How to fix the "Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac" error (2024)

Mac users have often reported this error: “Erase Assistant is not supported on this MacThis Erase Assistant is important in restoring your MacBook to factory settings before trading or selling your Mac. Another reason to use the Erase Assistant is to erase your Mac before reinstalling macOS. This built-in tool on your Mac allows you to:

• Eliminate and delete the user accounts along with the data they store.
• Delete content, programs and settings on Mac devices, ordelete Mac.
• Disable Activation Lock and Find My on your Mac to prevent the Mac from being removed from the iCloud service.
• Erase all volumes on your Mac, not just the one it containsmacOS.

You're not alone if you encounter the "Delete Assistant is not supported on this Mac" error. If you are facing this error while trying to do a factory reset, you have come to the right place! This article will help you understand these problems and the possible ways”how to fix Erase Assistant is not supported on this MacSo let's get started!

Why do I get the message 'Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac'

This built-in Erase Assistant tool is available on Intel-based and Apple Silicon Macs. It is also important to know if you have macOS Monterey or newer versions with aT2 callsecurity chip, then you only have this Erase Assistant function. If your Mac cannot meet the software or hardware requirements, you cannot use the Erase Assistant tool.

In other words, if you get the error message: “Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac”.macOS Montereyor Ventura, the system does not have the required T2 or Apple Silicon chip. This is why the error occurs on the older macOS versions that are not compatible with the chips.

To make sure your MacBook has a T2 or M1 and M2 chip, these are the main steps you need to check:

Trin 1.PressMac Spotlight shortcut, Command + Space, and type “System Information”.

Trin 2.Tap the system information to launch it.

Trin 3.Select iBridge or Controller on the left.

If you can't see it"Apple M1-chipor M2 chip" or "Apple T2 Security Chip", it is impossible to use Erase Assistant on your Mac.

How to fix the "Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac" error

This error message "Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac" is standard. But you can get past this if you erase your MacRecovery mode. As previously mentioned, the Erase Assistant tool is available on Intel Mac or Apple Silicon Mac with a T2 chip, as long as those MacBooks run Monterey or later.

If you have an outdated macOS version or own an incompatible device, you will never use this toolreset your MacBook Pro to factory settingsor air. Therefore, in these situations, the best way to wipe your Mac is to use macOS Recovery. The steps are shown below:

In the case of Apple Silicon Macs:

Trin 1.Turn off your Mac to boot it into macOS Recovery. You can do this by clicking the Apple logo in the menu bar at the top left of your Mac. Select "Disable".

Trin 2.Give your Mac a few minutes to shut down completely. When disabled, the screen is black.

Trin 3.Press and hold the Mac's power button to turn on macOS RecoveryApple Silicon Mac's.

In the case of Intel-based Macs:

Trin 1.To dive into macOS Recovery, tapIntel-based Macs, hold down the Command + R button on your keyboard.

Trin 2.Continue holding the special keys until you see the Load Startup Settings screen.

Trin 3.Select "Settings" and then press the "Continue" button in the startup settings window.

Trin 4.Select a volume that you will be asked to select on the next screen. If so, select one you want to download and press "Next".

Trin 5.Select the administrator account and press "Next".

Trin 6.On the next screen you will be asked to enter the account password.

Trin 7.Press the "Continue" button after entering the password.

Trin 8.You have successfully launched macOS Recovery on your Mac.

How to reset Mac to factory settings in recovery mode when Erase Assistant isn't working

After learning how to boot your Mac into recovery mode on Intel-based and Apple Silicon Macs, you can start wiping your Mac without Erase Assistant.

Trin 1.Boot your Mac into Disk Utility and click "Continue."

Trin 2.Select the internal hard drive from the sidebar and remove it. The internal hard drive is usually called Macintosh HD.

Trin 3.After clearing all data on Macintosh HD, here's what you need to doReinstall macOSto start.

That's all! How to fix the "Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac" error. Share this passage with your friends to follow the steps mentioned here to eliminate this error.

Why can't I find my Erase Assistant on Mac?

Erase all content and settings on Macis an important option to help users unroot their Mac devices and restore them to factory settings. You will only find this option if you have a T2 or M1 & M2 chip on your MacBook Monterey. But do not worry! In this section, you will know the steps to find Erase Assistant on macOS Monterey and Ventura. We will also inform you how to use this clearing assistant to reset your MacBook.

