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Delete Hard Drive Mac

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If you want to erase any other type of storage device: Double-click Disk Utility in the /Applications/Utilities folder. Choose View Show All Devices. In the sidebar, select the storage device you want to erase, then click the Erase button. Click the Scheme pop-up menu, then choose GUID Partition Map. You'll now see your list of hard drives. Click your primary drive, then click 'Erase' If you're wiping a mechanical drive, click 'Security Options' in the window that pops up. (If your Mac has a solid state drive, you can skip this part: your SSD will already securely erase files thanks to TRIM. You still need to wipe the drive. First off, connect your external hard drive to your Mac. Make sure the device can be detected by the machine. Then follow the step by step tutorial below: On your Mac, go to Applications Utilities Disk Utility. Click on the Erase tab (next to 'First Aid'). Select the disk or volume in the list on the left panel.

Delete Hard Drive Mac

Wouldn't you love to rid of some or all files on your Mac forever. Be it for storage space or reselling it. Perhaps your Mac is too old to take the next operating system version, or you've stored a lot of data on it, and you're worried that it could be hijacked if stolen.

So it is advisable to erase your hard drive to reduce the risks. How to Securely Erase Data from Your Mac and External Drives? You can use Disk Utility to securely erase hard drive in mac or an external hard drive. All you have to do is follow the steps given below: 1.Wiping your hard drive will erase everything.

The last thing you want is to see that your data was leaked by some hacker, leaving you vulnerable and without a clue of what to do next.

The good news is you can permanently delete files from your Mac using several methods that we'll show you in this guide.

Can My Files Be Retrieved Once I Delete Them

The short answer is yes.

Data recovery technology has made it possible to recover files and restore them, which means someone else can retrieve any files you delete from a hard drive.

Most new Macs come with the solid state drives (flash storage) or Fusion Drives for some iMacs, instead of the old spinning hard disk drives. That is a critical factor when it comes to securely delete files on your Mac because you won't have to do so if it comes with an SSD.

If you have an older Mac, it probably has a regular HDD, but the newer models with the SSDs allow you to use the standard method of moving files and emptying the trash to erase files, compared to securely erasing the files.

Unlike HDDs, where secure file deletion works, it doesn't with the SSDs because overwriting a file only creates a new one in a new location but doesn't overwrite the old file's contents.

Thankfully though, there are different methods you can use to permanently delete files on your Mac, whether it has the old HDDs or the SSDs.

Note: You can check the storage on your Mac by clicking the Apple logo at the upper left side of the screen, and then going to About This Mac>Storage. Under the disk icon, you'll see whether your Mac has a spinning HDD or an SSD.

Move Files to Trash

This is a tried and true method of deleting files on your Mac by dragging it to the trash. You can also use the Move to Trash feature by right-clicking the file and selecting the option. From here, you can go ahead and empty the trash.

Mac os extended journaled format. Delete Immediately is a feature introduced by Apple with OS X (macOS) 10.11 El Capitan that bypasses the trash when you delete a file. It's much faster than Move to Trash as you simply highlight your files and then use the Option-Command-Delete shortcut.

Alternatively, you can go to Finder's File menu and hold down Option key to change the Move to Trash option to Delete Immediately. You'll be asked to confirm the deletion, just as you would when using Move to Trash option.

If you want to skip the empty trash confirmation, go to your keyboard and press the shortcut Command-Option-Shift-Delete. That will bypass the dialog window to confirm the deletion and empty the trash instantly.

If that is too difficult for you to remember or cumbersome, change Finder preferences setting to kill the confirmation. Go to Menu>Preferences and uncheck the Show warning before emptying the Trash box under Advanced tab.

Secure Empty Trash

This is another simple solution to deleting your files permanently from your Mac. It ensures that the items are deleted forever by writing random data over them multiple times.

The feature came with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. It overwrites data seven times to increase security.

To use this feature, click Finder menu and select Secure Empty Trash just below Empty Trash.

Use a Third-Party App

If deleting your files by emptying the trash doesn't help, you can get a third party application to force the trash to empty. There are many such apps available like Permanent Eraser or Clean My Mac, which can help you empty your trash completely and permanently.

Use Mac Terminal

Mac's Terminal is a command line tool that allows you to complete tedious tasks such as file deletion easily in just a few seconds. The program uses Unix commands to perform several functions easily and quickly without the operating system interfering with its processes. It's efficient and powerful as it helps you remove files with ease, permanently.

