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

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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.

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

Comments

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

June 9, 2014

Jo Naquin

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

Reply
July 11, 2014

shi wen

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

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July 14, 2014

It

Great. Thanks! It worked!

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September 4, 2014

Joi

After hours of forum searches this was the only solution that worked like a charm!

Reply
October 20, 2014

soyouze

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.

Reply
January 21, 2015

asi

working perfect!! thank you!

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February 22, 2015

simon

Thank you very much !

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March 12, 2015

syed

worked great like a charm, thanks so much for this.

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April 17, 2015

robert

Thanks very much! I did step 01 and now it works perfectly! 😀

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May 3, 2015

Amy

Number 2 worked like a charm! Thanks for your help!

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July 21, 2015

Stephen

You are wonderful. Thanks a bunch!

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July 31, 2015

Michel

It worked! You are the best. Many thanks

Reply
January 25, 2016

Alex

It didn’t work for me 🙁

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February 19, 2016

C

Life saver! Thanks so much. Wish I had read this 8 hours ago!

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February 28, 2016

Mathias Nielsen

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

Reply
March 28, 2016

Mohsen Ahmad

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

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1. November 12, 2016
  
  Sarah
  
  Same here, maybe it’s because of ios10 is different now?
  
  Reply
2. March 5, 2017
  
  Jen
  
  Same thing here. I can’t delete the system configure. Folder. Now what?
  
  Reply
3. June 13, 2017
  
  Quinn
  
  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.
  
  Reply
  1. July 11, 2019
    
    Chaitu
    
    You’re a life saver, bro! Worked like a charm 🙂
    
    Reply
May 12, 2016

Julia

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!!! 🙂

Reply
August 10, 2016

Consigue

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

Still having problems to connect to wifi

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September 10, 2016

Yathvi

Perfect, Step 2 worked. Thank you so much.

Reply
October 1, 2016

Mansy

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!

Reply
November 15, 2016

Alejandeo

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

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1. November 16, 2016
  
  Mandar Apte
  
  Add your Wi-Fi Connection to your computer again after you delete that folder.
  
  Reply
November 22, 2016

Russell

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.

Reply
1. November 25, 2016
  
  Mandar Apte
  
  Try Reseting Wi-Fi Connection in your router, Change DNS Servers to Open DNS & Google Public DNS Servers
  
  Reply
November 26, 2016

Nimra

I cannot figure out how to access
Macintosh HD/ Library / Preferences

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1. December 27, 2016
  
  ben
  
  use command + Shift + G in finder then type /Library/Preferences.
  
  Reply
December 27, 2016

ben

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

Reply
January 14, 2017

PTP

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.

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1. November 10, 2017
  
  Rebekah
  
  Does this also work for El Capitan? Thanks
  
  Reply
2. December 3, 2017
  
  Eric
  
  Worked perfect!! Restart & connected. Thank!!
  
  Reply
March 25, 2017

Olaf

Worked for me under MacOS El Sierra! Thanks!

Reply
April 3, 2017

Lois

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

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April 21, 2017

micky

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

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April 24, 2017

Wes

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.

Reply
April 25, 2017

Leon loopz

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!

Reply
August 19, 2017

Caleb

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

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November 4, 2017

Med Mod

It’s perfectly worked, THANKS

Reply
December 12, 2017

Pato Gigante

Thanks. Worked great trashing that SysConfig folder. !

Reply
February 13, 2018

NJames

Worked for my 2011 MacBook Pro thank you !!

Reply
March 23, 2020

Kim

Same procedure for a macOS Mojave 10.14.6?

Reply