Recover Mac Data After Factory Reset in 3 Ways [2024] (2024)

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On this page you will find practical solutions to undo the deletionrecover Mac data after factory resetand an additional guide to reset your MacBook Pro without losing data.

Recently, I reinstalled my entire macOS on my crashed MacBook, and then I discovered that some files, such as images and documents, were gone after I reinstalled macOS. Is there any way I can recover Mac data after a factory reset?

According to most Mac usersReinstall macOS, Mac OS X ofRestore Mac factory settingsalways follows a system crash, computer slowdown or even when Mac users need to throw away their old Mac computer for sale.

Recover Mac Data After Factory Reset [3 Solutions]

Therefore, whether you have made a backup determines the feasible ways to recover Mac files due to factory reset. And we have collected here 3 practical ways that you can try:

1. #1.Run Mac file recovery software to help
2. #2.Restore from Time Machine Backup from external drive
3. #3.Restore from iCloud backup

The first file recovery method presented has the highest chance of recovering lost Mac data. Based on your situation, choose the right solution with the guide to recover your lost files immediately.

#1. Restore Mac files to factory settings using Mac file recovery software

✅Applies to:Find and recover all lost files after resetting macOS without backup.

When you lose data after resetting your Mac to factory settings or reinstalling the latest macOS, you can ease your concerns by using reliableData recovery software for Mac.

Among many Mac data recovery tools, we recommend you try itEaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac.When it comes torecover permanently deleted Mac filesAfter reinstalling macOS or Mac OS X, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is 100% sure to get your data back.

• It supportsMac USB-hersteland external storage devices to find and retrieve all files.
• It can easily restore your Mac after a factory reset even if you never backup your files.
• This software can save the recovered data and files to your iCloud in one click.

Steps to recover files after factory reset Mac:

Step 1. Search for lost files

Select the drive location to search for lost files (it can be an internal HDD/SSD or a removable storage device) on macOS Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, Ventura and the latest Sonoma. Click the “Search for Lost Files” button.

Remark:Before recovering data, you'd better click "Disk Backup" on the left sidebar to backup your Mac to prevent further data loss. After backup, the software can recover data from Mac backup and your computer can transfer new data again.

Step 2. View the scan results

The EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scan results.

Step 3. Select the files and recover them

From the scan results, select the files you want to preview and click the "Recover" button to get them back.

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac is powerful, safe and easy to use and is recommended as the best solution for Mac data recovery. The effectiveness of this method has been proven by its users. Don't hesitate to try it.

❓Can you recover files after resetting your Mac to factory settings or reinstalling macOS? Yes!

Normally, you may lose some of your files on your Mac after you reinstall macOS or Mac OS If you are facing a data loss problem, you may be wondering whether you can recover files lost by reinstalling macOS or Mac OS X. The answer is YES!

macOS reinstallation or factory reset Mac only performs a quick swipe of the volume. As a result, the file folder is deleted, but no data is written to the disk, so the original data is not overwritten.

This fact makes it possible to recover Mac data after resetting the Mac operating system to factory settings, as long as you take action quickly.

You should stop using your computer if your data is lost in case of overwriting. UsageEaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac. Get back your lost Mac files after reinstalling macOS/Mac OS

#2. Restore from Time Machine Backup to external drive

✅Applies to:Recover files lost due to a Mac factory reset from a Time Machine backup to an external drive.

The other practical method you can use to get back lost Mac files after factory reset is toTime Machine-back-up. Congratulations if you've created a Time Machine on an external hard drive.

You will completely recover your lost files on Mac with 100% success rate. Let's see how to get back your lost Mac files after reinstalling macOS or Mac OS

Restore Factory Settings Deleted Files from Time Machine Backup

Trin 1.Make sure your external Time Machine backup drive is connected to your Mac and turned on.

Trin 2.Open Launchpad on Mac and click “Other”. Find and click the Time Machine icon to open Time Machine.

Trin 3.Use the up and down arrows to scroll through the timeline and browse the backups that contain your lost files.

Trin 4.Find the lost Mac files you want to recover and click "Recover".

It automatically recovers lost data from Time Machine on macOS Big Sur/Catalina/Mojave.

After this, you can restart your Mac computer; then you can see and reuse the files lost by reinstalling macOS/Mac OS

#3. Restore files after restoring Mac to factory settings via iCloud Backup

✅Applies to:Sync and restore Mac data from iCloud backup, for free.