However, if you haven't used the command line, Terminal can be dangerous too. Before getting into it, familiarize yourself with some basic Terminal commands, because any wrong command you enter can cause damage to your system, and you could easily delete files faster than you'd have time to stop the process.

The precision of every character, including capitalization and spaces, is important when using terminal commands.

To get started, take the steps below:

Step 1: Open Finder and click Applications>Utilities>Terminal.

Step 2: In the new window, a command prompt with the $ (dollar sign) will appear. The command line you'll see is ComputerName:CurrentDirectory ~Username$ and the word Bash at the top, which is the Terminal language in a Mac.


Step 3: Type your command and press the Return key after each command to execute it, or copy and paste the command into the terminal window. Type rm and space, and then drag and drop the file(s) you want to get rid of permanently into the Terminal window. Press Enter to remove it forever.

Note: You can also enter the file's path into Terminal if you want to remove the file even faster without using drag and drop.

Easily Delete Files for Good

Before you delete the files, make sure you have a backup of your data in case something goes awry. Of course, we would recommend you to get familiar with Terminal for it can be extremely powerful in erasing files while the interface may suffer a glitch or would be slow.

Next up:Want to delete your iCloud storage from your Mac and iPhone? Our next article shows you all the steps you need to take to clear out your storage.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next

Delete Hard Drive Mac

How to Delete iCloud Storage from iPhone and MacAlso See#file deletion #imac

Did You Know

Thunderbolt 3 is a data and video transfer protocol and is developed by Intel.

More in Mac

A Guide on Fixing Apple Music on Mac Not Syncing With iPhone

Categorized under Data Recovery

WhatsaByte may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

If you're selling your computer or trading it in for something newer, you'll probably want to wipe your hard drive.

After all, you don't want to give it to its new owner with all your pictures and documents on it — or lose those things!

But how do you wipe it? How do you erase everything on your Mac and restore it to factory settings, so the next person gets a clean computer with none of your documents?

We've got all the answers right here!

Read on to find out how.

Jump To:

Backup Your Computer Using Time Machine

Before you even think about wiping your hard drive, make sure that you have everything backed up.

After all, even if you don't want the computer anymore, you probably want all of the stuff on it. Family tree maker 23 3 0 570 full.

And once you restore your computer to factory settings, all your photos, videos, documents, and downloads are going to be gone.

Whether you're getting rid of the computer or wiping your hard drive to fix an error, the best way to back up your Mac is to use Time Machine.

Essentially, this is a tool that Apple created to help people create a 'copy' of their computer that could be accessed at a later date.

Read Related Article: Hard Disk Drive vs. Solid-State Drive (SSD) Foxwoods online casino promo codes 2019.

Here's how you use it to back up your computer:

  1. Open System Preferences, located on the Apple Menu bar.
  1. Select the Time Machine icon in the System Preferences folder.
  1. Click Select Backup Disk, located in the top-middle of the window.

How To Delete Hard Drive Mac

  1. Choose the disk you'd like to use to back up your computer. Typically, you'll want to plug in an external hard drive and select that. This will create a copy of your internal hard drive and write it onto the external one.
  2. It's a good idea to do this regularly even if you don't plan on wiping your hard drive. By plugging in an external HD and backing everything up to Time Machine on a regular basis, you'll create a copy of it that you can use in case you lose your data for any reason (it happens, believe us).
  3. If you'd prefer not to use Time Machine for any reason, you can use alternative methods. For example, you can use iCloud or another cloud storage solution to store all of your files online.

Click here to learn how to back up your computer to iCloud.

Deauthorize Your iTunes Account

Convert avi to apple format. If your iTunes account is connected to your computer, then the next owner will be able to access it.

So, you need to deauthorize the account. That way, your account will no longer be linked to the machine.

Here's how you do it:

  1. Open iTunes on your computer
  1. Select Account from the options on the Menu bar.
  2. Scroll down to Authorizations and select Deauthorize This Computer.
  1. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and your password. Once you enter that, it will give you the option to Deauthorize your account. Click that, and you're all set.

Log Out of iCloud and iMessage

Similar to iTunes, you have to sign out of your iCloud account, too. Otherwise, the next owner may be able to access it.

Luckily, it's pretty simple.

Here's what you do:

  1. Select System Preferences from the Menu bar.
  2. Click on the iCloud icon.
  1. Click the Sign Out option on the bottom-left side of the window.

Once you do that, you'll be signed out!

