How can i wipe out my personal info from my mac

Question

i would like to know how i can wipe all my personalyy info from my mac

Answer 1

Ace_ wrote:
i would like to know how i can wipe all my personal info from my mac
1: The absolute best way Grade A method would be to remove the storage drive and replace with another, melt the old drive in a +1500º F kiln, or smash it to tiny bits with a sledgehammer / hydraulic press and distribute the pieces into the trash as widespread as possible.
Then hold c booting from a OS X install disk (10.6 or earlier if th emachine came with that) or hold option key booting from a 10.7 install USB ($69, no user ID associated) and install your OS onto the new drive and shutdown at the Welcome screen.
2: If you don't want to replace the drive but don't want a wealthy individual, corporation or government using special equipment to read most of your data.
Then hold c booting from a OS X install disk, (or command r booting from 10.7 Recovery) and using Disk Utility to Erase with 7x overwrite on the OS X boot partition will do. Takes many hours to complete. 
There might be  small bits left in mapped off sectors, journaled drives, your basically trusting the drive makers / OS maker to erase your drive completely. Then reinstall your OS and shutdown at the Welcome screen.
3: If you don't want to replace the drive, not all that paranoid, but don't want most anyone using special software like DataRescue to read your deleted data off the drive, then hold c booting from a OS X install disk, (or command r booting from 10.7 Recovery) and using Disk Utility to Erase with Zero will do. Takes about a few hours. Then reinstall your OS and shutdown at the Welcome screen.
4: If your not the least bit concerned someone could read your deleted data, simply hold c booting from a OS X install disk, (or command r booting from 10.7 Recovery) and using Disk Utility to Erase (with Security Option will do.) Takes about a few seconds. Then quit DU, reinstall your OS and shutdown at the Welcome screen.