How can I erase my hard disk with OS X 10.8.2?

If you want to erase the hard disk and reinstall OS X, follow these steps:
1. Back up your data to an external disk if you don't want to lose everything. When you erase a hard disk, everything is deleted.
2. Press Command and R keys while your Mac is starting to start into OS X Recovery, and open Disk Utility.
3. Select Macintosh HD on the sidebar, go to Erase tab and erase the disk.
4. After erasing the disk, close Disk Utility and reinstall OS X, so OS X will be installed with factory settings.
Don't forget to install iLife applications after the installation, if you need them. They come in the Applications DVD (if your Mac came with Snow Leopard or older), or open App Store > Purchases and download them

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How can I erase My hard drive. Disk utility only gives me the option of erase free space. I have 27in iMac with Lion and 12 gb ram.

How can I erase my hard drive? Disk utility only gives me the option to erase free space.
Thanks for any assistance.

Drive Preparation for Lion
1. Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
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. Quit DU to return to the main menu.
5. Select Reinstall Lion then click on the Continue button. You need an active network connection in order to download the Lion software.

How can I erase my hard drive?

I just sold my computer. How can I erase the hard drive? Thanks1

To prepare it for sale you should follow these instructions:
What to do before selling or giving away your Mac
In addition to the above:
If you enabled FileVault, disable it in System Preferences > Security & Privacy.
"Deauthorize" your iTunes account. Same for Audible if you have one.
System Preferences > iCloud > de-select "Back to My Mac" and "Find my Mac".
Sign out of iCloud. Select "Delete from Mac" when it appears.
Then:
Start your Mac with its original System Installation DVD (if your Mac shipped with one) or OS X Recovery (if it didn’t).
Remove any Open Firmware password if you created one: select Firmware Password Utility from the Utilities menu and remove it.
Select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
Remove any partitions you may have created.
Select the Mac's hard disk icon, then select the "Erase" tab.
Select the "Security Options" button and erase the disk.
The more "securely" you erase the disk, the longer it will take. The fastest method is sufficient since all but the most expensive techniques and equipment will be able to recover securely erased data.
When it finishes, quit Disk Utility.
Select Install Mac OS X from the Utilities menu. Do not create any user accounts.
When it finishes, shut down the computer.
If you want to install the bundled apps that were included with your Mac, restart by using your Applications DVD and install the bundled apps.
Don't forget to include any DVDs that came with your iMac, your AppleCare certificate if you bought it, printed documentation, even the box if you still have it.
Execute a bill of sale showing the Mac's serial number.
Once no longer in your possesion, remove the Mac from your devices in My Support Profile.

How do i erase my hard disk

How do I erase my hard disk to prepare for resale?

Prepare Your Mac for Sale
Boot from the OS X Installer Disc One that came with the computer. 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. After DU loads select the startup volume from the left side list then click on the Erase tab. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) then click on the Options button. Select the one pass Zero Data option and click on the OK button. Then click on the Erase button.
Note: You can skip the Zero Data option if you are not concerned about removing sensitive personal data from the hard drive. If you choose to skip this part of the process then it is possible for others to recover data from the hard drive. The Zero Data procedure will prevent others from getting access to your personal information.
This process will take 30 minutes to several hours depending upon the size of the hard drive. After formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Now complete the OS X installation. At the completion of the installation do not restart the computer. Instead just shut it off. The next user will be presented with the Setup Assistant when they turn on the computer just as it would if new out of the box.

I disabled my Macbook Hard Disk and lock the settings, after i try to reboot, the system wouldn't come up. It refuses to read instructions from the hard disk. How can i enable the hard disk when the system wouldn't come up?

I disabled my Macbook Hard Disk and lock the settings, after i try to reboot, the system wouldn't come up. It refuses to read instructions from the hard disk. How can i enable the hard disk when the system wouldn't come up?

How do you disabled it if running the same?

How can i get my hard disk cable replacement

how can i get my hard disk cable replacement in Ghana

Remove or rename a folder on the root level probably called something like Private or Video or DCIM.

How can I do an startup disk with DiskWarriori included?

How can I do an startup disk with DiskWarrior included?
I want to do it with System 9.2.2. for those days that apperas an ? in the disk... buf!
I did one but the Mac didn't recognize it...
Thanks

xjulia...
Remember what I said earlier? ""The tricky parts... Then install your wanted version of Mac OS 9""...
Install is a key word here.
Launch your latest Mac OS 9 CD and run the Installer targeting the mounted image. I prefer to do a minimum universal install from within the installer. Uncheck items of no use. If your CD is an older version of Mac OS 9, run the following version of an updater. Same can be done to update your utilities so long as there is a updater available for the utility.
<hr width="300">
Copying an already installed System Folder, is a bit to be desired, as you have tons of manual trashing (fixing, weeding, etc.) to do.
<--OR-->
Bootable CDs normally contain a copy protected System Folder that is equivalent to fooling around with mother nature. It unfortunately leaves you with many CD cake boxes of coasters in the process.
<hr width="300">
By the way— A mounted image gets refreshed in a funny way. Drag the mounted image to the trash and "chug-chug". Click on the [your named].img file and a fresh image gets mounted. Just keep an eye on both as you get the feel.
...Ron

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 can I optimize my hard disk drive usage and performance in Windows 8 or Windows 7?