You're a lucky person if you synced or uploaded important Mac data to iCloud before using afactory reset without password. You can recover your lost files easilyiCloud-back-up.

Steps to recover files due to factory reset on Mac

Trin 1.Visit iCloud.com via your Mac browser and sign in with your Apple ID.

Trin 2.Go to Settings and scroll down. Click "Recover Files" under Advanced.

Tip: To restore contacts, bookmarks, calendars and reminders from iCloud, click the corresponding option under Advanced.

Trin 3.Check the backup files or click "Select All" if you really want to restore everything. Click the Restore button to restore them.

Once you complete the above steps, most of your files lost due to factory reset or reinstalling macOS will reappear on your computer.

Bonus Tip: Restore Mac to Factory Settings or Reinstall Mac without Data Loss

Although once you have performed a factory reset on Mac, you can recover the lost files if the recommended solutions are above. But it is actually complex and time-consuming.

By following the tips below, we will guide you through the short process below to reset your Mac to factory settings or reinstall macOS without losing data.

#1. First, backup your Mac data to an external device

It is important to back up all your data beforehand. You can use Time Machine to copy your files to an external drive or use reliable Mac file backup software for help.

Or you can even manually copy files to an external hard drive one by one.

To save time and energy, we recommend using Time Machine orEaseUS Todo Backup for Mac.

- Use of time machine

• Benefit:①. Free; ②. Easy to use;
• Cons:You need to select files one by one for backup.

- Use EaseUS Todo Backup

• Benefit:①. Easy to use; ②. 3 Steps to Backup Mac to External Drive.
• Cons:Not for free.

#2. Prepare your Mac to restore factory settings or reinstall macOS

Before you reinstall macOS or Mac OS

1. 1. Do not allow iTunes
2. 2. Disable FileVault
3. 3. Turn off iCloud
4. 4. Sign out of iMessage
5. 5. Clear Touch Bar Data (Also Read:MacBook TouchBar not working)

Once you have completed the preparations, you can start restoring to factory settings or reinstalling your Mac OS X or macOS with the following tip.

#3. How to reset or restore MacBook Pro, MacBook, MacBook Air, iMac/iMac Pro to factory settings

Now you can follow the steps here to start resetting your Mac:

Trin 1.Restart your Mac in macOS recovery mode

Restart your Mac and hold down the Command and R keys at the same time to open the macOS Utilities window.

Trin 2.Erase Mac hard drive

Open Disk Utility and click "Continue" > Select your startup disk (Macintosh HD) and click "Erase" > Select "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" and click "Erase."

Trin 3.Reinstall macOS on your Mac computer

Repeat step 1 to display macOS utilities > Click "Reinstall macOS" > Confirm to reinstall macOS and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

If you are done with the process, congratulations. You've reinstalled your macOS and the Mac now works like a brand new computer.

#4. Restore files from backup

As for the data you backed up in advance, you can use Time Machine or EaseUS Todo Backup for Mac to instantly restore it to your Mac with your backup.

Conclusion

This page discusses three practical solutions to help you recover files efficiently after resetting your Mac to factory settings or reinstalling macOS/Mac OS

If you didn't make a backup before resetting your Mac, use the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac as an emergency rescue. It will scan your lost files and take them away immediately.

If you're looking for a complete guide on how to hard reset your MacBook Pro, check out and follow the guide at the bottom of this page. For more data recovery tips, seeMac file recoveryon our site for help.

Frequently Asked Questions - Recover Mac Factory Reset Files

You have learned how to recover Mac data after a factory reset. Read the questions and answers below for more help.

1. How to recover deleted files on Mac?

You canrecover deleted files on macwith the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard. Here are the steps to recover lost data from MacBook and iMac.

• Download and run the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac
• Select the drive and select Search for lost files
• After the scan, select the desired files and preview them
• Then click Recover to get back lost Mac data

2. Can data be recovered from Mac after a factory reset?

Yes, you can recover Mac data after a factory reset. If you have a Time Machine or iCloud backup, you can restore your Mac data after a factory reset.

3. How much does it cost to recover data from Mac?

If your data is less than 2 GB, you can do thatrecover 2 GB data for free. If your data is larger than 2 GB, it will cost $89.95.

4. Does Mac have built-in data recovery?

Apple has built a built-in backup and recovery program called Time Machine into all modern Mac operating systems. This app allows you to make regular backups of all files, which you can later use to recover data that has been accidentally deleted or lost.