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

To reset OSX Network preferences to system default follow below steps.

 
Step 01:

 
Reset location

 
The first thing you want to do is reset your location.

 
Go to System preferences > network, then in the top select location and then edit locations.

 
network preferances

 
network preferances location

 
edit-locations

 
Use the (-) to delete the current location,

 
Use the (+) to add a new location,

 
With new location try to connect to your internet.

 
Step 02:

 
If Step 01 does not work completely reset your networking connections by going to:

 
Macintosh HD/ Library / Preferences /

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

 
Now Restart your computer.

 

Note: Don’t worry Mac will create new ‘SystemConfiguration’ folder with default settings & preferences. When you log back in all of your network and bluetooth connections will be reseted. Now try to reconnect to your network.

 

Tip: if Step 02 doesn’t work or doesn’t have an effect you can replace ‘SystemConfiguration’ folder with original folder which is currently in Trash to rollback previous network settings.

 
Hope it Helps,

 
Thanks & Regards
Mandar Apte

Mandar Apte

This website contains a design articles blog by Mandar Apte. He writes and shares his iOS development, graphic, web, & animation film design experience through articles. Mandar is Mumbai based multi-disciplinary designer with expertise in UI, UX, Logo, Symbol, and Brand Identity design. He is an alumnus of Sir J. J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai. He currently runs his studio in the heart of the city of Mumbai.

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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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!!! :)

  4. 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!

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  9. 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!

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