- Cannot Erase Mac Hard Drive
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- Mac Os Erase Disk
- Erase Hard Drive In Mac Utility Can't Reinstall Os Windows 10
Jun 08, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Aug 30, 2016 Some Mac users may require the ability to erase a disk or erase a hard drive from the command line on Mac OS, a task which is typically performed through the Disk Utility application from the GUI. The command line approach to disk erasure in macOS is a bit different and it requires precise syntax to insure that you are erasing the proper disk, making this method of erasing any disk only. Feb 07, 2016 ERASE MAC HARD DRIVE AND REINSTALL OS X! EASIEST METHOD! How to wipe your mac memory and reset to default settings. The best and most secure way if selling.NEW VIDEO EVERY SUNDAY. Like, share. Nov 22, 2016 Wipe Mac hard drive and reinstall Mac OS. Before wiping Mac hard drive, it's advised to backup important files. Here're the steps to erase everything and reinstall Mac OS X: Restart Mac; Press CMD key + R at the same time, and hold them for a while when the gray window shows up options; Click on 'Disk Utility', and click 'Continue'. Oct 06, 2016 Have you ever tried to format a disk in Mac OS X and Disk Utility won't Unmount the Hard Drive for formatting? It can happen for external (USB and Firewire) as well as internal disks. May 14, 2020 FYI, Stellar Data Recovery Professional software helps you recover accidentally erased Mac hard drive. Do consider this tool if you have erased your drive unknowingly. Erasing macOS Mojave 10.14 Safely. Hope you have backed up the data safely to an external hard drive. Follow the sequences of steps to erase macOS Mojave SSD/HDD. Open Disk Utility and erase your internal disk; Install macOS (the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available will be installed). After rebooting and configuring your system download and install macOS Sierra.
“Is it possible to reinstall macOS without losing data?”
If you have a similar question in mind, then we have got you covered. Just like any other computer, Mac systems can also suffer from unwanted issues at times.
In this guide, we will teach you how to boot Mac into recovery mode and reinstall macOS without losing your data. Let’s explore this macOS solution in detail.
When to reinstall macOS?
There are all kinds of reasons for us to reinstall macOS on the system. Following are some of the common problems that force a complete reset on a Mac.
- Firmware issues – Mostly, a firmware issue related to macOS demands a reinstallation of the operating system. It can happen when macOS seems to malfunction and can’t complete the needed operations.
- Startup issues – Apart from the firmware, there would be a problem with your Mac’s startup or bootstrap program as well. Mostly, the issue is resolved by visiting Mac recovery mode.
- Corrupt OS – Ideally, your macOS can get corrupt or compromised due to different reasons. In order to fix it or run troubleshooting, you would need to reinstall the OS.
- Malware attack – A virus or malware can also infect the core function of macOS and would demand a complete reinstallation of the tool.
- Other issues – There could be numerous other issues with your Mac as well that would demand a reinstallation. For instance, if your system has been upgraded to a corrupt macOS version or the update was halted in between, then you need to reinstall OS X.
Preparations before reinstalling macOS
Before we teach you how to reinstall macOS X, there are certain vital things that you need to consider.
- Mostly, it takes 30 minutes to 3 hours to reinstall macOS (the exact time would vary among different OS and system models). Therefore, your Mac should be charged enough to complete the installation.
- During the reinstallation process, your Mac might be overheated or restart multiple times. It is recommended to not keep it in the direct sunlight or a hot place during the process.
- Chances are that your existing data on Mac might be deleted after the reinstallation. Thus, you can consider taking its backup if you don’t want to lose it.
- Disconnect all the attached units like USB drive, SD card, etc. from your Mac beforehand. Also, if you think your system has been infected by a malware, then consider formatting it as well.
- Your system might download the needed patches and updates during the process. Keep your Mac connected to a stable internet connection for a seamless updating.
Once you are ready, simply take the following steps to reinstall macOS without losing its data.
How to Reinstall Mac OS?
