Help!!! I want to erase a hard drive

I want to erase my old imac having purchased a new one. When the OSX disc is inserted a window pops up advising that it cannot be opened as 'power pc applications are not supported'. I have no idea what this means, or more importantly, how I get round the problem. Any advice gratefully received.

Drive Erase for Snow Leopard and Earlier
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
If you are preparing an external or a non-startup drive, then open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
2. After DU loads select the volume you wish to format from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.

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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

Need Help: I want to change the hard drive in MacBookPro

Good day! I have a problem, I want to change the hard drive MacBookPro, but I do not understand how to make recovery disks of the existing system. The system of Mac OS Leopard 10.6.8.

You do not need to make a recovery disc, you just need to clone the hard drive that is currently in your mac to the new hard drive. What you need to do is purchase an external enclosure for the new hard drive, plug it into the usb port and run a cloning program such as CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper! Then put the new drive in the mac.

I want to erase my hard drive and reinstall lion server. Can someone help me out?

i have a mac mini running lion server. I want to erase all the date and start fresh. When i try to reinstall Lion it does not show anything about lion server but jut Lion. I want to make sure I do it properly. It is also asking me in which hard drive to install Lion but im unsure.
can someone help me out?

Check in the app store under purchases both lion and server should show up there to download again.
No need to erase both drives for a clean install just the drive you are using for the OSX. Though if you are truly starting a fresh then erase and reformat both.
As for Upgrades. Yosemite is the only upgrade now available through the app store as is Server 4.0 for Yosemite. I have not tested the latest server yet and can not comment on it's reliability.
Any server you set up should be thoroughly tested on a closed network before going live.
Hope this helps.
PJRS

I want to erase my hard drive and re-install 10.9

I have already successfully installed the 10.9 update.
I do not have any installation disks. Was on 10.8 until update install this morning.
Computer is working fine. Want to erase to get system back to factory capacity (and sttings).
WHen I tried to select erase disk from the DIsk Utility - the erase option was dimmed. My brief research suggested the hard drive was formatted for Windows and had to have the install disk to overvcome.
So: I would like avise on how to erase the drive, restore to factory settings (i.e. particion, etc) and re-install either 10.9 or 10.8 (which wouled themn require an update to 10.9)
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
To be able to erase the OS X partition, you must have started in OS X Recovery by holding down Command and R keys while your Mac is starting > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 Then, open Disk Utility and erase Macintosh HD. Finally, install OS X again, and OS X Recovery will install OS X Mavericks.
If your Mac is working properly, there's no need to make a clean install. In most cases, the OS X performance is similar after an upgrade and a clean install

How to erase a hard drive on a i MAC Power PC with OSX 10.5.8 pre-intel?

I got this i Mac G5 Power PC with a 20" screen (no iSight) and last generation of i Mac repaired. Capacitors and a power supply did revive my machine and it works fine. I would like to donate my machine and want to erase the hard drive and make sure that all my personal data is gone.
I have the Leopard disk and I am told that if I booth my machine with the disk while holding the C key then I can go to Disk Utility and erase my hard drive.
Does anyone have a step-by-step approach to guide me through this?
Any help will be most appreciated!
Thank you,
Guy

Drive Preparation
1. Boot from your OS X Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
Steps 4-6 are optional but should be used on a drive that has never been formatted before, if the format type is not Mac OS Extended, if the partition scheme has been changed, or if a different operating system (not OS X) has been installed on the drive.

How do I erase my hard drive

Little help, please. I want to erase the hard drive on my iMac so we sell it. I do not want any data inadvertently passed onto the next user. I am familiar with disk utility and have gone there but when I click on the hard drive it is subdue and I am unable to select the security options or the erase key. Can you help, please. Must be doing something wrong...
Thanks,

If the computer did not originally comes with Lion on it then 1) you cannot sell it with Lion on it because Lion upgrades are attached to your AppleID and it's also a violation of the license agreement. You will need to contact Apple and purchase the original OS X install discs as I mentioned in my original post.
However IF your machine is a mid 2011 iMac that came with Lion pre-installed already then you need to boot into the Recovery Volume and use Disk Utility to Erase your disk. How you do that is:
When you hear the start-up tone hold down the Option key and choose the Recovery Volume and choose Disk Utility.
Click the erase tab and make sure the Format is set to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and click erase.
Then to reinstall Lion on the HD, exit Disk Utility and choose Reinstall Mac OS X.

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 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.