Reformat Your Hard Drive Disk (HDD)

'Reformatting' is a fancy tech word for wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling the operating system. Once you reformat it, everything will be gone, and the computer will be restored to factory settings.

The first step in the reformatting process is erasing the drive.

You can erase your computer by using the Disk Utility feature in any version of Mac OS.

Here's how you do it.

  1. Turn your computer off entirely.
  2. Boot it up again by pressing and holding the power button, just like you would if you were starting it up for normal use.
  3. This time, however, you want to hold the command and R keys down simultaneously. Press and hold them as soon as you hit the power button.
  4. An Apple logo should appear on your screen. Once that appears, you can let go of the buttons.
  5. The Apple logo should be followed by a Mac OS X Utilities Menu with several different options. Select Disk Utility (it's a little hard drive with a stethoscope) from the Menu and click Continue.

    Screenshot via Macworl

  1. Once you enter the Disk Utility, you'll have to select the drive you want to erase.

In this case, you'll want to choose Macintosh HD to wipe the entire drive.

  1. Then, click the Erase button at the bottom of the window.

Note: The Erase option will only appear as a clickable button when the computer is booted up using the command + R keys. If you attempt to reformat your hard drive after starting your computer as you normally would, this option won't be clickable.

  1. Once you click the Erase button, you'll have the opportunity to choose from a range of different security options. The security options window contains a sliding bar that allows you to select the comprehensiveness of the erasure.

There are four different levels you can choose from, ranging from fastest to slowest. If you select the slowest option, you'll erase the maximal amount of data. But, the process takes a little longer.

If you choose the fastest option, however, the process goes quite quickly. But, the data is not removed as thoroughly (and could be restored through a file recovery application).

  1. After you've determined the level at which you want to erase your computer, click Erase. The operating system will proceed with the erasing process.

Read Article: Apple Watch Review (Full Breakdown)

How to Secure Erase a Mac SSD

Newer MacBooks don't have a traditional hard disk drive. Instead, they have a solid state drive or SSD.

Now, the process for wiping your solid state drive is the same as erasing a hard drive.

So, if you want to clean it, go ahead and follow the steps outlined in the section above.

It's important to note, however, that erasing an SSD completely is not recommended.

Here's why:

Solid state drives can only be rewritten a certain number of times. In other words, the more times you rewrite your drive, the worse it's going to function.

So, even if you reformat your drive just once, you may notice that it functions slightly worse afterward.

Remove Files From Hard Drive

Of course, there may be cases in which you have no choice but to erase your drive. If you're getting rid of your Mac, for example, and you want to be sure that every tiny bit of data is wiped clean from it, then you'll probably want to erase it.

But, if you're erasing the entire thing with the intention of restoring it afterwards — don't.

It's going to do more harm than good. You can either erase as many files as possible on your own or take it to the Apple store directly (provided that it's still under warranty) and ask them to help you with whatever problem you're experiencing.

Read Article: The 5 Best Gaming Monitors of 2018

Don't know if your computer has a solid state drive or not?

Here's how to figure it out:

  1. Press the F4 key on your keyboard (the one with the six little squares on it).
  2. Select the Other icon.
  1. Click the System Information icon.
  1. Select the ATA option from the Hardware drop-down menu on the left side of the window.
  1. A profile of your device should appear on the right-hand side of the window.
  2. Look for the row that reads 'Model.' The corresponding product number should have either an HDD or an SSD in it.

These letters will let you know whether your device is equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

You should approach the erasure process accordingly.

Reinstall the Mac OS

The second half of the reformatting process is the reinstallation of the operating system.

When you erase your data, you also delete the OS that allows you to use the computer.

So, you've got to install it again if you want the computer to work.

Even if you're selling the computer to someone else, it's a nice courtesy to reinstall it beforehand so that they don't have to do it themselves. After all, not everyone will be able to figure out how.

Erase hard drive on macbook

Wouldn't you love to rid of some or all files on your Mac forever. Be it for storage space or reselling it. Perhaps your Mac is too old to take the next operating system version, or you've stored a lot of data on it, and you're worried that it could be hijacked if stolen.

So it is advisable to erase your hard drive to reduce the risks. How to Securely Erase Data from Your Mac and External Drives? You can use Disk Utility to securely erase hard drive in mac or an external hard drive. All you have to do is follow the steps given below: 1.Wiping your hard drive will erase everything.

The last thing you want is to see that your data was leaked by some hacker, leaving you vulnerable and without a clue of what to do next.

The good news is you can permanently delete files from your Mac using several methods that we'll show you in this guide.