Step 1: Backup Files on Mac
If you don’t want to suffer from an unexpected loss of your important files during the reinstallation, then you should take a backup of your data beforehand. There are different ways to backup data on Mac.
1. Backup files Using Time Machine
Time Machine is the inbuilt solution to backup data on Mac and restore it afterward. If you do not want to let go of your important files during the reinstallation process, then consider taking their backup beforehand. You can use an external data source, so that Mac can create a Time Machine on it. Mostly, Time Machine will detect a connected unit and would ask you to take its backup automatically. If not, then follow these steps to backup your Mac data using Time Machine.
- Simply connect a secure data storage to your Mac and launch Time Machine by visiting Menu > System Preferences > Time Machine.
- Here, click on the “Select Backup Disk” so that you can manually choose a location to save the backup content.
- As a pop-up screen would appear, just select the available drive and confirm your choice. If you want, you can choose to encrypt your data as well.
- To further customize things, you can visit its “Options” and even enable the automatic backup feature.
- As a pop-up screen would appear, just select the available drive and confirm your choice. If you want, you can choose to encrypt your data as well.
2. Backup files Using Cloud Storage
As you know, Time Machine will only take a manual backup of your Mac data to a dedicated storage unit. If you want to save your data on the cloud, then take the assistance of iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or any other cloud-based service. Since iCloud is the native cloud storage solution from Apple and an inbuilt Mac app, it is widely recommended. You can easily backup files to iCloud from Mac by following these steps.
- Firstly, go to System Preferences and launch the iCloud app. If you are not logged-in, then enter your Apple account details to sign-in.
- The iCloud app has options to sync various data types. Simply enable the features (by checking it) and turn on the backup feature.
- There is an “Option” button adjacent to some data types (like Photos) that you can visit to customize your backup.
- You can go to the “Manage” section from here to view how much space is left on iCloud. Since only 5 GB of space is provided for a free (basic) account, you can also upgrade your account as well to get more space on iCloud.
3. Backup files Using External Hard Drive
If you are running short on time, then you can also take a manual backup using an external hard disk as well. Just connect the hard disk to your Mac and make sure that you are using a hard drive that is compatible with your macOS. Now, simply copy the content from your Mac’s storage that you wish to save and paste it to the external hard disk. In this way, you would be able to maintain a second copy of all the important data at a dedicated source.
In the contrast, you need to know how to recover files from external hard drive.
Step 2: Boot Mac in the Recovery Mode
Once you have taken a backup of your Mac data, you need to restart in the recovery mode. The Mac Recovery Mode is a dedicated module in the operating system that provides all kinds of firmware and disk-related options. You can run disk utilities via the Recovery Mode on MacBook, reinstall macOS, recover Time Machine backup, and do so much more. In order to learn how to restore Mac in recovery mode, follow these steps:
- Firstly, go to the main menu by clicking on the Apple icon and choose to restart your system.
- While the system is restarting, press the Command and R keys at the same time till your Mac enters the Recovery mode.
- When you get the Utilities window on the screen, just click on the “Reinstall macOS” option and continue the process.
Please note that if you wish to upgrade your Mac instead, then press the Option + R keys instead of the Command + R key combination.
Cannot Erase Mac Hard Drive
Step 3: Erase the Mac Hard Disk
This is an optional step during the reinstall macOS process as a lot of people would like to delete the existing data on their system. If you are reselling your Mac or your system has been infected by a malware, then you can consider this option as well.
- When you get the macOS utilities window, click on the “Disk Utility” option instead of reinstalling it. You can also go to the “Utilities” menu to get this option.
- As the Disk Utilities window will open, you can just select the drive that you wish to erase from the left panel.
- On the right, you will get its detailed information with numerous other tools. Just click on the Erase icon and confirm your choice (by entering the firmware password).
This will start the erasing process on the selected drive. You can also go to the Security Options here to further customize things.
