Factory Reset (Wipe) a Mac/macOS device

Scalefusion offers FileVault that helps IT Admins enforce a full disk encryption on the managed devices. In addition to securing the date at rest, Scalefusion also offers IT Admins with the capability to remotely initiate the factory reset on a managed device, in case such a need arises. Factory reset on macOS devices is a multi-step step process and requires the following steps,

1. IT Admin selects to factory reset the device from Scalefusion Dashboard.
2. The above action sends a push to the device and the user is taken a System Lock screen with the option to enter PIN. At this point of time the Mac device cannot be used.
3. IT Admin shares the PIN with end user or recalls the Mac device to enter the PIN.
4. End user enters the PIN and the data on the device is completely erased.

The document below provides a step by step guide to initiate a factory reset and the observations on the device.

Prerequisites

1. Sign In to Scalefusion Dashboard with an Admin account that has Factory Reset privileges.
2. Mac device should be managed by Scalefusion

Steps on Dashboard

The following explains the steps that need to be performed on the Dashboard to initiate the factory reset.

1. Navigate to the Devices page on Scalefusion Dashboard and click on the device to view its details.

1. Click on the Settings icon to open the Menu options, scroll down & select Factory Reset

1. If the device is Apple Silicon, you will get the following screen, as Silicon devices do not require a Mac PIN at the time of Factory Reset. Click on OK to confirm the action.

   

2. If the device is an Intel Macbook, the following screen will be displayed. Here, you can configure a Mac PIN which is required to unlock the device. If you are sure to factory reset the device, please confirm the action. Click on OK to confirm the action.
   1. Change Mac PIN: Selecting this will allow you to configure a new Mac PIN. This PIN needs to be entered to unlock the macOS device. Check the box and enter a 6-digit code in the field, containing only numbers. Click on copy icon next to it to copy the PIN you have set.

1. Please enter your password and click SUBMIT to complete the action.

   

2. Once you confirm the action, a push will be sent to the device and you would see a note on the device confirming that the device has been factory reset.

Steps on Device

1. Once the device has been factory reset from Dashboard, it will reboot into a System Lock PIN screen and the end user will be displayed the screen below

1. At this point of time, they would have to enter the PIN number that was shown to the Admin on the Dashboard. Once they enter the PIN, the device will reboot and will be erased and once done the following screen will be shown.

1. The above screen indicates that the device has been factory reset. To re-install the OS please boot the device into online recovery mode and reinstall the OS by following the instructions from Apple Support here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Does this feature work on non-DEP mac devices?

Answer: Yes, the feature to remotely factory reset works on DEP and non-DEP devices in the described manner.

Question: If we reset a DEP device, would it automatically enroll again to Scalefusion post re-installing the OS?

Answer: Yes, DEP devices will automatically enroll again to Scalefusion as they are still assigned to Scalefusion MDM server in your Apple Business portal. If you do not want the factory reset devices to be re-enrolled then please un-assign these devices from Scalefusion MDM portal using Apple Business Manager portal.

Question: Is the Operating System retained or removed on Factory Resetting a Mac Device remotely?

Answer: On Apple Silicon Devices and Intel Devices with T2 chipset, the Operating System is retained after device is factory reset, only the data and settings get removed. On other devices, the behavior is obliterate, that is, OS is also wiped out.

Known Behavior

If you would like to re-enroll a device that has been factory reset using above method, then please delete the device from your Dashboard before the device is re-enrolled. If the device is not deleted then the re-enrollment of same device will fail and the user will be shown an error.

Please reach out to support@scalefusion.com for any questions or if you need further information.