I intend on returning my Macbook Air M1 for a refund today and have already deleted the data in the computer through the "Erase Data" option in recovery mode. I am now reinstalling macOS and am wondering if I should be good after reinstalling the OS in regards to my personal data. I assume that after I erased all the data on the computer that all my personal data should be clear, including my iCloud information right? What's weird is that to reinstall the operating system I had to put my Wifi password and the computer recognized the wifi connection to be linked to an Apple account and I had to input what I believe is my iCloud email and password. I just want to get rid of this already and don't want to be in danger of leaving data in this.
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Question about Factory Reset
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When you reinstall the OS, do not enter your Apple ID etc. Doing that tied that install to your ID again. You need to start the process over and when it ask you to enter your Apple ID and password, turn the Mac off.
Apple will reinstall the OS as from factory anyway.
Apple will reinstall the OS as from factory anyway.
Ermm, i'm a little confused, at the end there you said that Apple will reinstall the OS as from factory anyway, so I shouldn't worry about anything or what do you mean? Today is the last day to return this laptop and I don't have enough time to restart the OS install and wait for it to finish and return it, are you saying that I need to cancel the current process or otherwise when a new user opens the computer it will have my iCloud all over again?
If you don't have time to go through the process again, go ahead and return it to Apple. Log into AppleID.apple.com and if the M1 is listed in your devices, remove it. You should be ok.
When Apple receives the M1, they will restore it to the state it was when you received it.