I had to erase my hard drive and then reinstall everything back from my passport external hard drive. Now my iPhoto edit is not working. I get a blank screen when I want to edit. The photos show up in the library but I cannot edit them. Help?

I had to erase my hard drive and then reinstall everything back from my passport external hard drive. Now my iPhoto edit is not working. I get a blank screen when I want to edit. The photos show up in the library but I cannot edit them. Help?

There are several possible causes for the Black Screen issue
*1. Permissions in the Library* : Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Include the option to check and repair permissions.
*2. Minor Database corruption*: Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild.
*3. A Damaged Photo*: Select one of the affected photos in the iPhoto Window and right click on it. From the resulting menu select 'Show File (or 'Show Original File' if that's available). Will the file open in Preview? If not then the file is damaged. Time to restore from your back up.
*4. A corrupted iPhoto Cache*: Trash the com.apple.iPhoto folder from HD/Users/Your Name/Library/ Caches...
*5. A corrupted preference file*: Trash the com.apple.iPhoto.plist file from the HD/Users/ Your Name / library / preferences folder. (Remember you'll need to reset your User options afterwards. These include minor settings like the window colour and so on. Note: If you've moved your library you'll need to point iPhoto at it again.)
If none of these help:
As a Test:
Hold down the option (or alt) key key and launch iPhoto. From the resulting menu select 'Create Library'
Import a few pics into this new, blank library. Is the Problem repeated there?
Regards
TD

I have Os Lion on my mac book pro, im not a fan of this because i cant run many games, i have the disk for snow leopard my machine came with but i get a error saying "unable to unmount disc" when i try erase my hard drive i just want OS SL back any help?

I have Os Lion on my mac book pro, im not a fan of this because i cant run many games, i have the disk for snow leopard my machine came with but i get a error saying "unable to unmount disc" when i try erase my hard drive i just want OS SL back any help?
many thanks Carl.

You must boot from another drive in order to erase the system drive.
Try starting up with Snow Leopard DVD inserted and C depress. That should get you booted from the DVD. Then start Disk Utitlity from DVD and erase the disk then you should be able to install Snow Leopard.
Remember that everything will be removed from the disk when you erase it and install Snow Leopard so backup first.
Allan

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.

I recently bought Mac book air and was doing a fresh install of 10.7 and I erased my hard drive and now want to reinstall osx but it keeps telling me that it can't find install information for this machine and to call AppleCare.

Any one have any suggestions?? AppleCare is closed right now

Hmmmm...
When you say OSX, which version do you want to reinstall?
Was the MacBook Air new when you bought it? Did it originally come with Lion? Mountain Lion?
When you say you erased your hard drive, did something go wrong while you were installing Lion?
Were you installing it from a file downloaded from the App Store, or from another source?
When you press and hold "Option" while you boot up, does "Recovery" come up as an option to boot your computer?
If so, you can reinstall Lion from the recovery part of the drive and (hopefully) everything should be fine.
Let me know if you still need a hand with your MacBook and we'll see if we can get you going again.

I used my snow leopard disk to erase my hard drive. Now I want to eject the snow leopard disk to clean install from the lion boot disk I made. How do I eject the snow leopard disk?

I used my snow leopard disk to erase my hard drive. Now I want to eject the snow leopard disk to clean install from the lion boot disk I made. How do I eject the snow leopard disk? It is the start up disk and I can't figure out how to get it out of the computer so I can put my lion boot disk in. Thanks

turn the mac all the way off. turn the mac on by pressing the power button. as soon as the apple logo appears, pres and hold your mouse button(trackpad mouse clicker etc...) until the CD comes out.

I erased by Hard drive without backing up. Now, when I put the install disc one inside, it says that Mac os x cannot be installed on this computer. The computer was running Mac os x 10.5.8. Any help?

I erased by Hard drive without backing up. Now, when I put the install disc one inside, it says that Mac os x cannot be installed on this computer. The computer was running Mac os x 10.5.8. Any help?

Boot from your DVD by switching on the Mac & inserting the disc, restart it & hold the "C" key. Once the installer window loads & you have selected your language, choose Disk Utility from the Utilities Menu. You will then need to select your disk from the menu within Disk Utility & choose how you wish to format. It should be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
Once it has formatted, you should then be able to install the OS.
PLEASE REMEMBER...that formatting a disk will completely erase it's content. Be sure that you don't wish to recover any of your previous content before doing any of the above.
Ben

Help!!! I want to erase a hard drive

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