Erasing the hard drive

We have a seven year old (pre intel) iMac that we are giving away but I am unable to erase the hard drive using disk utility. When I go to erase, no button lights up. This should be a simple operation. I have done this before on older macs.

jrw1930 wrote:
I'm booted up from the original cd/dvd which I no longer have.
You're booted from the CD that you no longer have? I'm misunderstanding you.
You need either the original installation disk, or any retail version of OS X which is compatible with your iMac (eg, 10.4). Run Disk Utility from the Utilities menu once you boot to the disk.
Or, you can connect the iMac to another Mac with Firewire, attach a Firewire cable, restart the iMac with the T key held down, and the drive will appear on the other Mac's desktop. You can then use the other Mac's Disk Utility to wipe that mounted drive.
One other option would be to physically remove the drive from the Mac, put it into an external enclosure and wipe it that way, but hopefully you'll be able to use one of the first two methods.
Matt

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How do I properly zero out or erase the hard drives in my early 2009 Mac Pro 4,1 tower?

How do I properly zero out or erase the hard drives in my early 2009 Mac Pro 4,1 tower?
I assume there are already instructions on Apple.com someplace but haven't seen them yet… I have to one terabyte drives one the operating system the other is blank I want to start fresh I want to zero out both drives but I didn't want to make any mistakes
I know I can use disk utility to 0 Out Dr., #2 that means I will have to take out the operating system hard drive out of my 2008 Mac Pro and put it into my 2009 Mac Pro to use the disk utility to zero out drive one the OS drive in my 2009 Mac Pro am my correct
I just need a little bit a help I want to go slow so I don't make any mistakes with the sleds or with the erasing process which journaled to choose encrypted or not etc. etc.
Furthermore is there instructions on the site on how to change the hard drive into a different sled because the sleds and my 2009 are different than my 2008 any advice
Thank you

I'm doing this because my friend told me that zeroing out the drive can nap bad sectors and also later for some kind of diagnostics usage of the drive or something like that he wasn't really clear
My friend was really specific he said choose the option that writes zero's once over the drive that is plenty good enough I was inclined to use the maximum seven write ...I just want to make sure the drive has no bad sectors and that's it's it's zeroed out for possible future diagnostics usage or something that he said was usable later
he also advised me to run a test on it but I don't have the software you mentioned or the software that he has… So I may have to take the drives over to his house unless you have some kind of free software that's easy to use that you could suggest that will not only zero out the drive but test the drive completely
I am completely new to Mac I'm no dummy but at the same time I'm not super technically capable I mean I can surprise myself I'm pretty good but I need a good teacher… How expensive is this lifeguard software?
Thank you

Hello, I just bought a Snow Leopard and I have tried ti install this on my macbook pro 2008 (10.5.8) and I can not do it. I have to erase the hard drive before in order to succeed. Please tell me step by step what to do. I appreciate very much your help.

Hello, I just bought a Snow Leopard and I have tried to install this on my macbook pro 2008 (10.5.8) and I can not do it. I have to erase the hard drive before in order to succeed. Please tell me step by step what to do. I appreciate very much your help.
Thanks

Here are the directions:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3910?viewlocale=en_US
Ciao.

How do I erase the Hard drive????

My iBook is about 4 or 5 years old with a brand new 80GB hard drive and brand new Charger plug. Now my logic board is broken and I don't want to put any more money in fixing it. So I just want to sell it but want to erase the hard drive first. Anybody can tell me how to do that?

ElkeTheStallion, welcome to Apple Discussions.
Here's how I understand your request.
You have an iBook that is inop due to a logic board failure. This precludes booting the iBook with a CD/DVD to use Disk Utility to erase the HD. You also can't boot the iBook in Target Disk mode to interface with your MacBook to erase the HD.
So your only alternative is to remove the HD from the iBook and install it in an external drive housing - USB or Firewire (best). Then you can interface the HD to your MacBook to retrieve the files & transfer to your MacBook & then erase.
These links give the instructions for removing the HD.
Fix It Guides for Mac Laptops & Mini
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/
The guides can be viewed on-line or you can download a PDF file.
How to Upgrade, Repair, Disassemble an Apple/Macintosh Laptop or Notebook
http://repair4laptop.org/disassembly_apple.html
PowerBookTech
http://www.powerbooktech.com/
Suggestion - If you are going to sell the iBook for parts, don't reinstall the HD. It won't bring you much more $ in a laptop that won't work. Retain the 80GB HD and use it as a backup for your MacBook.
 Cheers, Tom

How can I securely erase the hard drive for PowerBook G4 running 10.2.3?