Step 4: Reinstall Mac OS X without Losing Data
When you get the macOS Utilities window on the screen, you can just click on the “Reinstall macOS” option to proceed. Afterward, you simply need to follow this basic drill to reinstall macOS on your system.
- A confirmation message will appear, informing you about the reinstallation details. Just click on the “Continue” button to proceed.
- Subsequently, you will be asked on which disk you wish to install macOS. Simply select the inbuilt disk on your Mac to start the process.
- That’s it! Your system will reinstall macOS on it by performing all the needed tasks. You can just sit back and wait for the process to be completed and make sure that you don’t turn off Mac in between.
- In the end, you can just choose to restore data from the Time Machine backup. You can get this option from the macOS Utilities or just launch the Time Machine application on your system as well.
Recover Erased Files after Reinstalling Mac OS
A lot of times, users are not able to maintain backup of their data and end up losing their important files during the macOS reinstallation. If you have also lost your data on Mac due to this, then don’t worry – simply take the assistance of Recoverit Mac Data Recovery software. A highly advanced data recovery tool, it can retrieve all kinds of lost, deleted, and inaccessible content from your Mac storage. It is known to b yield positive results under all scenarios, including data loss caused by macOS reinstallation.
![Erase Hard Drive In Mac Utility Can Erase Hard Drive In Mac Utility Can](/uploads/1/2/7/2/127252014/809314218.jpg)
After installing Recoverit Data Recovery on your Mac, simply follow these basic steps to get your data back.
Step 1: Select a Location
Firstly, you need to install Recoverit Data Recovery on your Mac by downloading the application from its website. Launch it whenever you want to restore notes on Mac and select a source location to scan. That is, select the native source drive of Mac and click on the “Start” button.
Step 2: Scan the Location
As the application would start scanning your Mac for the lost notes, you can just wait for a while for the process to be completed. The interface will also display the progress of the entire process for your convenience.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
When the extraction process is completed, the application will notify you. Now, you can just preview and select the files you wish to get back. Click on the “Recover” button and make sure that you save your notes to a trusted location.
I’m sure that after following this guide, you would be able to reinstall macOS without losing data. Since working on Mac can be a bit tricky at times, it is recommended to always maintain a backup beforehand. Also, consider using a data recovery tool like Recoverit Data Recovery as well. In this way, you can take immediate measures as soon as you lose any information and get it back without much trouble. Recoverit also provides data recovery solution for Windows as well and is considered a must-have application for both Mac and Windows users.
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Erasing your disk: For most reasons to erase, including when reformatting a disk or selling, giving away, or trading in your Mac, you should erase your entire disk.
Erasing a volume on your disk: In other cases, such as when your disk contains multiple volumes (or partitions) and you don't want to erase them all, you can erase specific volumes on the disk.
Erasing a disk or volume permanently deletes all of its files. Before continuing, make sure that you have a backup of any files that you want to keep.
How to erase your disk
Disk Utility Can't Erase Disk
- Start up from macOS Recovery. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities window and click Continue.
If you're not erasing the disk your Mac started up from, you don't need to start up from macOS Recovery: just open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. - Choose View > Show All Devices from the menu bar in Disk Utility. The sidebar now shows your disks (devices) and any containers and volumes within them. The disk your Mac started up from is at the top of the list. In this example, Apple SSD is the startup disk:
- Select the disk that you want to erase. Don't see your disk?
- Click Erase, then complete these items:
- Name: Type the name that you want the disk to have after you erase it.
- Format: Choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Disk Utility shows a compatible format by default.
- Scheme: Choose GUID Partition Map.
- Click Erase to begin erasing your disk and every container and volume within it. You might be asked to enter your Apple ID. Forgot your Apple ID?
- When done, quit Disk Utility.
- If you want your Mac to be able to start up from the disk you erased, reinstall macOS on the disk.
How to erase a volume on your disk
- Start up from macOS Recovery. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities window and click Continue.
