How To Reset Macos Apps

How to reset iTunes on macOS

In case the program is not there, it won’t show up in Launchpad. In this case, move the app out of the folder, log out and log back in to restart Launchpad. Now, move the program back to the Applications folder. Rebuild the Launchpad Database. MacOS Dock controls the databases which determine the apps to be shown in Launchpad. Reset Reset all decisions for the specified service, causing apps to prompt again the next time they access the service. If a bundle identifier is specified, the service will be reset for that bun- dle only. EXAMPLES To reset all decisions about whether apps may access the address book.

Sometimes to go forward you need to go back. iTunes is one of the most popular apps in the world, and Apple has made some great strides over the years. There is no denying that iTunes is the media hub for many, but sometimes a new version arrives that is broken, or introduces a feature that you don’t like, or removes a feature that you did like.

That’s why in this guide we’re going to show you how to take full control over your version of iTunes. We’ll cover how to reinstall iTunes, clean up iTunes junk files, perform a complete uninstall of iTunes and possibly even downgrade to an earlier version of iTunes.

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

Reinstall iTunes

A healthy iTunes is a great experience but if the app starts behaving strangely then it’s time to take action. If iTunes keeps playing Britney Spears music for no reason, your Mac is probably demonically possessed. Unfortunately, you will have to set fire to your Mac. It’s the only way.

However, if you iTunes is merely crashing or freezing then a simple iTunes reinstall should solve the problem. You could first try to download the latest version of iTunes and run the installer.

Even if it’s the same version as you have installed, this will reinstall iTunes without any hassles.

Macos Reset Networking

If that doesn’t fix the problem, you should completely uninstall iTunes before you run the downloaded install.

Completely Uninstall iTunes

Whether you want a more effective reinstall of iTunes or if you want to remove the app from your life for good, we’ve got you covered. You may have realized that Apple doesn’t make it easy for you to uninstall iTunes, so it requires a few extra steps.

Note – A complete uninstall iTunes app will remove your user settings, playlists, etc.

To completely uninstall iTunes follow these steps:

Drag the desktop iTunes icon to the trash - if you receive an error continue to step 2, if you don’t skip to step 6
Right-click the iTunes.app file in the Applications folder and click Get Info
Click the padlock icon and enter your Admin Password
Expand Sharing & Permissions and set 'everyone' to Read & Write
Close the window and try step 1 again
Empty the Trash
Type Activity Monitor into Spotlight and launch the app
Find iTunes Helper and remove it
Navigate to Library > Preferences and remove files with 'com.apple.itunes' at the beginning
Restart your Mac

Clean iTunes Junk

Speaking of cleaning iTunes, if you use the app – even if it runs perfectly - you should try out CleanMyMac’s specialist iTunes Junk cleaner. You wouldn’t believe all the wasted space iTunes takes up thanks to broken downloads, copies of apps, old backups, and all sorts of other junk.

A quick scan from CleanMyMac and you’ll be given the option to clear up a lot of space – space that can be used for more important things.

No, not Britney Spears albums.

Downgrade iTunes to an earlier version

There comes a time where a new version of iTunes makes us wish we never updated in the first place. We want to be clear that the best thing to do is give the new version time, see if there isn’t a workaround to solve

whatever it is that’s bothering you and submit feedback to Apple.

If you’re impatient and you want to roll back iTunes now, then there is a method that could achieve exactly that. This solution will only be possible if you use Time Machine to create regular backups.

Important Note – Before you begin make sure to create a Time Machine backup. If anything goes wrong, you can just restore to the current version of macOS.

Here's how to downgrade iTunes:

Type Activity Monitor into Spotlight and launch the app
Find iTunes Helper and remove it
Type Terminal into Spotlight and launch app
Type sudo rm –r /Applications/iTunes.app and press Return
Type Time Machine into Spotlight and launch the app
Restore the version of iTunes you want from the relevant Time Machine backup
Also, restore these files from the ~/Music/iTunes folder:
iTunes Library Extras.itdb
iTunes Library Genius.itdb
iTunes Library.itl
iTunes Music Library.xml

iTunes should now be reverted to an old version, with all your settings and data intact.

Putting the “I” Back In iTunes

We hope that this guide helped you to feel more in control of your iTunes for Mac. There is no doubting that iTunes is an awesome app, but Apple’s insistence can be a bit overhanded at times. Now you can make iTunes cleaner with CleanMyMac X, fix a broken iTunes, downgrade iTunes to an earlier version and even uninstall iTunes completely.

You have the control and the power. Use it wisely*

*By never downloading Britney Spears songs.

These might also interest you:

There are many reasons why you would want to know how to factory reset a Mac. Perhaps you want to sell it and you don’t want the new owner to have your information. Or maybe your Mac has been acting sluggish lately and you want to give it a good and thorough wipe.

When you reset a Mac to its factory settings, you basically erase everything on it. You delete your files, documents, app downloads, and every little data.

With that said, it is extremely important thatyou back up your data first before you attempt to wipe a Mac. Check out ourprevious article on how you backup your Mac data before you startretting your Mac. Be sure to log out of iCloud, iMessages, and other importantaccounts on the computer as well.

Now that you have your important files backedup, here are 2 ways to reset your Mac to its factory settings:

How to Factory Reset a Mac Using RecoveryMode

Macos Reset Wifi

The easiest way to wipe a Mac is to reset it using the built-in Recovery Mode. If you are having trouble using Recovery Mode, skip to the next section to reset using a bootable installer.