I'm about to sell a PowerBook G4 12-inch running 10.2.3 after I erased the hard drive via the the original software install and restore disk. There was no secure erase option like there is in subsquent versions of OSX. Is there a way I can do a 7 (or 35) time erase on this machine? Thanks!

See this Apple note. Secure erase was added in 10.2.3, but in a different place than later releases.

I have a 15" MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (Early 2008) running OSX Lion 10.7.5. I want to erase the Hard Drive, install Mountain Lion, and manually restore select applications and files. Is there a known procedure to do this? Any tips or feedback?

I have a 15" MacBook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (Early 2008) running OSX Lion 10.7.5.
I want to erase the Hard Drive, install Mountain Lion, and manually restore select applications and files.
Is there a known procedure to do this? Any tips or feedback?

1. Make a backup, open App Store and purchase Mountain Lion. When its download finishes, close the installer and open Lion Diskmaker to create a bootable USB drive with Mountain Lion.
2. Press Option key while your Mac is starting, select the external drive and open Disk Utility.
3. Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar and erase the drive.
4. Close the window and install Mountain Lion

If I upgraded my MacBook Pro from Snow Leopard to Lion via the web and now wish to erase the hard drive and restore it to factory settings to sell. How do I accomplish this?

I upgraded the operating system on my MacBook Pro from Snow Leopard to Lion via the web. Now I need to erase the hard drive and restore it to factory settings, so that I can pass it on. How do I accomplish this? When I insert the Mac OS X install disk, the only option is to erase the free space. Any insight would be appreciated.
Thank you

You need to boot off the original Snow Leopard DVD's that came with the system.
Once you are running off of the DVD you will be able to do a clean install of SL
To boot off the DVD with the system up running Lion insert the DVD. Open Sytem Preferences->Startup Disk and select the DVD then restart the machine.
Message was edited by: Frank Caggiano

How do I erase the hard drive on my 2007 Macbook with operating system 10.4.11 ?

I am going to recycle my old Macbook and want to erase the hard drive. When I go into utilities-disk utility-click on Macintosh HD-and the Erase tab, the only active button is Erase Free Space. The Security Options and Erase button are not active. How can I erase the entire hard drive? The operating system is 10.4.11.

You have to boot to another drive. You cannot erase the drive to which you are booted. Typically you would use the system installer discs that were provided with the computer originally.
Alternatively you can use another computer which is running OSX and put the old one in Target Disk Mode. The old one will simply be seen as a normal hard drive which you can erase.
How to use FireWire target disk mode - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1661 - includes description of hardware and software requirements. [What to do if your Mac doesn't enter FireWire Target Disk Mode|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=75414], also read about [Open Firmware Password Protection|http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/openfirmwarepassword.html] which can disable Target Disk Mode.

How can I erase the hard drive securely?

I want to sell my old iMac G3 with OS 9.2. First I'd like to erase the hard drive securely, so that no information can be recovered later. OS X allows you to do this easily with the Erase tab in Disk Utility. Can anyone advise how this can be done in OS 9.2?

Hi, iHope -
To do a reasonably secure wipe of the hard drive, use OS 9's Drive Setup utility while booted to an OS 9 Install CD - it's in the Utilities folder on such a disk. Select the Zero all Data item in the Initialization Options item in the Functions menu of Drive Setup.
This article provides excellent step-by-step instructions - Using Drive Setup

With Lion, How Can I Erase the Hard Drive and Reinstall The System Software?

I plan on buying a used iMac with a Core 2 Duo so that I can run Lion. Since Lion can only be purchased at the Mac App store what if I needed to erase my hard drive and re-install the system software. How can I do this without a DVD with the OS on it like I have for Snow Leapard. I suppose that I could boot from my Snow Leapard DVD and do the erase. Then, I supposed I would be able to download Lion again from the Mac App Store without paying for it again. But, how would you erase a hard drive and reinstall the system software when purchasing a new Mac with Lion already installed and no DVD at all with the OS on it?
-- Kaydell

When someone purchases any Apple computer with a DVD Drive, they should have recieved two DVDs... One contains the Operating System (up to Snow Leopard, Lion no longer ships on DVD) and the other contains the SYSTEM SOFTWARE (i.e. iLife and iWork). To install the software, they just insert the DVD with the SYSTEM SOFTWARE into any compatible Mac and run the installer. There is no need to erase the hard drive to install SYSTEM SOFTWARE. Maybe a friend can let you borrow the SYSTEM SOFTWARE DVD. The other option is to purchase the software via the App Store.
FYI... App Store purchases are linked to the PURCHASER'S APPLE ID. So if you buy a used Mac from a friend and that Mac already has Lion installed on it,that Lion purchase is linked to YOUR FRIEND'S APPLE ID, not yours. So if you want to download Lion again, you will have to enter your FRIEND'S APPLE ID AND PASSWORD. You can always have your friend re-download Lion and make you a DVD copy.

