My 88 year Dad's computer has a false login screen that says you can't long into the machine for 8 hours but we can use command R to get into the machine. I want to reformat the machine in a hope to get rid of everything. We will have to save off a few documents but no applications. Are there any recommendations for reformatting and reinstalling the OS that would help reduce the change of anything being left behind?
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Removing a Virus, or something bad
- Thread starter DaveWil
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Use a bootable installer and erase the startup disk.
Create a bootable installer for macOS https://support.apple.com/101578
How to download and install macOS https://support.apple.com/102662
Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac https://support.apple.com/102639
Use Disk Utility to erase a Mac with Apple silicon https://support.apple.com/102506
Create a bootable installer for macOS https://support.apple.com/101578
How to download and install macOS https://support.apple.com/102662
Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac https://support.apple.com/102639
Use Disk Utility to erase a Mac with Apple silicon https://support.apple.com/102506
You could tell us:
WHICH Mac your dad has
WHAT YEAR it was made
WHAT VERSION of the OS is on it.
If it's an intel-based Mac made after 2010, it can likely do internet recovery (command-OPTION-R at boot).
That's what you should use.
DOES HE HAVE ANY KIND OF BACKUP?
ALL of his data will be gone after an erase & re-install.
BEFORE you resort to erasing everything, have you tried "MalwareBytes" ?
You can download and run it for free.
If you want it wiped clean, do this:
Boot to INTERNET recovery using "Command-OPTION-R".
Open disk utility.
IMPORTANT - go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
Look at the list on the left - the topmost item should be the physical hard drive or SSD.
Click on it and click erase.
Erase to either AFPS or HFS+ (again, you didn't provide enough info above)
When done, quit disk utility and open the OS installer.
I would accept whatever version of the OS the installer offers you.
Let the install go through. It will take a while and the Mac may go dark and then reboot one or more times.
When done, you should see the original startup screen (choose your language).
If you have a backup, connect it and start clicking through.
Good luck.
WHICH Mac your dad has
WHAT YEAR it was made
WHAT VERSION of the OS is on it.
If it's an intel-based Mac made after 2010, it can likely do internet recovery (command-OPTION-R at boot).
That's what you should use.
DOES HE HAVE ANY KIND OF BACKUP?
ALL of his data will be gone after an erase & re-install.
BEFORE you resort to erasing everything, have you tried "MalwareBytes" ?
You can download and run it for free.
If you want it wiped clean, do this:
Boot to INTERNET recovery using "Command-OPTION-R".
Open disk utility.
IMPORTANT - go to the view menu and choose "show all devices".
Look at the list on the left - the topmost item should be the physical hard drive or SSD.
Click on it and click erase.
Erase to either AFPS or HFS+ (again, you didn't provide enough info above)
When done, quit disk utility and open the OS installer.
I would accept whatever version of the OS the installer offers you.
Let the install go through. It will take a while and the Mac may go dark and then reboot one or more times.
When done, you should see the original startup screen (choose your language).
If you have a backup, connect it and start clicking through.
Good luck.
He has a M2 air and the OS was up to date. We have a Time Machine backup of the machine so we feel we can get the files we want. The important thing is to not get the files we don't want.
Don't use Migration Assistant or restore from Time Machine, it will restore the malware as well. (if it is malware)
Copy-paste of the documents you want to keep.
Yes, that was the plan focusing mainly on text files as they are impossible or almost impossible to infect. Binary data files have a rare chance to have data added to them that causes the application to crash and possible execute infected code.
If you have an m-series Mac, then use "erase all content and settings".
Open System Settings.
In the search box (upper left) enter "erase all" and the option should appear.
Click it, then click "erase all content and settings".
You will need your dad's administrative pasword.
This goes VERY quickly. It WIPES OUT all user-entered accounts and data.
When done, the Mac will be back at "moment zero" -- you will see the initial setup screen (choose your language) as if you were setting it up for the very first time.
Click through. If you ARE NOT going to restore "blindly" from the backup, choose to create a NEW account and password.
IMPORTANT:
If you do this, BE AWARE that even with the same username and password, the new account may have permissions problems with files "simply copied over" from the OLD account.
If you encounter this, there's an easy solution:
1. connect the drive from which you'll be copying files.
2. let its icon mount on the desktop. DO NOT "open" it.
3. click ONE time on the drive to select it, then invoke the "get info" box (you can type "command-i".
4. at the bottom of get info, click the lock and enter your dad's NEW administrative password
5. put a checkmark in "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
6. close get info.
Now, whatever is copied from the drive will automatically fall under the ownership of your dad's NEW account that you just created.
I suggest you PRINT OUT this reply and keep it for reference.
It could save you some trouble.
Open System Settings.
In the search box (upper left) enter "erase all" and the option should appear.
Click it, then click "erase all content and settings".
You will need your dad's administrative pasword.
This goes VERY quickly. It WIPES OUT all user-entered accounts and data.
When done, the Mac will be back at "moment zero" -- you will see the initial setup screen (choose your language) as if you were setting it up for the very first time.
Click through. If you ARE NOT going to restore "blindly" from the backup, choose to create a NEW account and password.
IMPORTANT:
If you do this, BE AWARE that even with the same username and password, the new account may have permissions problems with files "simply copied over" from the OLD account.
If you encounter this, there's an easy solution:
1. connect the drive from which you'll be copying files.
2. let its icon mount on the desktop. DO NOT "open" it.
3. click ONE time on the drive to select it, then invoke the "get info" box (you can type "command-i".
4. at the bottom of get info, click the lock and enter your dad's NEW administrative password
5. put a checkmark in "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
6. close get info.
Now, whatever is copied from the drive will automatically fall under the ownership of your dad's NEW account that you just created.
I suggest you PRINT OUT this reply and keep it for reference.
It could save you some trouble.