Here are the steps to reset your Mac usingRecovery Mode:

Restart your Mac. If you are resetting a laptop, make sure it is connected to a reliable power source.
As it is starting, press and hold Command + R until you see the Apple Logo.
You can release the keys when you see the Apple logo on your screen.
When the progress bar under the Apple logo is completed, you will be taken into Recovery Mode. From here, you can re-install the latest macOS that was installed on your computer. Additionally, you can also get to Recovery Mode by pressing the following keys:
- Command + Option + R will upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your device.
- Command + Shift + Option + R will install the same macOS that came with your device or the closet version available if the original is no longer available for download.
Go to Disk Utility in the macOS Utilities menu.
In the Disk Utility window, click View > Show All Devices.
Select the drive you want to erase. In most cases, you want to delete the whole disk, which is the highest option in the “Internal” tree.
Click the erase button. This is the button located at the top of the Disk Utility window.
Enter the name, format, and scheme.
- Name: You can choose any name you want, but if you use your name, there’s a chance that other people can see it on your network. It is recommended to name the disk something generic.
- Format: You can choose either APFS (Apple File System) or macOS Extended (Journaled). The Disk Utility will show the compatible format by default. However, if you want to double-check the current format of the volume, click on the lowest option on the Internal tree (usually called Mac HD). On the right, you should see “Type.” If the built-in disk came APFS-formatted, you should not reformat it as Journaled. Most older computers will be Journaled, while most modern laptops that come with solid-state drives (SSD) are APFS-formatted.
- Scheme: If prompted, choose GUID Partition Map.
Click the Erase button. This is the one just below the information that you filled in. Then wait for the disk to be erased. This should only take a few minutes at most.
Exit Disk Utility. You can do this by clicking the red button at the top of the window.
Select “Reinstall macOS” from the macOS Utilities window. Click continue in the next window. Read the software license agreement and click Agree.
Note: It is essential to be connected to the internet for reinstalling a fresh copy of macOS to your machine.
Select your boot disk and click Install. Your boot disk is your main drive, so make sure you don’t select an external hard drive!

Your Mac will start to install the operatingsystem. This process can take several minutes depending on your computer andinternet connection.

Take a coffee break. You deserve it.

When your Mac has been reset to factorycondition, the device will restart. You will be prompted to sign in using yourApple ID and username. If you are selling the device, press Command + Q toshut it down.

How to Wipe a Mac and Reinstall macOS Using aBootable Installer

If, for some reason, you cannot reset your Mac using Recovery Mode, do not worry. There is still a way to wipe it clean and reset it to factory settings. Follow the steps below to erase everything on a Mac and reinstall a fresh copy of macOS using a bootable installer:

Plug your USB drive into your computer. You need to have at least 12GB of space on your USB drive.
Open Disk Utility. Go to Finder > Applications > Utilities. You can also access this folder by hitting Command + Shift + U whenever you are in Finder.
Format your disk drive for macOS Extended (Journaled).
- In Disk Utility, click View > Show All Devices. This is in the top left corner of the window.
- Select the highest option under the “External” section in the left panel.
- Click on the erase icon by the top part of the window.
- Name the USB disk “MyVolume”
- The format should be MacOS Extended (journaled).
- The Scheme should be GUID Partition Map.
- Click erase.
  Note: This will completely erase all the data on your USB hard drive, so make sure to back it up first.
Download the macOS installer. Go to the App Store and search for your macOS. To make it easier for you, here are the links to the 3 most recent macOS versions.
- Mojave (Newest macOS available now)
- Sierra
  Note: You might not be able to download a previous macOS on your computer.
  Once the installer opens, quit before it continues with the installation process by hitting the Command + Q buttons or clicking Install macOS in your menu bar and Quit Install macOS.
Open the Terminal. You can find this in your Utilities folder.
Cut and paste one of the following command into the Terminal window:
Mojave:
High Sierra:
Sierra:
Note: Make sure your computer is compatible with the macOS you are trying to install first.
Hit Return.
Enter your administrator password and hit Return again. The Terminal will not show any characters as you type your password.
When prompted, type “Y” and hit Return. When the Terminal finishes, you can quit Terminal. Your USB drive will be transformed into a bootable installer.
Shut down your Mac.
Hold the Option (also called Alt) key when it starts booting.
Select your USB drive as startup disk. This should be named after the macOS you are trying to install.
Select your Wi-Fi network and enter your password.
Press Enter. Then wait for the progress bar to load completely. This will take you to Recovery Mode.
Note: The following steps are also listed in the section above starting at step 3.
Go to Disk Utility > View > Show All Devices.
Select the drive and hit Erase. The erase button is by the upper middle part of the window. In the pop-up, complete the following fields to start the erasure process:
- Name: You can choose any name you want.
- Format: You can choose either APFS (Apple File System) or macOS Extended (Journaled). The Disk Utility will show the compatible format by default.
- Scheme: If prompted, choose GUID Partition Map.
  Once the pop-up has been filled, click the Erase button and then Done.
Select Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.
Select Install macOS and then click Continue. Follow the installation instructions that will pop up.
Select your boot disk and click Install. The resetting of your Mac from the bootable installer will now commence. Wait until your machine restarts. After this, you will have a MacBook that will perform close to like it did when you took it out of the box. You can then choose to sell it or enjoy its much faster performance again.

Now that you know how to factory reset your Mac, check out our guide on how to restore from Time Machine.

Updated on November 6, 2020

Globelucky