Can My Files Be Retrieved Once I Delete Them

The short answer is yes.

Data recovery technology has made it possible to recover files and restore them, which means someone else can retrieve any files you delete from a hard drive.

Most new Macs come with the solid state drives (flash storage) or Fusion Drives for some iMacs, instead of the old spinning hard disk drives. That is a critical factor when it comes to securely delete files on your Mac because you won't have to do so if it comes with an SSD.

If you have an older Mac, it probably has a regular HDD, but the newer models with the SSDs allow you to use the standard method of moving files and emptying the trash to erase files, compared to securely erasing the files.

Unlike HDDs, where secure file deletion works, it doesn't with the SSDs because overwriting a file only creates a new one in a new location but doesn't overwrite the old file's contents.

Thankfully though, there are different methods you can use to permanently delete files on your Mac, whether it has the old HDDs or the SSDs.

Note: You can check the storage on your Mac by clicking the Apple logo at the upper left side of the screen, and then going to About This Mac>Storage. Under the disk icon, you'll see whether your Mac has a spinning HDD or an SSD.

Move Files to Trash

This is a tried and true method of deleting files on your Mac by dragging it to the trash. You can also use the Move to Trash feature by right-clicking the file and selecting the option. From here, you can go ahead and empty the trash.

Mac os extended journaled format. Delete Immediately is a feature introduced by Apple with OS X (macOS) 10.11 El Capitan that bypasses the trash when you delete a file. It's much faster than Move to Trash as you simply highlight your files and then use the Option-Command-Delete shortcut.

Alternatively, you can go to Finder's File menu and hold down Option key to change the Move to Trash option to Delete Immediately. You'll be asked to confirm the deletion, just as you would when using Move to Trash option.

If you want to skip the empty trash confirmation, go to your keyboard and press the shortcut Command-Option-Shift-Delete. That will bypass the dialog window to confirm the deletion and empty the trash instantly.

If that is too difficult for you to remember or cumbersome, change Finder preferences setting to kill the confirmation. Go to Menu>Preferences and uncheck the Show warning before emptying the Trash box under Advanced tab.

Secure Empty Trash

This is another simple solution to deleting your files permanently from your Mac. It ensures that the items are deleted forever by writing random data over them multiple times.

The feature came with Mac OS X 10.3 Panther. It overwrites data seven times to increase security.

To use this feature, click Finder menu and select Secure Empty Trash just below Empty Trash.

Use a Third-Party App

If deleting your files by emptying the trash doesn't help, you can get a third party application to force the trash to empty. There are many such apps available like Permanent Eraser or Clean My Mac, which can help you empty your trash completely and permanently.

Use Mac Terminal

Mac's Terminal is a command line tool that allows you to complete tedious tasks such as file deletion easily in just a few seconds. The program uses Unix commands to perform several functions easily and quickly without the operating system interfering with its processes. It's efficient and powerful as it helps you remove files with ease, permanently.

However, if you haven't used the command line, Terminal can be dangerous too. Before getting into it, familiarize yourself with some basic Terminal commands, because any wrong command you enter can cause damage to your system, and you could easily delete files faster than you'd have time to stop the process.

The precision of every character, including capitalization and spaces, is important when using terminal commands.

To get started, take the steps below:

Step 1: Open Finder and click Applications>Utilities>Terminal.

Step 2: In the new window, a command prompt with the $ (dollar sign) will appear. The command line you'll see is ComputerName:CurrentDirectory ~Username$ and the word Bash at the top, which is the Terminal language in a Mac.


Step 3: Type your command and press the Return key after each command to execute it, or copy and paste the command into the terminal window. Type rm and space, and then drag and drop the file(s) you want to get rid of permanently into the Terminal window. Press Enter to remove it forever.

Note: You can also enter the file's path into Terminal if you want to remove the file even faster without using drag and drop.

Easily Delete Files for Good

Before you delete the files, make sure you have a backup of your data in case something goes awry. Of course, we would recommend you to get familiar with Terminal for it can be extremely powerful in erasing files while the interface may suffer a glitch or would be slow.

Next up:Want to delete your iCloud storage from your Mac and iPhone? Our next article shows you all the steps you need to take to clear out your storage.


The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.Read Next

Delete Hard Drive Mac

How to Delete iCloud Storage from iPhone and MacAlso See#file deletion #imac

Did You Know

Thunderbolt 3 is a data and video transfer protocol and is developed by Intel.

