Reset & Rebuild Network Settings & Preferences (Including Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth) to System Default on Mac (Macintosh)

Follow the steps below to reset OSX Network preferences to the system default.

Step 01:
Reset location.
The first thing you want to do is reset your location.
Go to System preferences > network, then select location at the top and edit locations.

network preferances
network preferances location
edit-locations

Use the (-) to delete the current location,
Use the (+) to add a new location,
With the new location, try to connect to your internet.

Step 02:
If Step 01 does not work ultimately, reset your networking connections by going to Macintosh HD/ Library / Preferences /

Drag the ‘SystemConfiguration’ folder to the Trash or delete it, but do not empty it just yet. You may need this folder in the future.

Now, Restart your computer.

Note: Don’t worry. Mac will create a new ‘SystemConfiguration’ folder with default settings & preferences. Your network and Bluetooth connections will be reset when you log back in. Now, try to reconnect to your network.

Tip: if Step 02 doesn’t work or has no effect, you can replace the ‘SystemConfiguration’ folder with the original folder, which is currently in Trash, to roll back previous network settings.

Hope it Helps,

Thanks & Regards
Mandar Apte

Published by Mandar Apte

Mandar is a Mumbai-based multi-disciplinary designer with UX/UI, Logo, Symbol, and Brand Identity design expertise. He currently runs his Mudrkashar Linguistic Apple iPhone, iPad, and Mac app business in the heart of Mumbai city.

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44 Comments

  1. Thank you so much! I tried for weeks many different attempts and this was the winner!

  2. thank you so much!!! this worked extremely well on my new macbook pro 13″ 🙂

  3. Great ! this worked great on my macbook pro 2011 / yosemite : Deleting ‘automatic’ configuration and creating this one again worked like a charm.
    Thank you for your help.

  4. You just saved my day! My ethernet doesn’t work after I restarted – now it works as normally.

  5. Hi,
    i can’t delete system configuration file it says that it’s required by osx.
    Please help,
    Thx,
    Mohsen

    1. You overcome this by going to terminal and typing in cd /Library/Preferences and hit enter and then type sudo rm -r SystemConfiguration then type your password and hit enter. Don’t worry that you cant see letters as you type. Don’t worry about the one file that it leaves. Now restart your computer.

  6. Thanks so much! After 20 years of day job in front of a PC, I’m too burned out to deal with electronics at home. I took my macbook to Apple to be updated and when I got home it couldn’t find my internet! Aaargh!!!
    I did Step 1 and it worked on the first try! I didn’t even have to restart! Thank you thank you thank you!!! 🙂

  7. On MacBook Air 11″ Mid 2013 OSX 10.10.5 doesnt works.

    Still having problems to connect to wifi

  8. Excellent, works like magic. This is the way to reset your network settings if ur experiencing non-router related problems. For my case, my router and wifi were okay but I couldn’t stream videos like YouTube for example. After I followed this procedure and restarted my computer everything went back to normal.
    Thank you!

  9. I accidentally empty the trash after deleting my folder, and since that moment I dont have wifi.

  10. I wonder if you can help me? I have 2 Imac 4ks (mine and my wife’s) and a Mac Book Pro. I can connect each device via the wifi to my BT Hub 3 but internet will stop on every device inc iphones. When i turn wifi off on my system, everything starts working again. I have taken my Imac to another location and have experienced some problems connecting but when I do connect the internet speed again is really slow.

  11. in Mac OS sierra that doesn’t work it says it’s a system file. Thus, you can’t proceed.

  12. For macOS Sierra the procedure is slightly different. Do not delete the SystemConfiguration folder — instead remove all files from it EXCEPT com.apple.Boot.plist. This file is needed during the reboot in order to rebuild the default network setup configuration. I have used this procedure and it worked like a charm.

  13. I tried both steps and I still cannot connect to the Internet even though it says I am connected.

  14. i am having a strange thing happen on my MBAIR OSX 10.10
    It’s insisting on using a non existent IP even though I have deleted locations, deleted router lines from keychain, obviously deleted wifi values, rebooted, it doesnt seem to matter. I recently changed routers from a 192.168.0.x to a 192.168.1.x base and there are no xx.0.x devices left on my network, all devices were able to cleanly get a new DHCP lease except this stupid MBAIR and 1 iPhone 7 which are clinging to a xx.0.xx IP.

    I even have a static lease setup for its MAC but it’s as if it doesnt even contact the router, the address fills in really quickly when I toggle the wifi on/off

  15. Thankyou so much. I have been trying to find a solution for 3 days!!! Good thing I went through the comments to see what to do for OS Sierra.
    Thankyou.

  16. I accidently emptied the trash afterwards and I keep getting the exclamation mark on my WiFi fan, what could I do sir?? I’m using 10.6.8 help me out please!

  17. Thank you!!!! This was the only successful fix out of very many that I searched and tried

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