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Erase all content and settings has arrived to macOS
October 28, 2021 by Haddayr Copley-Woods

MacOS Monterey feature: Erase all content and settings

The ability to erase all content and settings without a full reinstall is already included in iOS and iPadOS settings. But with macOS Monterey, Apple has now expanded this capability to Mac computers as well.

One of the most time-saving, new MacOS Monterey features is Erase All Content and Settings. This feature erases all user data and user-installed apps from a Mac without needing to reinstall the macOS. This saves Mac administrators time in situations such as offboarding employees or protecting vital company data in the case of a lost or stolen Mac.

Users can access this new feature from System Preferences in the menu bar at the top of the screen and then selecting "Erase All Content and Settings" in the drop-down menu. An administrator password is required to proceed with restoring the Mac to factory settings.

As an added safeguard against accidental deployment of this feature, Mac admins would do well to add allowEraseContentAndSettings to a restrictions payload from their MDM.

As ever, Jamf supports this feature and has since day one: our zero-day support has got you covered from the get-go.

Now, Mac admins have a clean, simple way to wipe a Mac and prepare it for another user. It also speeds up any testing of configuration workflows a department wants to perform. The ability to test with ease enables IT to test operating system upgrades and patches well in advance of rollout. This can ensure a smoother upgrade for end users.

And Mac admins can deploy this command at scale through Jamf with an EraseDevice command.

After erasing a Mac, the machine will display the Setup Assistant and be ready to be set up as a new device.

This capability is available on Mac computers with Apple silicon or the T2 chip running the new operating system.

Photo of Haddayr Copley-Woods
Haddayr Copley-Woods
Jamf
Haddayr Copley-Woods is a senior copywriter at Jamf. She writes about tech, specializing in Apple and Jamf with a focus on education, accessibility and security.
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