How long to erase & format a drive?

Hi, how long should it take to erase and format a 640 GB internal hard drive on my Mac Pro?
My Mac Pro is an 8-core, 2.8 ghz MacPro, which I've had for about a year. It came with a 320 GB primary drive. Recently I bought a Western Digital Caviar WD6401AALS 640 GB drive so that I can run Time Machine on it. The WD drive came formatted with NTFS.
After opening Disk Utility, I selected my 640 GB drive and then selected Mac OS extended (journaling) before clicking on Erase. After less than a minute this ended with "Disk Erase failed with the error." I tried this a few more times and got the same result each time. Then I clicked on the "Repair" button but got messages that stated "Disk Utility stopped repairing 'diskOs1' because the following error was encountered."
I then selected the volume (listed under the WD 640 GB drive), with format Mac OS extended (journaling) again and clicked on Erase. This set a barber pole at the bottom right of the box into motion. It's been running, however, for over 13 hours at this point. If I try to quit Disk Utility, a dialog box comes up that states the operation is still in progress. Should I exercise more patience or is something wrong with the procedure?
Here is the last part of the log so far:
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: Preparing to erase : “disk0s1”
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: Partition Scheme: Master Boot Record
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: 1 volume will be erased
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: Name : “disk0s1”
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: Size : 596.2 GB
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: Filesystem : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2009-05-08 20:37:00 -0700: newfs_hfs: /dev/rdisk0s1: partition size not a multiple of 4K.
Can anyone tell me what the last line means? Thanks for your help.
Larry

Wow, Hatter, that's the fastest response I've ever received to a question in any forum I used!
I purchased this WD 640 GB drive from Tech for Less. It was advertised as an "Open Box" item and was supposed to be unused.
In my first few attempts I selected the WD6401AALS itself and tried to erase it. Every time I tried this, the procedure failed. This is the first part of the log:
2009-05-08 18:41:37 -0700: Disk Utility started.
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: Preparing to erase : “WD640”
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: Partition Scheme: Master Boot Record
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: 1 volume will be created
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: Name : “WD640”
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: Size : 596.2 GB
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: Filesystem : Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
2009-05-08 18:43:45 -0700: Creating partition map.
2009-05-08 18:43:47 -0700: Formatting disk0s1 as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) with name WD640.
2009-05-08 18:43:48 -0700: Disk Erase failed with the error:
File system formatter failed.
2009-05-08 18:43:48 -0700: Erase complete.
2009-05-08 18:43:48 -0700:
2009-05-08 18:43:49 -0700: Disk Utility failed during an unspecified action with the error:
I noted that one of the entries at 18:43:48 -0700: states "Erase complete." This is followed 2 lines later, however, with "disk Utility failed during an unspecified action with the error:"
When I selected the "volume" itself and clicked on Erase, the erasing and formatting operation seemed to begin. I guess that in selecting "volume" I selected only the NTFS partition itself.
The only way I can stop the current erasing and formatting operation seems to be to pull down on Disk Utility in the menu bar and select "quit Disk Utility." This brings up a dialog box, however, cautioning that stopping in the middle of an operation can render some disks nonoperational.
My WD 640 GB drive is supposed to have the same warranty as a new WD drive - according to Tech for Less. I hope that pulling the plug this way won't void the warranty.
Thanks for your rapid response.
Larry

Similar Messages

How long to erase new hard drive

Hi!
I am replacing the hard drive for my imac a1173.
The original drive was a WD Caviar 1600JS. I ordered a WD Caviar 500GB sata III 7200 RPM 16MB cache.
I was reading of the need to jumper the drive to limit the transfer to 1.5 GB/s and I did following directions from WD web site.
I installed the drive and I ran Disk Utility as the drive was not showing up as destination to install OS X.
Well Disk Utility shows the drive (465.8 GB WDC WD5000...) - Untitled.
I selected it and started the Erase process. Volume format Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and as Security Option I left the default option (Do not erase data) as I think this was going to be the fastest way.
My question is: how long does it take for DU to get the drive ready?
The erase process has been running for almost a day now. I left the computer on and this morning I still see the colored wheel turning. Not sure what to do. It seems frozen to me but it may be running in the background as I was reading it may take a loooong time to format a drive depending on the speed of the CPU etc.
Since my imac is old, I think it may be normal to take all this time, but I am not sure so I would like to hear from you.
Do you think the drive is not compatible and that's why DU cannot erase it? Should I order a different drive?
Do you think I should let it run and wait for the erase process to complete?
Please advise...thank you

There has been reported problems with that WD Caviar drive.
Also you didn't mention what iMac you have
Since about 2009, one can't replace the internal boot drive on iMac's due to software Apple installs on the drive we can't get. The fans will race if you manage to get it to work.
http://blog.macsales.com/10146-apple-further-restricts-upgrade-options-on-new-im acs

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 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 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 do I erase my hard drive? My initial operating system was Snow Leopard but I have upgraded to Mavericks OS. My Snow Leopard install disk ejects when I try and use it.