More in Mac

A Guide on Fixing Apple Music on Mac Not Syncing With iPhone

Categorized under Data Recovery

WhatsaByte may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page.

If you're selling your computer or trading it in for something newer, you'll probably want to wipe your hard drive.

After all, you don't want to give it to its new owner with all your pictures and documents on it — or lose those things!

But how do you wipe it? How do you erase everything on your Mac and restore it to factory settings, so the next person gets a clean computer with none of your documents?

We've got all the answers right here!

Read on to find out how.

Jump To:

Backup Your Computer Using Time Machine

Before you even think about wiping your hard drive, make sure that you have everything backed up.

After all, even if you don't want the computer anymore, you probably want all of the stuff on it. Family tree maker 23 3 0 570 full.

And once you restore your computer to factory settings, all your photos, videos, documents, and downloads are going to be gone.

Whether you're getting rid of the computer or wiping your hard drive to fix an error, the best way to back up your Mac is to use Time Machine.

Essentially, this is a tool that Apple created to help people create a 'copy' of their computer that could be accessed at a later date.

Read Related Article: Hard Disk Drive vs. Solid-State Drive (SSD) Foxwoods online casino promo codes 2019.

Here's how you use it to back up your computer:

  1. Open System Preferences, located on the Apple Menu bar.
  1. Select the Time Machine icon in the System Preferences folder.
  1. Click Select Backup Disk, located in the top-middle of the window.

How To Delete Hard Drive Mac

  1. Choose the disk you'd like to use to back up your computer. Typically, you'll want to plug in an external hard drive and select that. This will create a copy of your internal hard drive and write it onto the external one.
  2. It's a good idea to do this regularly even if you don't plan on wiping your hard drive. By plugging in an external HD and backing everything up to Time Machine on a regular basis, you'll create a copy of it that you can use in case you lose your data for any reason (it happens, believe us).
  3. If you'd prefer not to use Time Machine for any reason, you can use alternative methods. For example, you can use iCloud or another cloud storage solution to store all of your files online.

Click here to learn how to back up your computer to iCloud.

Deauthorize Your iTunes Account

Convert avi to apple format. If your iTunes account is connected to your computer, then the next owner will be able to access it.

So, you need to deauthorize the account. That way, your account will no longer be linked to the machine.

Here's how you do it:

  1. Open iTunes on your computer
  1. Select Account from the options on the Menu bar.
  2. Scroll down to Authorizations and select Deauthorize This Computer.
  1. iTunes will ask you for your Apple ID and your password. Once you enter that, it will give you the option to Deauthorize your account. Click that, and you're all set.

Log Out of iCloud and iMessage

Similar to iTunes, you have to sign out of your iCloud account, too. Otherwise, the next owner may be able to access it.

Luckily, it's pretty simple.

Here's what you do:

  1. Select System Preferences from the Menu bar.
  2. Click on the iCloud icon.
  1. Click the Sign Out option on the bottom-left side of the window.

Once you do that, you'll be signed out!

Reformat Your Hard Drive Disk (HDD)

'Reformatting' is a fancy tech word for wiping the hard drive clean and reinstalling the operating system. Once you reformat it, everything will be gone, and the computer will be restored to factory settings.

The first step in the reformatting process is erasing the drive.

You can erase your computer by using the Disk Utility feature in any version of Mac OS.

Here's how you do it.

  1. Turn your computer off entirely.
  2. Boot it up again by pressing and holding the power button, just like you would if you were starting it up for normal use.
  3. This time, however, you want to hold the command and R keys down simultaneously. Press and hold them as soon as you hit the power button.
  4. An Apple logo should appear on your screen. Once that appears, you can let go of the buttons.
  5. The Apple logo should be followed by a Mac OS X Utilities Menu with several different options. Select Disk Utility (it's a little hard drive with a stethoscope) from the Menu and click Continue.

    Screenshot via Macworl

  1. Once you enter the Disk Utility, you'll have to select the drive you want to erase.

In this case, you'll want to choose Macintosh HD to wipe the entire drive.

  1. Then, click the Erase button at the bottom of the window.

Note: The Erase option will only appear as a clickable button when the computer is booted up using the command + R keys. If you attempt to reformat your hard drive after starting your computer as you normally would, this option won't be clickable.

  1. Once you click the Erase button, you'll have the opportunity to choose from a range of different security options. The security options window contains a sliding bar that allows you to select the comprehensiveness of the erasure.

There are four different levels you can choose from, ranging from fastest to slowest. If you select the slowest option, you'll erase the maximal amount of data. But, the process takes a little longer.

