the connected devices.

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Read Also: Best Free App Uninstaller For Mac

Mac

Final Words: Factory Reset Mac Wipe Macbook Completely

We hope our guide on how to completely wipe a Mac has been of great assistance to you and has been able to clear all your doubts around it. The above-mentioned step will help you reset your Mac to factory settings with utmost perfection and ease.