How do I erase my hard drive? My initial operating system was Snow Leopard but I have upgraded to Mavericks OS. My Snow Leopard install disk ejects when I try and use it.

Do a backup, preferable 2 separate ones on 2 drives. Boot to the Recovery Volume (command - R on a restart or hold down the option/alt key during a restart and select Recovery Volume). Run Disk Utility Verify/Repair and Repair Permissions until you get no errors. Reformat the drive using Disk Utility/Erase Mac OS Extended (Journaled), then click the Option button and select GUID. Then re-install the OS.
OS X Recovery
OS X Recovery (2)
When you reboot, use Setup Assistant to restore your data.

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)

Anyone know how to securely erase an SSD drive?

Does anyone know how to securely erase an SSD drive in a MacBook Pro?
The usual 'security options' are greyed out in Disk Utility...

Erasing it normally is enough. The nature of SSDs itself makes it secure.
(114951)

How do i erase the hard drive and reinstall?

How do i erase the hard drive and reinstall everything? My computer is running slow and i thought with having a 2.4ghz processor and 4gb of ram would make speed not a factor but obviously i was wrong in that my comp is running slow. Not as slow as my pentium processor desktop but its too slow for my tastes. Im waiting to get an external hd so i can save my songs and pictures to before i do erase everything.

Go to finder and in Spotlight, type in erase and install. The second choice is "Reinstall OS X. Print that out and follow the directions.
Good Luck.
Adam

How long to erase 3TB external hard drive 7x with disk utility?

Just wondering, started Sunday afternoon and its still going 2 days later.

The 7x erase formatting was added to Disk Utility because of government agencies who have it as a requirement for their security. For most people a 1x erase and zero all data is sufficient. Do you really need to do the 7x?
Best of luck.

How long to partition a 500mb drive

I just bought a Seagate FreeAgent 500mb drive that needed to be partitioned because it came formatted NTFS for PCs. How long should this take? The progress bar has not hardly moved.
Thanks.

If you are trying to format the HDD for using on a Mac, it will need to be formatted in Mac OS Extended. Here are step-by-step directions for doing so. Please note that the formatting process destroys previous formats and data on the HDD, so that zeroing the HDD is optional, and a simple erase will do. Here's how:
Formatting, Partitioning Zeroing a Hard Disk Drive
Warning! This procedure will destroy all data on your Hard Disk Drive. Be sure you have an up-to-date, tested backup of at least your Users folder and any third party applications you do not want to re-install before attempting this procedure.
Boot from the install CD holding down the "C" key.
Select language
Go to the Utilities menu (Tiger) Installer menu (Panther & earlier) and launch Disk Utility.
Select your HDD (manufacturer ID) in left side bar.
Select Partition tab in main panel. (You are about to create a single partition volume.)
Select number of partition in pull-down menu above Volume diagram.
(Note: 1 partition is normally better for an internal HDD. External HDDs usually have more than one. See Dr. Smoke’s FAQ Backup and Recovery for tips on partitioning external HDD.)
Type in name in Name field (usually Macintosh HD)
Select Volume Format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
Click Partition button at bottom of panel.
Select Erase tab
Optional: (Select the sub-volume under Manufacturer ID (usually Macintosh HD).
Check to be sure your Volume Name and Volume Format are correct.
Select on Security Options button (Tiger) Options button (Panther & earlier).
Select Zero all data. (This process will map out bad blocks on your HDD. However, it could take several hours. If you want a quicker method, don't go to Security Options and just click the Erase button.)
Click OK.
Click Erase button
Quit Disk Utility.
Open installer and begin installation process.
Please post back with further questions or comments.
Good luck.
cornelius

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 long will allocating a new drive take?

Currently, we have a Xserve with a RAID 5 array with 6 drives allocated and one hot spare. I am going to add the hot spare to be a regular part of the array. They are all 500GB modules. Can anyone give me an idea of how long it will take to allocate the new drive space? I know it took about 3 days to initialize the original 6 drives. Should I expect that it will take a much shorter time, or is it just about the same regardless of how many drives it is allocating?
TIA.

Just to clarify- you know that you will need to
remove the HFS+ filesystem and replace it with a new
file system in order to utilize the additional space.
(Backup, erase, make new volume, restore data)
Good point. I didn't even think that far into it. Thank you very much for your reply. This will help plan it all out.
Mac Pro Quad Xeon 2.0 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

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 a hard drive

I got a " new to me" computer and want to fire wire my old computer over. Problem is "new to me" computer still has stuff on it and I need to erase the harddrive so that I can swith my computer over. Any one know how to do this?

What you need is the install disk for your "new to you" machine. Boot from that and you can erase the hard drive and then reinstall the original OS.
There may be another way, but would need to know the exact OS versions:
Which OS version did the "new to you" machine come with (originally, if it was upgraded), and
which version is on your own old computer (the one you want to move data from)?

How long to erase & format a drive?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for