If you're not erasing the volume your Mac started up from, you don't need to start up from macOS Recovery: just open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder of your Applications folder. - In the sidebar of Disk Utility, select the volume that you want to erase. The volume your Mac started up from is named Macintosh HD, unless you changed its name. Don't see your volume?
- Click Erase, then complete these items:
- Name: Type the name that you want the volume to have after you erase it.
- Format: Choose APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Disk Utility shows a compatible format by default.
- If you see an Erase Volume Group button, the volume you selected is part of a volume group. In that case, you should erase the volume group. Otherwise, click Erase to erase just the selected volume. You might be asked to enter your Apple ID. Forgot your Apple ID?
- When done, quit Disk Utility.
- If you want your Mac to be able to start up from the volume you erased, reinstall macOS on that volume.
Reasons to erase
You can erase at any time, including in circumstances such as these:
- You want to permanently erase all content from your Mac and restore it to factory settings. This is one of the final steps before selling, giving away, or trading in your Mac.
- You're changing the format of a disk, such as from a PC format (FAT, ExFAT, or NTFS) to a Mac format (APFS or Mac OS Extended).
- You received a message that your disk isn't readable by this computer.
- You're trying to resolve a disk issue that Disk Utility can't repair.
- The macOS installer doesn't see your disk or can't install on it. For example, the installer might say that your disk isn't formatted correctly, isn't using a GUID partition scheme, contains a newer version of the operating system, or can't be used to start up your computer.
- The macOS installer says that you may not install to this volume because it is part of an Apple RAID.
About APFS and Mac OS Extended
Can't Erase Usb Drive Mac
Disk Utility in macOS High Sierra or later can erase using either the newer APFS (Apple File System) format or the older Mac OS Extended format, and it automatically chooses a compatible format for you.
How to choose between APFS and Mac OS Extended
Disk Utility tries to detect the type of storage and show the appropriate format in the Format menu. If it can't, it chooses Mac OS Extended, which works with all versions of macOS. If you want to change the format, answer these questions:
- Are you formatting the disk that came built into your Mac?
If the built-in disk came APFS-formatted, Disk Utility suggests APFS. Don't change it to Mac OS Extended. - Are you about to install macOS High Sierra or later for the first time on the disk?
If you need to erase your disk before installing High Sierra or later for the first time on that disk, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). During installation, the macOS installer decides whether to automatically convert to APFS—without erasing your files. - Are you preparing a Time Machine backup disk or bootable installer?
Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for any disk that you plan to use as a Time Machine backup disk or as a bootable installer. - Will you be using the disk with another Mac?
If the other Mac isn't using macOS High Sierra or later, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Earlier versions of macOS don't work with APFS-formatted volumes.
How to identify the format currently in use
If you want to know which format is currently in use, use any of these methods:
- Select the volume in the Disk Utility sidebar, then check the information shown on the right. For more detail, choose File > Get Info from the Disk Utility menu bar.
- Open System Information and select Storage in the sidebar. The File System column on the right shows the format of each volume.
- Select the volume in the Finder, then choose File > Get Info from the menu bar. The Get Info window shows the Format of that volume.
Mac Os Erase Disk
If your disk or volume doesn't appear, or the erase fails
Erase Hard Drive In Mac Utility Can't Reinstall Os Windows 10
- Shut down your Mac, then unplug all nonessential devices from your Mac.
- If you're erasing an external drive, make sure that it's connected directly to your Mac using a cable that you know is good. Then turn the drive off and back on.
- If your disk or volume still doesn't appear in Disk Utility, or Disk Utility reports that the erase process failed, your disk or Mac might need service. If you need help, please contact Apple Support.
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- If you can't start up from macOS Recovery, you can use a different startup disk instead.
- If Disk Utility shows a Security Options button in the Erase window, you can click that button to choose between a faster (but less secure) erase and a slower (but more secure) erase. Some older versions of Disk Utility offer the option to zero all data instead. These secure-erase options aren't offered or needed for solid-state drives (SSDs) and flash storage.