QuestionHow can I optimize my hard disk drive usage and performance in Windows 8 or Windows 7?
AnswerThere are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your hard disk drive is used optimally.
Use Toshiba HDD Protection
Many Toshiba laptops come with a program called Toshiba HDD Protection pre-installed. This program helps to protect your hard disk drive from being damaged due to falls or impacts. By default, it should already be enabled. You might be tempted to lower the detection levels in this application, but doing so could cause your hard disk drive to be damaged. Remember that while the application can reduce the chance of damage, you should still avoid allowing the laptop to fall or suffer rapid impacts.
For more information on this utility, see the following article:
TOSHIBA HDD Protection
Optimize the drive
Windows 8 and Windows 7 optimize hard disk drives automatically through a process called defragmentation. Unless you've disabled this, you don't need to do anything. If you have disabled this and want to run the process, you can still do so.
In Windows 8, search for "Defrag" at the Windows Start screen and select "Defragment and optimize your drives."
In Windows 7, search for "Defrag" in the Start Menu's search field and select "Disk defragmenter."
You can use this tool to optimize your hard disk drives, allowing Windows to find needed files faster.
Remove items from startup
Some applications run automatically when Windows starts. This can add additional functionality, but it also decreases the performance of your computer. Sometimes you might want to disable certain programs from starting automatically.
In Windows 8, search for "Task Manager" at the Start screen. Select the "Startup" tab. Select an application you'd like to disable from starting automatically and then click the "Disable" button in the lower-right.
In Windows 7, type "msconfig" in the Start Menu's search field and press ENTER. Uncheck the boxes next to applications you'd like to disable from starting automatically.
You should be sure of the purpose of an application before disabling it from starting automatically. Some applications might be important. If in doubt, you might consider searching on the Web to discover more information about a program. Remember that if you find that you disabled something vital, you can always re-enable it.
For more information, please see the following video:

QuestionHow can I optimize my hard disk drive usage and performance in Windows 8 or Windows 7?
AnswerThere are a few simple steps you can take to ensure your hard disk drive is used optimally.
Use Toshiba HDD Protection
Many Toshiba laptops come with a program called Toshiba HDD Protection pre-installed. This program helps to protect your hard disk drive from being damaged due to falls or impacts. By default, it should already be enabled. You might be tempted to lower the detection levels in this application, but doing so could cause your hard disk drive to be damaged. Remember that while the application can reduce the chance of damage, you should still avoid allowing the laptop to fall or suffer rapid impacts.
For more information on this utility, see the following article:
TOSHIBA HDD Protection
Optimize the drive
Windows 8 and Windows 7 optimize hard disk drives automatically through a process called defragmentation. Unless you've disabled this, you don't need to do anything. If you have disabled this and want to run the process, you can still do so.
In Windows 8, search for "Defrag" at the Windows Start screen and select "Defragment and optimize your drives."
In Windows 7, search for "Defrag" in the Start Menu's search field and select "Disk defragmenter."
You can use this tool to optimize your hard disk drives, allowing Windows to find needed files faster.
Remove items from startup
Some applications run automatically when Windows starts. This can add additional functionality, but it also decreases the performance of your computer. Sometimes you might want to disable certain programs from starting automatically.
In Windows 8, search for "Task Manager" at the Start screen. Select the "Startup" tab. Select an application you'd like to disable from starting automatically and then click the "Disable" button in the lower-right.
In Windows 7, type "msconfig" in the Start Menu's search field and press ENTER. Uncheck the boxes next to applications you'd like to disable from starting automatically.
You should be sure of the purpose of an application before disabling it from starting automatically. Some applications might be important. If in doubt, you might consider searching on the Web to discover more information about a program. Remember that if you find that you disabled something vital, you can always re-enable it.
For more information, please see the following video:

HT5313 How can i change my hard disk up to 250 GB or 500 GB ?

Can i change my hard disk up to 200 GB or 500 GB ? if i can,how should i do ?

Clone backup current drive to an external disk (SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner). The external disk should be a FireWire drive so you can boot it (I believe the White MacBooks only booted external FireWire drives). You should test booting the cloned external before continuing. Or you could clone the current MacBook drive to the new replacement drive, which could be done via USB or FireWire.
If I recall correctly, remove the battery, remove a metal shield, pull out the current drive, remove the bracket, attach bracket to new drive, slide new drive back in, put metal shield back on, put battery back in.
If you cloned directly to new replacement drive, boot up your MacBook and enjoy.
If you cloned to an external FireWire, boot the external cloned FireWire drive, and clone it back to the new replacement drive.
If you consider your data valuable, have yet another backup to a different drive before starting just to be safe.
There should be YouTube videos that will show you how to do this, or search MacSales.com for how to videos.
Message was edited by: BobHarris

I need to erase my hard drive. But the disks are grey when I go to Disk Utility. How can I erase the hard drive?

