I CAN'T ERASE HARD DISK...

powerbook g4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Hi apple g4,
If you are trying to erase the mounted volume with disk utility, you can't.
Insert the Mac OS CD/DVD that came with your PowerBook (or a retail version of Tiger), startup from it and run disk utility from there. You should now be able to erase your hard disk.
RD
PS - Γιάσου πατρίδα

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How can I erase hard disk if SuperDrive is broken (OS 10.6.8)?

I have an old MacBook running OS 10.6.8 which I want to recycle, but its internal SuperDrive doesn't work, so I can't use the install disk to do it. I tried plugging in Apple's external USB SuperDrive which I bought when I upgraded to a MacBook Pro which has no internal SuperDrive, but the external SuperDrive doesn't accept the disc; it's as if the old MacBook doesn't recognize the external drive. I'm thus at a loss as to how to proceed to wipe the hard disk. Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Scott

The newer version Apple USB Superdrive does not support use with older Mac products
that have a built-in optical drive; so that avenue is not a direct method. Other brands of
relatively inexpensive DVD+CD R/W USB drives can be used with system DVDs to boot
most later Intel-based Macs using the Apple DVD system media discs.
There also has been topic discussions in various locations online about methods to
use a firmware change to newer Apple USB Superdrive, that may work with older Macs
that have built-in optical drives, those which may have failed to function.
The change to the USB external Apple superdrive may void its warranty. I noticed a repair
page at iFixit.com showing how to swap the actual drive out of the Superdrive, and in the
added comments, someone had posted a suggested (but not recommended) method of
modifying the Apple USB Superdrive's ability to work with older unsupported Macs.
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_USB_SuperDrive (4 comment/questions, not definitive)
https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/23023/Can+I+use+the+AirSuperDrive+as+an+Exte rnal+Drive+the+Mac+laptops
So perhaps the idea may work, or it may not. Other less costly third-party somewhat
more disposable DVD RW USB player/recorders that can work & boot Macs have
been discussed in the ASC discussions. Several brands, a few links to online sites
that had them listed. Usually for under $50.
Good luck & happy computing!

Reinstall erased hard disk.

I did a re-install on my girlfriends G4 iBook running X10.9 because of system problems, and now when the software disk ask for what destination to install on there is not option. I can't believe it had me erase hard disk and then doesn't give me option to partition another or create. Any suggestions?

Hi, dosotyidiot, and welcome to Apple Discussions. The "system problems" you were attempting to remedy by reinstalling may actually have been caused by a failing hard drive that is now completely dead.
Start the iBook up from Disc 1 of your latest OS X installer set. When the Installer appears, open Disc Utility from the Installer menu (if it's a Panther installer) or the Utilities menu (if it's a Tiger installer). If the hard drive doesn't appear in the left pane of DU, replace it. If it does appear, select the line that shows its manufacturer and model number, and click the First Aid tab in DU's right pane. Is the S.M.A.R.T. status of the drive shown at the bottom of the DU window? If it's "Failing", replace the drive. If it's "Verified," erase the drive using the Write Zeroes option (this will take several hours if it's a large drive). When that's complete, assuming it finishes sucessfully, quit Disk Utility to return to the Installer and proceed with the OS installation. If the zero write process can't be completed, replace the drive.

I am deleting files through my trash in my macbook pro (2010) and then emptying the trash can, but my hard disk space is not increasing! i recently upgraded to lion and the problem is new, wasn't the same with snow leopard! HELP!!!!!

i am deleting files through my trash in my macbook pro (2010) and then emptying the trash can, but my hard disk space is not increasing! i recently upgraded to lion and the problem is new, wasn't the same with snow leopard! HELP!!!!!
When i press command+I (Get Info) i see that there is 140 GB "Available Space" on my hard disk but when i click on my hard disk icon on the desktop, and then press "space" i only see 102 GB free!! What the f*???
Please HELP!!!!!! Getting second thoughts on Lion!!!!

Hi b,
Have you restarted yet?

Can I upgrade hard disk storage of Macbook pro retina 15inch 2013 late after purchasing?

Can I upgrade hard disk storage of Macbook pro retina 15inch 2013 late after purchasing?
I currently have 256GB.

Actually you can:
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/SSDAP12R480/
But installing this will void your warranty!
Ciao.

Can't see hard disk folders

I have an airport extreme hooked to a cable modem. I have a Seagate 160 gig hard disk attached to the airport extreme. My Mac Book Pro can see the hard disk and all its folders, but my PC that is wired with an ethernet cord cannot see the folders on the hard disk. It sees the drive as a Z drive but no folders show up. My husbands Sony Vaio laptop only sees the hard disk and not the folders either.
Any suggestions????

bigdialtone wrote:
Is there a way to just convert file or even partition of the half I have left?
Safely? No. You'll have to find another place to transfer the data to.
And last is the best format not HFS+?
It is... if you have a Mac. If you are only in Windows, you may at some point want to disconnect the USB HDD from the Extreme and connect it directly to your PC. Native Windows can read a FAT/FAT32 drive, but not an HFS+. However, you can pick up MacDrive which allows a Windows machine to read an HFS+ drive. Your choice.

