These steps apply only to Mac computers with an Intel processor. The steps to erase a Mac with Apple silicon are different.
Use Disk Utility to erase your disk From the utilities window in macOS Recovery, select Disk Utility and click Continue. Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar of Disk Utility. Don't see Macintosh HD? Select the second volume (Macintosh HD – Data) and click on the (-) button and select “Delete”. Now, select the “Macintosh – HD” volume, click on Erase. Here enter what you want to name your hard drive and then confirm by clicking “Erase”.
Before erasing your Mac
- Make a backup of any files that you want to keep. Erasing your Mac permanently deletes its files.
- If you want to restore your Mac to factory settings, such as to prepare it for a new owner, first learn what to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your Mac. Then erase your Mac as the final step.
Use Disk Utility to erase your Mac
- Start up from macOS Recovery: Turn on your Mac, then immediately press and hold these two keys until you see an Apple logo or other image: Command (⌘) and R.
- If asked, select a user you know the password for, then enter their administrator password.
- From the utilities window, select Disk Utility and click Continue.
- Select Macintosh HD in the sidebar of Disk Utility. Don't see Macintosh HD?
- Click the Erase button in the toolbar, then enter the requested details:
- Name: Macintosh HD
- Format: APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled), as recommended by Disk Utility
- Click Erase Volume Group. If you don't see this button, click Erase instead.
- If asked, enter your Apple ID. Forgot your Apple ID?
- After the erase is done, select any other internal volumes in the sidebar, then click the delete volume (–) button in the toolbar to delete that volume.
Disregard any internal volume named Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD - Data, as well as any volumes in the External and Disk Images sections of the sidebar. - Quit Disk Utility to return to the utilities window.
- If you want to start up again from the disk you erased, select Reinstall macOS in the utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions to reinstall macOS.
If you don’t see Macintosh HD in Disk Utility
Your built-in startup disk should be the first item listed in the Disk Utility sidebar. It's named Macintosh HD, unless you changed its name. If you don't see it there, choose Apple menu > Shut Down, then unplug all nonessential devices from your Mac and try again.
If your disk still doesn't appear in Disk Utility, or Disk Utility reports that the erase process failed, your Mac might need service. If you need help, please contact Apple Support.
Learn more
For more information about using Disk Utility, see the Disk Utility User Guide.
Looking for a solution of this type that can be used to protect remove the Macintosh hard drive before reselling your old Mac machine, so have to worry about people (mostly computer geeks) has any chance of data recovery from the old computer! It gets to the right place and focus on the need to clean Mac and how doing the work in selective options, based on the particular circumstances.
Sulution 1: Thought Empty Trash to Delete Files Permanently? NO!
You are simply wrong! The fact is - when you empty the Recycle Bin, or using other similar methods (such as Command + Shift + Del) to remove unnecessary files you though that prevented the trash, then almost certainly still recoverable. Because the files are not actually deleted. What happens is that there are no more files regarding the Macintosh operating system (HFS +), is concerned and the space they occupied becomes available for reuse by other files.
But the disk space does not get reused immediately for the data presented in the deletion will remain on the hard disk for the future to come. Usually, it will take weeks, even months to make those deleted files 'written on' the new data generated. These data are highly risky, because they can be recovered if a bad guy get your Mac!
Solution 2: Wipe A Mac Clean with Data Wiper Software (Recommend)
![Wipe imac clean Wipe imac clean](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61heOswDWqL._AC_SY355_.jpg)
Simple deletion will not far enough to permanently remove your private data from your Mac hard drive, it just remove the corresponding data entry for each file. The original data still resides on the Mac hard drive and can be easily recovered using any data recovery applications. So in order to wipe your sensitive data beyond recovery, the deleted data must be overwritten many times with new data algorithm. The most efficient solution to clean Mac safely without the CD is data wiping program.
If you prefer a pure gum Mac program, Safewiper Data Wiper Mac can be a good program to wipe sensitive data from both the physical and the logical drives. It offers two scan modes 'File Wipe' and 'Drive Wipe' which can be used to effectively delete a series of files and Mac wipe Mac hard drives. The tool is completely easy to use as it requires no special skills. Once a drive has been wiped, it cannot be recovered using any recovery tools.
Key Features of Wipe Mac Tool
- • Wipes selected files and entire folder on Mac
- • Completely wipes Internet browsing data, system traces, recent file histories.
- • Permanently erases Mac hard drive without restore.
- • Allows to schedule the wiping process and wiping time.
- • Wipes recent Ffile histories and free space
- • Compatible with Mac OS X 10.7, 10.6, 10.5, and 10.4
Step 1 Download and Install the Wipe Mac Application, Run It.
Download and install the program on your Mac, then launch the program from desktop shortcut.
Note: As you can see, it offers three wiping options for your needs, 'Erase File/Folers' and ' Wipe Drive' and 'Wipe Unused Space' , you seleect the one based on your actual needs.
Step 2 Select the File Type You Need to Wipe
Wipe Mac Clean And Reinstall
In this article, we take the 'File Wipe' as an example to explain how it works. Select the 'File Wip' and next,
All of your hard drivers will be listed on the right, then, choose the drive which needs to be completely wiped off and click on 'Next' option.
You can see there are 6 data wiping options designed for your choice, each is targeted for different wiping needs.
Wipe An Old Macbook Clean
For example 'Wipe internet avtivily' can wipes all Internet activity traces and temporary Internet files, including URL you typed, online forms you filled, users names and password you entered, browsing history, temporary files it created.
![Imac Imac](https://www.anysoftwaretools.com/wp-content/uploads/external-drive-connected-Mac.jpg)
Best Free Hard Drive Eraser
Step 3 Start to Wipe Your Mac Data
Pro browser download. In some wiping option, you'll be required to choose the essential shredding pattern based on the requirement, you can easily select the security levels. Click the 'Start wiping' button to start to wipe the selected the data. After the wiping process is complete, an intimating message will be displayed.
Wipe An Imac
As you can see, all of your sensitive data will be completely wiped without restore. So, when you plan to resell your Mac computer, you should be aware of the data security isn't highly crucial and you must keep in mind that simple deletion or emptying the 'trash' will not totally erase all your personal data away, using some free data recovery apps those deleted files can be easily recovered, others can easily reopen and rebuild your personal data. So to permanently wipe a Mac clean without recovery, you'd better try this Mac wiping software, it has built many advanced wiping algorithm that can automatically wipe your hard drive or selected sensitive data. It makes impossible to get back files by making use of any recovery tools.