How can I reset MacBook Air without internet?

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Level 1

5 points

How can I reset MacBook Air without internet?

I've been in circles for hours, I'd love some help from someone.

I'm trying to fix someone's MacBook Air (M1). They downloaded some bad software from a scam. It's been disconnected from the internet since then and all passwords have been changed, etc. Now I'd like to erase and reset this mac, but I can't connect it to the internet so I can't sign this person out. I googled and could do the recovery mode, but I have to have a bootable disk. The issue there is that I can't find out how to download to an external drive from my PC, and I also have a work macbook running sequoia but I need to reinstall Sonoma 14. When I tried that, it just downloaded Sonoma and told me to update sequoia instead. It also didn't let me install it where I wanted, it just ran inside the app. ANY help is very appreciated.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Recover MacBook Air 13 (M1)

Posted on Jul 9, 2025 3:11 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

HWTech

Level 9

67,772 points

Jul 10, 2025 10:52 AM in response to julzzzzzzzz

julzzzzzzzz wrote:

I've been in circles for hours, I'd love some help from someone.

I'm trying to fix someone's MacBook Air (M1).

and I also have a work macbook running sequoia but I need to reinstall Sonoma 14. When I tried that, it just downloaded Sonoma and told me to update sequoia instead. It also didn't let me install it where I wanted, it just ran inside the app. ANY help is very appreciated.

If you were able to download the Sonoma installer, then you can create a bootable macOS USB installer using the instructions in the following Apple article (I'm assuming your Sequoia Mac is also compatible with Sonoma since you were able to download Sonoma).

Create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

Another option is to put the "broken" Mac into DFU Mode and perform a DFU Firmware Restore using your Sequoia Mac:

How to revive or restore Mac firmware - Apple Support

FYI, you should also be able to just access the Startup Option screen to access the online macOS installer.

How to start up from macOS Recovery - Apple Support

The M1 will be booting the installer stub stored in a hidden & restricted area on the internal SSD. This is as safe as using a bootable macOS USB installer since even accessing the Startup Options screen requires booting from some of those hidden & restricted system files. The only pure way to avoid booting from the internal SSD is by using DFU Mode.

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Answer 2

Jul 9, 2025 6:12 PM in response to julzzzzzzzz

Correct. Recovery Mode boots from a mini-OS in a dedicated partition on the internal drive, independent of any user accounts so there's nothing to compromise. You can safely boot into Recovery Mode and connect to Wi-Fi, using Disk Utility to erase the drive then reinstall macOS.

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Answer 3

julzzzzzzzz Author

Level 1

5 points

Jul 9, 2025 5:05 PM in response to tbirdvet

Thanks for your help. The issue was I didn't want to connect because the machine is compromised. I talked to someone who knows mac and said that in recovery mode, I could erase that bad software and the machine, THEN I could safely connect. I was making this way harder than necessary. Thanks for a response!

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Answer 4

tbirdvet

Level 6

16,939 points

Jul 9, 2025 4:17 PM in response to julzzzzzzzz

If this issue is that you cannot connect to internet via Wifi then connect using an ethernet cable from Mac to router. Try starting from Recovery mode then erase the drive using Disk utility and then reinstall the OS. You will need the user's iCloud password and login password.

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Answer 5

Owl-53

Level 10

101,371 points

Jul 10, 2025 2:47 AM in response to julzzzzzzzz

Erase your Mac and reset it to factory settings

The Operating System in and of itself remains Interacted and UnTouched

Everything else gets removed including the Bad Third Party Software that was downloaded and installed

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