Can I change hard disk with SSD drive in Toshiba NB100?

Can I change hard disk with SSD drive in Toshiba NB100 ?
The Hard disc in this model is same size as SSD 2.5" drive?

Hi
As mentioned above: the SATA controller is supported so you will need to use a SATA SSD drive usually it should not be a big problem to upgrade the notebook with an SSD drive in some cases it could be possible that the SSD firmware needs to be updated but this depends on the SSD drive manufacturer
However, the SSD drive is much faster than a common HDD. Therefore you should notice a faster performance

At only 15 months of age, my MacPro crashed yesterday! Any idea how I can save my hard disk from being destroyed if I hand it in for repair?

At only 15 months of age, my MacPro crashed yesterday! Any idea how I can save my hard disk from being destroyed if I hand it in for repair?

Open it up. Buy a new replacement drive. Install Mac OS. Then give it to them if you still have trouble.
As for the install failing,
I never do the older "archive and install"
I format and initialize first, even zero the drive, and only then install.
of course all the data is lost.
Data Rescue 3 demo can scan a drive but you need to have setup a 2nd boot drive to work from, AND you would need part of that 2nd drive partition for recovery of data. 30-50GB system partition and 150% the size of the drive you want to recover.
TimeMachine I never adopted or liked but 350% and would only use as secondary backup with cloned copy of your drive.
Backups can be scheduled, run at night or weekend or both, a weekly clone and daily sets.
Disk Warrior 4.2+ is another $100 (DR3 is about same but demo is free to try).
A spare external drive case $30? and TWO hard drives, a replacement and backup/recovery $100 each?
Just some ideas to throw out there....
Bootable clones though you will find are very useful, handy.
I like the small 40GB emergency boot partition - put one on your TimeMachine drive etc.
LION: the one good thinig: it has a recovery mode partition and new Macs have "net install" feature and minimal hardware diagnostic over the internet to do Apple Hardware Test. Lion $30 and might actually want to install it on external.
So DO try installing OS X on one of your external drives - create 40GB volume just for that - if you can please.

How do I reformat hard drive when I can't erase the disk?

Machine: imac, OS 10.6.8
Initial Problem: Finder kept crashing for all users immediately after start up. As a result I was unable to try trashing finder preferences as recommended in this forum and elsewhere.
Attempted solutions:
1. Initially seemed unable to boot from Snow Leopard Installation Disk
2. Connected to another imac using firewire and booting problem computer into target mode
3. Ran Techtool pro from master machine. Hard drive and hardware fine but reported need to format disk on target machine.
4. Tried to install new os onto target drive using disk drive on master machine. Error message reported being unable to find target drive, even though it was showing on desktop of master machine
5. Tried to erase disk using disk utility on master machine, but error message stating unable to unmount target drive
6. Successfully rebooted using snow leopard installation disk, but unable to instal. Error message stated that the computer was not available. i.e. it had the yellow triangle with exclamation masrk
7. Tried to erase hard drive using disk utility from installation disk, but was unable to do so. The process commenced to unmount the disk, started to erase but stopped before task completed. Tried a second time with same result.
Obviously the machine needs complete reformatting. I made a backup before starting this series of unsuccessful attempts. I suspect that I need to use terminal from the installation disk, but I am not sure which terminal command to use.
Can anyone tell me? Or have I overlooked some simpler solution?

Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
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.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) 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.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.

Can't erase hard drive on my PowerBook G4 when using the Installer CD

Hi,
I am trying to erase the hard drive on my old Powerbook G4 so that I can donate it. I followed the instructions by booting up the laptop using the Installer CD. Every time I select my hard drive in the Erase window and click the Erase button, it just checks the volumes and then it dims and nothing else happens.
After multiple failed attempts to erase the HD, I decided to quit the install CD and simply remove the HD altogether. I pressed the "Option" key in order to avoid starting up from the CD, but it is not working. I am unable to return to my original settings. All I see now is an arrow on the right hand side of the blue screen and a circle with an arrow on the left side. Pressing the arrow does not result in anything.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Thanks for responding.
Yes, I tried everything yesterday. It only allowed me to verify the disk and not do any repairs. This computer has some major issues so I am not surprised. Since it was destined for recycling anyway, I decided not to waste any more time on it, so I removed the hard disk instead and am about to ship it off.

