How do I wipe my hard drive securely?
Wiping your hard drive
- Select Settings (the gear icon on the Start menu)
- Select Update & security, then Recovery.
- Choose Remove everything, then Remove files and clean the drive.
- Then click Next, Reset, and Continue.
How do I reset my IMAC for a new owner?
Shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R. Release the keys after about 20 seconds. This clears user settings from memory and restores certain security features that might have been altered.
Is there a way to secure erase a hard drive?
If the Security Options button is not available, Disk Utility cannot perform a secure erase on the storage device. Click Erase, then click Done. Note: With a solid-state drive (SSD), secure erase options are not available in Disk Utility. For more security, consider turning on FileVault encryption when you start using your SSD drive.
Why is secure erase’not necessary’for SSD’s?
Based on an article in Apple’s knowledge base, the button is intentionally disabled for SSD’s because: Note: With an SSD drive, Secure Erase and Erasing Free Space are not available in Disk Utility. These options are not needed for an SSD drive because a standard erase makes it difficult to recover data from an SSD.
Is it possible to re-enable secure erase on Mac?
Yes, it is possible to re-enable secure erase. All you need to do is to format the partition once again. Just make sure you select “Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)”, with any password that you will remember (just in case).
Why are security options grayed out on SSD?
Interesting – so apparently, according to Apple Security Options is grayed out on SSD’s because erasing an SSD normally is secure enough: Note: With OS X Lion and an SSD drive, Secure Erase and Erasing Free Space are not available in Disk Utility.