#Wipe clean passport for mac how to
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Choose a file system to which you want to format your external drive.

Select the disk or volume in the list on the left panel.

Click on the Erase tab (next to “First Aid”).

On your Mac, go to Applications > Utilities >Disk Utility.

Then follow the step by step tutorial below: Make sure the device can be detected by the machine. Erase External Hard Drive on Mac via Disk Utilityįirst off, connect your external hard drive to your Mac. Once you use any of the methods below, the drive will be completely erased and all data will be removed permanently. Warning: Before you proceed, make sure you’ve already backed up all your important data.

The guide should work with all types of external disks, including hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive ( SSD) or a flash drive. It's now ready for a fresh start with its next owner.So you just got a new external hard drive, and wanted to sell or donate your old one? Or your current external drive just got over-cluttered, and you want to completely wipe it out to regain all the storage space?Įither way, in this article we are going to show you two different ways to securely erase an external drive on a Mac computer (iMac, MacBook, etc.). After MacOS has been reinstalled, you'll be greeted by the Setup Assistant, which you can then quit out of and shut down your Mac.

#Wipe clean passport for mac install

(If not, restart your Mac again, holding down Command-R while it reboots.) From the MacOS Utilities window, select Reinstall MacOS and follow the instructions to install the operating system. You should return to the MacOS Utilities window. (If you don't see the Erase Volume Group button in the lower-left corner, then click the Erase button in the lower-right corner instead.) Next, click the Erase Volume Group and after Disk Utility does its thing, quit Disk Utility.

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If you are trying to sell an ancient Mac that has a mechanical hard drive instead of a solid-state drive, then choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for Format. Why not go with the tried-and-true Macintosh HD?

Name: Choose a name for the fresh, new volume.

Next, click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window and fill out these two fields: Choose Disk Utility, click Continue and select your startup disk - unless you renamed it, odds are it's labeled Macintosh HD or something similar. Next, you'll see the MacOS Utilities window. You simply press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window, then click Options and Continue to get to the utilities window.) (If you are already setting an M1-based Mac, then booting into Recovery Mode is slightly different. You can release the keys once you see the Apple logo. To enter Recovery Mode on an Intel-based Mac, restart it and immediately press and hold Command-R. You need to put your MacBook ( $500 at Amazon) into Recovery Mode in order to erase all of your data and reinstall MacOS. That's it! Your Mac's NVRAM has been reset. You can release the keys after 20 seconds or so. To do so, shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R. Sometimes these files can get corrupted, so give your Mac's next owner a fresh start by resetting the NVRAM. NVRAM is memory to which your Mac saves settings that it needs before loading MacOS: things like screen resolution, time zone, volume level and startup-disk selection. Go to System Preferences > Bluetooth, mouse over the device you want to unpair, click the X button to the right of its name, then click Remove.

#Wipe clean passport for mac Bluetooth

If you're handing down your old Mac to your kid or someone else in your house, then it's a good idea to unpair any Bluetooth devices from it so your mouse or keyboard controls the new Mac and doesn't interfere with the old one. Open the Messages app, go to Messages > Preferences, click the iMessage tab and then click Sign Out. Lastly, you'll need to sign out of Messages. Next, click Overview from the left panel and then click the Sign Out button. Go to System Preferences > Apple ID, click iCloud in the left panel and then uncheck Find My Mac. Next, you'll need to turn off Find My Mac and sign out of iCloud.

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You'll need to enter your Apple ID and password and then hit the Deauthorize button. Open up any of those apps and go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.

Years ago, this was done using iTunes, but you now must individually sign out of three apps - Music, TV and Books. First, you'll need to sign out of all of your accounts. Read more: MacBook Air M1 review Sign out of your accountsĪfter migrating your data to your new Mac or making one last backup to preserve your data, it's time to remove all traces of yourself from the machine.

#Wipe clean passport for mac how to

Here, I'll show you how to remove all traces of your data and return your old Mac to its default factory settings.