Disk utility can't repair hard disk

I have set up my old iMac G3 for my 4 yr old grandson to use. It spontaneosly shuts down at random times, with no apparent provocation. I ran disk utilities from the OSX install disk to see if the hard disk needed repairing and got a long list of problems. I ran the repair program several times, including the permission repairs, and it doesn't seem to do any goodI don't know what other programs there are that might help.

Disk Warrior fixes most problems that Disk Utility cannot.
However, you may be wiser to erase the drive then reinstall:
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.
7. Quit DU when formatting has completed then install OS X.

Yosemite install, trim enabled, won't boot, can't erase hard drive

I recently upgraded to Yosemite, enabled FileVault and foolishly enabled TRIM (had no idea it wasn't supported).
Upon restart, my machine gets the grey screen with the crossed-out circle of death.
After figuring out what happened, I then attempted to restore from a Time Machine backup (10.9). The backup failed almost immediately, but did manage to erase the HD (or at least the partition is gone).
Now I'm completely stuck. Disk Utility can see this drive, but cannot erase or re-partition it. The drive isn't mounted so I cannot access it with Terminal (at least with my level of knowledge). cd /Volumes/mydrive doesn't work - no such directory.
I have re-installed Yosemite on my second hard drive and booted from there. I tried Disk Utility again and I still have no options available to erase or partition my original disk, although it is there.
Can anyone help me get my original disk back into functioning form? If I can just get the disk erased and partitioned, I can load my Time Machine backup and be off to the races. Thanks!

TRIM is on the software side. Therefore if you are going to erase the whole disk and do a clean install of Yosemite, TRIM will not be enabled. If i understand the mechanism of TRIM and OS X right, TRIM is usually only enabled when using an official Apple SSD (e.g. on the newer MacBooks).
Now lets go back to the issue with the erasing. If there is something wrong with the partition/the installation on it, i personally would download ubuntu and erase the SSD. "My HD" is your SSD, isn't it? There is a utility called "hdparm" which lets you erase SSDs quite fast and easily from a linux-terminal (usually it takes only seconds and there are only two lines of terminal-code needed). Unfortunately i couldn't find this tool for os x.
But maybe there is also a solution without using another distribution. Did you try to start the disk utility during the startup of your pc by holding "command + R" ?
Or you could try to create a usb stick with the Yosemite installation and access the disk utility from there. This would prevent the system to mount any partition and maybe let's you format the hard drive.
EDIT: I just found this article: http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/6278/how-to-securely-erase-an-ssd-drive /6287#6287
What's the result, if you type "df -k" in your terminal? (it will only display the available space left on your hard disks etc.) There should be two entries for /dev/disk. One should be your "Boot"-Drive and the other should be the broken "My HD".

Erasing hard disk without start up disk?

I'm running Mac OS 10.8.6. I no longer have the start up disk and want to completely erase my hard disk so I can resell the computer. How do I do this? The disk utility does not give me the option to do a 35 erase. Thank you.

Since Apple has never released 10.8.6, I am guessing you mean 10.6.8
If so call AppleCare and order a replacement ser of install DVD since they are part of that Mac. Once you get them then you will be able to erase the disk.
Allan

Can'f format hard disks with a PM8M3-V board

Hello,
Recentl i tried formatting my old pc (P4, PM8M3-V board).
When i enter my windows disk to the cd-rom, it won't recognize any of my two hard disks, Though almost anything else will recognize them (like partition magic, and other PC's). I can format the HD on another pc, and i have. After formatted, i installed the HD back at thePM8M3-V computer. The computer boots up, and reaches the windows logo screen, and then it restarts and starts this whole proccess again. Also, as it seems, a RAID is configured, since a raid screen is appearing after the initial POST scree, but i could not set it off. I searched for a bit and found out that this:
Quote
Integrated Peripherals -> IDE Devices -> SATA Rom Select = [IDE][RAID]
But the SATA Rom Select line does not appear!
Please, help me find the problem. Thanks in advanced...

If you want to reset everything including RAID, you can clear CMOS when the system is powered off by removing the board's battery for 10 secs and placing it back. Once done, power up the system and BIOS is reset.

Website can't access hard disk

My mpog has 1000s of graphics files that can be stored locally, but it can't access the files, how do I allow the site to access folder on hard disk?
== URL of affected sites ==
http://www.ferion.com but you need an account to get into a game

It sounds like your hard drive has some data corruption issues or disk directory errors.
You should insert your Mac OS X installation disc and restart with the C key held down. Once you get to the Installer's screen, you should be able to run Disk Utility. I believe for Jaguar (10.2), it is under the Installer's Installer menu (in the menu bar).
In Disk Utility, use +Repair Disk+ on your startup drive. Note if any errors are reported, and if so, whether they are repaired.

I CAN'T ERASE HARD DISK...

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