Regarding Mac Set Up after Erasing All Content and Settings

[9138988]

Hi, I wanted to use the erase all content and features setting on my m1 air due to some suspicious behaviors, and I was just wondering if whether this was safe to do so due to the following circumstances.

My school uses eduoram which is encrypted and secured wifi, but to get to this connection you have to first connect to the unencrypted http legacy network for it to prompt you to download an application that would essentially allow you to connect to the encrypted network. If I were to reset my mac, it would redownload mac os itself connected to the http legacy network upon setting it back up because I cant download the application to get on the encrypted network before the device is getting set up and the mac uses wifi to download the OS again. Is this secure? Can anything occur to my mac if I reset it up with the http unsecured wifi? Does the redownloading of the OS process reveal anything that could compromise my device when it gets set back up?

Thank you.

 

[chabig]

If I were to reset my mac, it would redownload mac os itself...

Reset all Content and Settings doesn't reinstall the operating system. It just erases all user content and settings, leaving the machine in a factory fresh state, just as if it was brand new out of the box. So you would just set it up again exactly as you did when it was new.

 

[galad]

Yes it's secure. macOS installer and updates are signed, and the signature is checked before installation, you can just get them over http.

"erase all content and features" doesn't actually reinstall macOS, it just remove the user data. macOS in on a separate read-only and signed volume and won't be touched.

 

[joshuafried]

Are we sure that Erase all content and settings doesn't remove bundled apps like Pages and Garageband?

 

[scouser75]

I'd have thought erase all content and settings would literally do that - erase all content and settings, so everything will be gone

 

[joshuafried]

I'd have thought erase all content and settings would literally do that - erase all content and settings, so everything will be gone

No, it just removes the encryption key for the Data volume, but the sealed system volume stays intact. However apps are on both volumes, and I'm not clear on just which ones are where. If you don't know what I'm talking about there's more above, and also here: https://eclecticlight.co/2022/10/25/ventura-volume-layout/

 

[scouser75]

No, it just removes the encryption key for the Data volume, but the sealed system volume stays intact. However apps are on both volumes, and I'm not clear on just which ones are where. If you don't know what I'm talking about there's more above, and also here: https://eclecticlight.co/2022/10/25/ventura-volume-layout/

Thanks Josh. So if I were wanting too completely delete everything from my Mac and start from fresh, what would be my best option?

 

[HDFan]

So if I were wanting too completely delete everything from my Mac and start from fresh,

One way to do it is to boot from a different disk and reformat the disk to wipe everything.

 

[joshuafried]

One way to do it is to boot from a different disk and reformat the disk to wipe everything.

I'd use Erase All Content and Settings. Think of the remaining system like ROM---it's bit-for-bit dictated by Apple and not connected to the end user. There may be other reasons to completely erase the storage (which will not erase the T2 or secure enclave etc btw) but starting fresh doesn't require it.

 

[scouser75]

One way to do it is to boot from a different disk and reformat the disk to wipe everything.

I'd use Erase All Content and Settings. Think of the remaining system like ROM---it's bit-for-bit dictated by Apple and not connected to the end user. There may be other reasons to completely erase the storage (which will not erase the T2 or secure enclave etc btw) but starting fresh doesn't require it.

Thanks guys. I'll look into how to carry out the boot from different disc option. If it looks complicated, I'll play it safe with erase content And settings

 

[Fishrrman]

This is a general question to anyone reading:

Has anyone out there actually USED the "erase all content and settings" option?
If so, can you relate your experiences with it?

 

[NoBoMac]

and I'm not clear on just which ones are where.

It’s fairly straight forward. Anything user installed goes to Data, rest is stock MacOS and is on the MacHD volume.

Can see the differences if using Terminal to do an “ls”. /System/Applications for stock, /System/Volumes/Data/Applications for user installed. Pages, Numbers, GarageBand, etc in latter, Safari, Mail in former.

So erase all content/settings will remove Pages etal (Not stock apps).

 

[joshuafried]

It’s fairly straight forward. Anything user installed goes to Data, rest is stock MacOS and is on the volume.

Can see the differences if using Terminal to do an “ls”. /System/Applications for stock, /System/Volumes/Data/Applications for user installed. Pages, Numbers, GarageBand, etc in latter, Safari, Mail in former.

So erase all content/settings will remove Pages etal (Not stock apps).

OK, so this answers! Thanks! Can you confirm that on, say Monterey and later, erase all content/settings does erase bundled Apple apps e.g. Pages, garageBand? Has this been true since the Catalina split into system & data volumes? The question arises for me when clients want to restore a Mac to "factory" condition, but that usually means the inclusion of those bundled apps.

 

[joshuafried]

This is a general question to anyone reading:

Has anyone out there actually USED the "erase all content and settings" option?
If so, can you relate your experiences with it?

Many times. Works great.