If you choose the fastest option, however, the process goes quite quickly. But, the data is not removed as thoroughly (and could be restored through a file recovery application).

  1. After you've determined the level at which you want to erase your computer, click Erase. The operating system will proceed with the erasing process.

Read Article: Apple Watch Review (Full Breakdown)

How to Secure Erase a Mac SSD

Newer MacBooks don't have a traditional hard disk drive. Instead, they have a solid state drive or SSD.

Now, the process for wiping your solid state drive is the same as erasing a hard drive.

So, if you want to clean it, go ahead and follow the steps outlined in the section above.

It's important to note, however, that erasing an SSD completely is not recommended.

Here's why:

Solid state drives can only be rewritten a certain number of times. In other words, the more times you rewrite your drive, the worse it's going to function.

So, even if you reformat your drive just once, you may notice that it functions slightly worse afterward.

Remove Files From Hard Drive

Of course, there may be cases in which you have no choice but to erase your drive. If you're getting rid of your Mac, for example, and you want to be sure that every tiny bit of data is wiped clean from it, then you'll probably want to erase it.

But, if you're erasing the entire thing with the intention of restoring it afterwards — don't.

It's going to do more harm than good. You can either erase as many files as possible on your own or take it to the Apple store directly (provided that it's still under warranty) and ask them to help you with whatever problem you're experiencing.

Read Article: The 5 Best Gaming Monitors of 2018

Don't know if your computer has a solid state drive or not?

Here's how to figure it out:

  1. Press the F4 key on your keyboard (the one with the six little squares on it).
  2. Select the Other icon.
  1. Click the System Information icon.
  1. Select the ATA option from the Hardware drop-down menu on the left side of the window.
  1. A profile of your device should appear on the right-hand side of the window.
  2. Look for the row that reads 'Model.' The corresponding product number should have either an HDD or an SSD in it.

These letters will let you know whether your device is equipped with a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

You should approach the erasure process accordingly.

Reinstall the Mac OS

The second half of the reformatting process is the reinstallation of the operating system.

When you erase your data, you also delete the OS that allows you to use the computer.

So, you've got to install it again if you want the computer to work.

Even if you're selling the computer to someone else, it's a nice courtesy to reinstall it beforehand so that they don't have to do it themselves. After all, not everyone will be able to figure out how.

Here's what you do:

  1. You'll need internet access to do this. It's going to be impossible otherwise, so make sure that the wifi connection is turned on.
  2. Boot the computer up by pressing the power button.
  3. Hold command + R, the same way you did when you erased your drive.
  4. Let go once the Apple logo appears.
  5. In the Mac OS Utilities Menu, select Reinstall MacOS.
  1. Click Continue.
  2. You may need to enter your Apple ID upon installation. Only do this if you intend to use the computer yourself. If you plan on selling it or handing it off to another person, you can end the process here.
  3. Once the installation is done, you'll be free to start using your freshly-cleaned Mac.

FAQS

Can you reset a MacBook without losing data?

The only way to reset your computer without losing data is to back it up first. Once you've erased your hard drive, that data is gone.

You might be able to use a recovery app to restore your files if you ran a fast, low-level erasure. But most of the time, the data is completely cleared from the device.

Do you have to wipe a Mac's hard drive before you sell it?

No law says you have to. But it's smart. Unless you erase it (and erase it thoroughly), the next owner could get access to your files.

Can you erase your hard drive and keep the same programs?

Once you reinstall the OS, your computer will be loaded with all of the programs that come with that software. Any programs you installed on your own before erasing the drive will be gone.

Of course, if you've backed up your drive, you can reinstall them using Time Machine.

Can you wipe a Mac without the password?

No. To erase the hard drive, you'll have to enter the owner's Apple ID and password. Otherwise, you will not have the option to wipe the drive.

Can you install Windows on a Mac after you erase it?

Yes. You can use Boot Camp to install Windows on your Apple computer if you'd like to. Please note, however, that not all Apple products support Windows.

How To Delete Hard Drive Mac

Wiping Your Hard Drive is Simple

Clearing the hard drive may seem confusing at first, especially for the average Mac user, but it's not.

Delete Hard Drive Macbook Air

Just a few clicks and you'll have your computer restored to factory settings in no time.

Always remember to back up your data.

Whether you're using the computer again in the future or moving onto a new model, you'll probably want to hold onto those files.

Read Article: What is VSync (And Should You Use It)?





broken image