I need to erase my hard drive. But the drives are grey when I go to Disk Utility.

Restart the computer with the Command and R keys held down and use the Disk Utility from there. If you're going to sell or give away the computer, press Option as well.
(107083)

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

Can apple erase a hard drive with filevault 2 turned on and then reinstall OSX?

Can I take my MacBook Pro to an apple store and have them erase the hard drive and reinstall OSX? If so how much will that cost me?

I believe that's pretty much your only recourse if you forget the password and didn't write down the recovery key or choose to store it with Apple.
If you chose to store it with Apple, you can have them retrieve it for you if you answer the three security questions.
Really, with FileVault, the recovery key is crucial. You MUST keep a safe copy of it.
Matt

How can I erase my hard drive if the Installer can't find it?

Our iBook, 10.3.9, was pretty reliable for 5 years, but it started to work slower the past days (maybe thru too little free space or too many programs open at the same time), so we restarted a lot.. until it didn't restart but came up with the question mark; then with a black screen/white letters asking for a login. But what is my login? I only know my admin password.
I ran DiskUtility and repaired the permissions and wanted to repair the disk as well, but it said (in red letters): unable, could not unmount disk.
I tried Archive and Install, but it stopped halfway and said there was an error, try again later. I didn't try again, but managed to save most of my documents to another iBook (10.4.3) thru FireWire Target mode.
Then I was ready for Erase & Install.
When I first got this iBook, I had a big accident and had to erase and install, at which time an Apple tech person advised me to first install 10.1 and then 10.2 ('cause this iBook was first made with 10.1, it had 10.2 when I bought it). So this morning I put my 10.1 install CD in and selected Disk Utility to Erase the hard drive. This was recommended in another thread to erase all faulty blocks on a computer. I must say the hard drive itself (below the '27 GB OSX' thing with the triangle in front of it) was already greyed out, but I selected this triangle thing and said erase.
Then I went back into the Installer but... it can't find any hard drive to install OSX on. It shows just one blank space...
The strangest thing is that one time this morning when I opened the iBook, it started up just like normal! But it worked too slow, it wasn't fine, so I restarted and then the problems came back just the same. Now I'm back atthe black screen with white letters. It makes me think though that not all is lost with this computer, which my family hopes with me.
What can I do???
ibook Mac OS X (10.3.7)

Cornelius,
ask as many questions as necessary! I know it is a confusing situation.
Your profile lists OS X 10.3.7.
I believe I upgraded last year to 10.3.9.
Do you have a Full Retail Version of Panther available for re-install?
Yes.
What OS version(s) do you have a full retail version for?
For 10.1, 10.2 and 10.3.2.
Do you have an OS currently installed on your computer?
I don't know...
This morning I had set my mind to do the Erase & Install. I inserted the 10.1 disk, opened DUtility and selected "Erase" from the tablist. At that point the hard drive under the top-triangle was already grey I believe. I selected the top line, or the grey line, am not sure which was last. The computer started to spin. I can't tell if it erased anything at that point. But I know that once the computer stopped spinning its operationwheel, I quit DU and went on trying to install, but then there was no installation disc available. There was just a blanc field.
There was nothing else to do but restart, and at that point the computer opened up with a desktop like normal. I know it sounds crazy.
But it didn't work well. I could open a jpg-file in "Preview", but went in "Mail" and it took forever to open a message, at which point I restarted.
And since then, the normal desktop hasn't shown up anymore.
Whenever I restart, I keep getting stuck at 1. a flashing icon with the picture of a globe, which changes into
2. the question-mark, then
3. the window "Mac OS" with the blue stripe, filling up almost all the way and then
3. a black screen with white letters. If I type something and press return, it asks for password. If I type anything and press return, it says 'login incorrect', and then I see a new screen with "Darwin/BSD (X-3.local) (console)..... next line: "login: "
I don't know what my login could be.
I have since started up from the 10.3 CD, but also only saw a blank field where there should be an icon of my hard drive. (at 'select destination').
Since my post, I used my Apple Hardware Test-CD, and that gave a pass. It said "No device found" for AirPort and Mass Storage. "Device found" for Modem and "Passed" for Logic Board, Memory and VideoRAM.
In any case, what I want to do is still to Erase & Install, because something seems to be very wrong and my stuff is safely backed up.
Looking forward to your answer. Thanks a lot.
ibook Mac OS X (10.3.7)

Hard disk stop working how can recovery may new hard disk on mac book pro and i not have recovery disk the recovery is installed in soped hard disk

i have macbook pro the recovery is in hard disk and not have recovery disk and hard disk stop working now i want to change hard disk but how can i recovery my macbook pro can help me ?

"it shows macintosh HD OSX 10.9.5 but the hard drive that is supposed to be in the upper right corner is not showing up. So it is booting from that drive."
Ok go to "Finder" preferences and make sure the "Hard disk" box is checked.
That will make your boot disk show up in the upper right corner. You can tell it's a boot disk because all the files will look like this instead of just being blank files.

How can I erase my hard disk with OS X 10.8.2?

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