How do I erase the hard drive on my mac mini with OS X lion

How do I erase the hard drive on my mac mini with os x lion

Restart with the Command and R keys held down and use the Disk Utility from there.
(127020)

How to fix my mac after erasing the hard drive?

So I decided earlier today that I wanted to reset my Macbook Air (2011 I think) to factory settings. Being me, I didn't do enough research and ended up erasing my hard drive in Disk Utility. I'm not entirely tech savvy, but I erased the hard drive in which Macintosh HD was a partition of. Now, whenever I turn on my computer, there's just a blank screen with a blinking folder with a question mark on it. My mac won't go into recovery mode or anything. Do I have to go out and buy a new OS X disc?

Did your Mac come with a USB stick with the original OS X on it? If so, you could use that.
Check out this page for help on Recovery. OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support
Also, if you bought it from an Apple store, best call them for help.
Presumably, you do not have a bootable backup.

Following having to erase the hard drive, I am attempting to re-install CS5 upgrade........

Following having to erase the hard drive, I am attempting to re-install CS5 from previously registered CDs as an upgrade to CS2. Although at the time of purchase, CS2 was acceptable, and the serial numbers of the NEW software remain registered on my 'account', the serial number of the original CS2 is now rejected as UN-acceptable, the oldest version now acceptable seeming to be CS3
What do I do????

can you select cs2 as an upgradeable option in the dropdown box after entering your cs5 serial number?
if yes, use this serial number, Error: Activation Server Unavailable | CS2, Acrobat 7, Audition 3
if not, contact adobe support by clicking here and, when available, click 'still need help', https://helpx.adobe.com/contact.html

I want to reinstall os X yosemite on my macbook Air but i erased the hard drive and i cant get the local recovery option; only internet recovery; is there any way to go back and get local recovery option?

i want to reinstall os X yosemite on my macbook Air but i erased the hard drive and i cant get the local recovery option; only internet recovery; is there any way to go back and get local recovery option?

Hi Bockworld1,
I'm afraid you did an error when erasing your hard-drive, this has automatically erased the "local recovery". In order to pass-by this, you must use a former Mac OS X installation DVD (such as Snow Leopard 10.6.3) and then when updated to 10.6.8 you may access the Mac App Store to recover the Yosemite Installer and proceed to a fresh "update" OR creating a Bootable USB Installation drive with DiskMaker in order to alway get a installation copy.
I also suggest you to create a USB Basic Operating System (you must select a local USB device to install Yosemite or whatever OS you want) with only the base operating system to launch your computer in case of Main Operating System issues.
Given the amounts of issues reported by users with 10.10.2, I command you to download 10.10.2 version to get a stable OS working.
Let me know how it is going.
Good Luck.

So lately I decided I was tired of Tiger, and decided I would upgrade to Leopard. Well I made the mistake of erasing the hard drive before I made sure it would work. Well now like the installer was before it failed. And now when I boot it just won't work

So lately I decided I was tired of Tiger, and decided I would upgrade to Leopard. Well I made the mistake of erasing the hard drive before I made sure it would work. Well now like the installer was before it failed. And now when I boot I get the normal finder/question mark flashing folder. I also found a power Mac g4 that needs a new operating system. It's running 9.2. It's going to my grandma as a gift. I really need help.

I think you'll need to find a Retail 10.5 Disc.
Leopard requirements/10.5.x...
    * Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) processor
minimum system requirements
    * 512MB of memory (I say 1.5GB for PPC at least, 2-3GB minimum for IntelMacs)
    * DVD drive for installation
    * 9GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)
Classic/OS9 Apps no longer supported.
Trouble is Apple no longer sells it, check eBay & such for the Retail version, not the Gray Discs...
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=mac+os+x+leopard+retail+10.5
There are workarounds if the 867MHz CPU is the only hangup...
http://sourceforge.net/projects/leopardassist/
http://lowendmac.com/osx/leopard/unsupported.html
List of Applications Not Compatible with Leopard...
http://guides.macrumors.com/List:Applications_Not_Compatible_with_Leopard

Erasing the hard drive

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