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Reset my new MacBook Air 2

R

raylo32

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 9, 2018
314
157
I am having an imap mail synching issue with my new MBA2 and want to try a factory reset. Spent a lot of time yesterday chatting with Apple and they have been unable to resolve it. There is nothing much on the device yet except FinalCutPro that came pre-installed and MS Edge browser. No data or anything. Just some personal preference settings. The reset procedure looks to be easy from System Preferences menu.

The question is, can I do this without making a Time Machine backup? I don't want to potentially duplicate whatever the issue is. And then how can I easily recover the Final CutPro? Is there a way to just back up that app so I can get it back? Or do I need to do that though Apple.

Gonna give this another day or 2 and get back with Apple support if necessary, but pretty close to sending it back.
 
If you go to System Prferences > Erase all content and settings, it will erase all the personal files on the Mac and it will look like it did when you first got it. It will not make a backup of anything. Once you erase all content and settings, install everything as new.
 
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Including the pre-installed Final Cut Pro? That is my only concern since I don't know how Apple builds and implements the factory image. Long gone are the days when we would have DVD of the software to reinstall. I suppose worst case I could recover it after the fact from Apple.



Apple_Robert said:
If you go to System Preferences > Erase all content and settings, it will erase all the personal files on the Mac and it will look like it did when you first got it. It will not make a backup of anything. Once you erase all content and settings, install everything as new.
Click to expand...
 
Well... It sort of worked. The reset fixed my imap email issue but FinalCutPro is gone. So I will have to get online with Apple again after all. Sheesh. Once I get that I'll make a bare bones Time Machine backup that includes just my initial personal setting like tap to click and reverse scroll, and Final Cut Pro in case I need to reset again sometime.
 
raylo32 said:
Well... It sort of worked. The reset fixed my imap email issue but FinalCutPro is gone. So I will have to get online with Apple again after all. Sheesh. Once I get that I'll make a bare bones Time Machine backup that includes just my initial personal setting like tap to click and reverse scroll, and Final Cut Pro in case I need to reset again sometime.
Click to expand...
You should be able to just download Final Cut Pro from the app store again. It should've been coupled to your purchase history.
 
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I just navigated to it in the App Store and it doesn't indicate that it was purchased. Want's another $299. Not happening.
 
There some other apps missing. Keynote for one. There was a pop up message in the App Store that there were some apps for me to accept including Final Cut and keynote and I said OK and the box disappeared. But I don't know what "accept" means? They did not appear on my MBA2.
 
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Looks like I need to do another reset and go a little slower in the App Store to see what that accept pop up says. I can't get back to it, there is no history or past purchases tab. Jeez, I thought Macs were supposed to be all buttoned down? This is turning into a real PITA.
 
raylo32 said:
There some other apps missing. Keynote for one. There was a pop up message in the App Store that there were some apps for me to accept including Final Cut and keynote and I said OK and the box disappeared. But I don't know what "accept" means? They did not appear on my MBA2.
Click to expand...
Once you accept them, they will be on purchase history. Exit the App Store and re-enter it and see if you can now download the missing Apps.
 
I did another reset and went back to the app store and now they are indeed listed as "purchased". Reset may not have been necessary, the servers may have just needed more time to update. I was impatient. Oh well, all good now.

I am going to install the apps I want and then make a TimeMachine backup before I try re-installing my OpenVPN Connect client again. I believe that is what caused my imap issue in the first place... even though uninstalling it didn't fix things... so if it happens again I'll be able to get back without too much drama. I really need that to work. That is how I access my security cam system and Plex server without opening ports on my router. Works OK in my iPhone so not sure why it would mess up a Mac. But maybe something just flaked out during that install. I dunno...
 
raylo32 said:
I did another reset and went back to the app store and now they are indeed listed as "purchased". Reset may not have been necessary, the servers may have just needed more time to update. I was impatient. Oh well, all good now.

I am going to install the apps I want and then make a TimeMachine backup before I try re-installing my OpenVPN Connect client again. I believe that is what caused my imap issue in the first place... even though uninstalling it didn't fix things... so if it happens again I'll be able to get back without too much drama. I really need that to work. That is how I access my security cam system and Plex server without opening ports on my router. Works OK in my iPhone so not sure why it would mess up a Mac. But maybe something just flaked out during that install. I dunno...
Click to expand...
How do you use OpenVPN with Plex? That app allows you to access Plex outside the home without opening or forwarding ports on the router?
 
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Been a very long time since I set this up and I don't remember how PLEX remote access configures itself. Since I already had the VPN going for the security cam server which otherwise would require open ports (BlueIris, running on a dedicated Windows PC...this is not one of those systems mediated by their proprietary cloud servers) I simply did not configure PLEX for remote access. So I just run the VPN client on whatever device I am using and it is like being on my home network.

Apple_Robert said:
How do you use OpenVPN with Plex? That app allows you to access Plex outside the home without opening or forwarding ports on the router?
Click to expand...
 
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raylo32 said:
There some other apps missing. Keynote for one. There was a pop up message in the App Store that there were some apps for me to accept including Final Cut and keynote and I said OK and the box disappeared. But I don't know what "accept" means? They did not appear on my MBA2.
Click to expand...

You need to go to UPDATES, reload page, and then "Adopt the Apps" that are showing.
 
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