Steps to find Erase All Content and Settings on macOS Monterey:

Trin 1.Choose the Apple menu and choose System Preferences.

Trin 2.Under System Preferences you will see “Clear all content and settings”.

Steps to find Erase All Contents and Settings on macOS Ventura:

Trin 1.Press the Apple menu and select System Preferences.

Trin 2.Select "General".

Trin 3.Select “Transfer or Reset”.

Trin 4.Here you will see the 'Clear all content and settings' tab.

How to delete all content and settings on macOS Ventura/Monterey

Since you already learned how to find this setting on macOS Monterey or Ventura, it's time to follow the steps to format your MacBook.

Trin 1.Click the 'Clear all content and settings' button.

Trin 2.Enter your administrator password to confirm your role.

Trin 3.Select a Time Machine backup. You can participate in or skip this step by pressing Continue.

Trin 4.All data, settings and media will be deleted from your MacBook. Press the Continue button to confirm your selection.

Trin 5.Make sure you sign out of the Apple ID by entering the password.

Trin 6.Your MacBook will be hard reset after you press the button with red words.

Trin 7.Wait a few times for the process to complete. Press the "Restart" button, adjust the settings and use your MacBook.

If you want to reset your Mac to factory settings without a password, read this article for detailed instructions:

Recover files after using Erase Assistant on Mac

Data loss scenarios can occur anytime when all content and settings on your macOS Ventura or Monterey are deleted. So it's inevitable! Have you recently lost an important file while troubleshooting the 'Delete Assistant is not supported on this Mac' error? Don't be surprised! With professional software for retrieving data by nameEaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, you can quickly recover all lost data with a single click.

This tool helps you recover all types of data and facilitates data retrieval in various aspects:

• ?️Use it forrecover deleted files on your Mac. Mac users are allowed to download documents, audio, photos, etc.
• ?Handles a variety of file formats, including FAT (FAT16, FAT32), APFS, HFS+, HFS X, exFAT, NTFS and others.
• ?Powerful enough to help you safely recover data from many devices and provide supportMac USB-herstel.

Download this professional tool today forrecover files after factory reset macwith Erase Assistant!

Step 1. Search for lost files

Select the drive location to search for lost files (it can be internal HDD/SSD or external hard drive) where you lost data and files. Click the “Search for Lost Files” button.

Remark:Before recovering data, you'd better click "Disk Backup" on the left sidebar to backup your HDD/SSD to prevent further data loss. After the backup, the software can recover data from your disk backup and you can use the HDD or SSD again.

Step 2. View the scan results

This software immediately scans your selected disk volume and displays images, documents, audios, videos and emails in the left panel.

Step 3. Select the files and recover them

Click on the data to view it and click the "Recover" button to get it back.

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What if, despite being familiar with the basics of macOS, you encounter an error message that says "Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac?" If you have an Intel-based Mac without a T2 Security chip, you will inevitably not be able to work around this problem.

However, you can still delete all files and preferences on your Mac. Hopefully, this article has shown the possible ways to fix this error and how to use the Erase Assistant. If you lost data while fixing this error, download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac to get data quickly.

Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac FAQ

Check out the frequently asked questions below to better understand the topic:

1. How to factory reset MacBook Big Sur without Erase Assistant?

You should know that there is no Erase Assistant on macOS Big Sur. Follow the steps tofactory reset MacBook Big Surwithout removal assistant:

• Start the MacBook in Disk Utility. Select Disk Utility and continue.
• The disks are kept in the left column in the Disk Utility app.
• Select the internal drive known as Macintosh HD. With the drive highlighted, select Erase.
• After uninstalling Macintosh HD, reinstall macOS Big Sur.

2. Why is Erase Assistant not supported on this Mac?

This Erase Assistant is not supported with this Mac error because your macOS does not have Apple Silicon or is not an Intel-based Mac with a T2 security chip. Another reason is that it does not support Erase Assistant.

3. How to Erase All Content and Settings on macOS Monterey?

In the case of macOS Monterey, you will find this option in the Apple menu in the corner of the screen. Then select System Preferences. Under this option you will see 'Erase all content and settings'.

4. Can I recover data after using Erase Assistant on Mac?

It is possible to retrieve your MacBook data using professional data recovery software called EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac after using this Erase Assistant.