How do I Completely Erase, Wipe all data from my Old Mac?
Wondering how do I completely erase, wipe all data from my old Mac! No worries, simply follow the guide and you will encounter different techniques that will help in resolving the issue without any trouble.
When upgrading to a new Apple Silicon machine, trading in your old faithful machine, or selling it to a new owner, it is important to perform one essential act before parting with an old Mac – complete erasure of your data!
Just dragging and dropping your files into the trash and emptying the trash will not wipe your data from your machine. To ensure that your passwords, personal photographs, financial documents, and licensed software do not fall into the wrong hands, you need to perform a clean wipe.
The way to do a clean wipe of a Mac has changed quite a bit although depending on whether the Mac has an Intel chip or Apple silicone ($M1$, $M2$, or $M3$) and the version of macOS installed (which will differ), there will be different steps to take! This guide gives instructions on how to prepare for, wipe and then prepare your Mac for its next adventure!
Phase 1: Essential Pre-Erasure Checklist
The first step before you erase anything is to ensure that you are going to secure your data and you will need to “unlink” any personal accounts before you go and delete data from your device. It is important you do not skip these steps as you may lose your files or worse, lock out the next person who uses that computer due to Apple’s security features.
1. Backup Your Data
Wiping your Mac cannot be undone. Be sure to create a new backup of everything you want to keep.
- Time Machine – Connect an external hard drive to your Mac. Go to your System Preferences > General > Time Machine and click Back Up Now.
- Cloud Storage – Make sure any files that were syncing to iCloud, OneDrive or Google Drive are fully up-to-date in the cloud.
2. Sign Out of iCloud and Apple ID
In order to stop having your Apple ID tied to your Mac, and also to turn off any features that are linked to your Apple ID such as “Find My Mac,” you can either unlink the two by using macOS functionality or by signing out of the Apple ID account in System Preferences/Settings.
- If you are using macOS Ventura or later, open System Settings and look for your Name (Apple ID) in the top of the left-hand sidebar. Scroll to the bottom and click Sign Out.
- If you are on macOS Monterey or earlier, go to System Preferences > Apple ID > Overview, then click Sign Out from there.
3. Sign Out of iMessage and FaceTime
Although usually logging out of iCloud takes care of this, it is always a good idea to check yourself.
- Open the Messages App, and then go to the Settings (or Preferences) > iMessage and choose Sign Out.
- Open the FaceTime App, and go to Settings and choose Sign Out.
4. Unpair Bluetooth Devices (Optional but Recommended)
If you are handing the Mac to another person in your house (e.g. family), you should unpair your mouse or keyboard or AirPods, so that they do not inadvertently activate the old Mac later. You can unpair by going to System Settings > Bluetooth, and clicking X or Forget This Device next to each item.
Phase 2: The Modern, Easy Way (macOS Monterey or Later)
For Macs using Apple Silicon (or an Intel-based Mac with an M1-based Apple T2 Security Chip) running macOS Monterey, Ventura, Sonoma or later, Apple has made the process of erasing your data extremely easy. This uses the same function found in iPhones, called “Erase All Content and Settings”. This action will delete all of your job data and settings, but keep the operating system as it is , so you do not need to spend countless hours reinstalling macOS again.
[System Settings] ➔ [General] ➔ [Transfer or Reset] ➔ [Erase All Content and Settings]
Step-by-Step Instructions:
Step 1. Open the Apple menu located at the upper left corner of your screen and click “System Preferences” or “System Settings”, depending on your operating system – Monterey users will select “System Preferences”.
Step 2. For users of OS Ventura and above, select “General” from the sidebar, and then choose either “Transfer/Reset” to begin the process of erasing all data from the computer. If you’re a Monterey user, just choose Erase All Content and Settings in the menu bar instead.
Step 3. When you’re ready to continue, click “Erase All Content and Settings”.
Step 4. Input your Computer Administrator username and password whenever you are prompted for that information.
Step 5. The Erase Assistant will display all the items to be erased before continuing. For example: Apple ID, Touch ID fingerprints, Find My tracking, etc. Click “Continue”.
Step 6. Log out of iCloud and deactivate Find My Mac by entering your Apple ID credentials once prompted to do so.
Step 7. Finally, click on the large, red confirmation button to erase everything associated with the Mac, including the document folders on the Desktop and any Applications installed within them.
A black background or progress bar will indicate that your Mac has restarted after the reset. When the reset is complete, you’ll see the ‘Hello’ Setup Assistant screen, which will allow you to complete the Setup Assistant. If this is for sale, just turn off the computer by holding the power button. The new owner can then complete the Setup process from scratch.
Phase 3: The Traditional Way (Older Intel Macs or Pre-Monterey OS)
If you have an older Intel-based Macintosh that does not include a T2 Security Chip or if you are using an older version of the macOS, such as Catalina or BigSur, you must use the macOS Recovery or Disk Utility to restore the operating system.
Step 1: Boot into macOS Recovery
Accessing the Recovery Mode will be totally dependent on the brain of your Mac.
- Intel Mac – Make sure that your computer is completely turned off. Start your computer and at once press the keys $\mathcal{CMD}$ + R. Stop pressing when you see the image of an Apple logo or the globe loading.
- Apple Silicon Mac (in case the modern reset did not work) – Turn off your Mac. Press the Power Button and wait for “Loading startup options” message to appear.
Step 2: Use Disk Utility to Wipe the Drive
Once the window of macOS Recovery appears on the screen, a list of the utilities will appear.
Step 1. Choose Disk Utility from the window, and click on Continue.
Step 2. From the sidebar of Disk Utility, find your internal hard disk. Select the volume called Macintosh HD.
Step 3. Click on the Erase button on the top toolbar.
Step 4. A new dialog box will pop up with the following information. Fill it up in the following manner:
Step 5. Name: Macintosh HD
Step 6. Format: Choose APFS format. In case you are using macOS High Sierra or an earlier version, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
Step 7. Click on Erase Volume Group (or simply Erase).
Step 3: Reinstall macOS
Since the hard drive has been cleared out, now is the time to install a new operating system for the computer to function properly.
1. In the main macOS Recovery screen, choose Reinstall macOS (with the same version as installed on the Mac before).
2. Click Continue, read the software license agreement and click Agree.
3. Select your freshly formatted Macintosh HD partition as the installation destination.
4. Click Install.
The duration of this process can vary between 20 minutes and more than an hour, as your Mac will be downloading the installation package from Apple’s website.
Upon completing the process, your Mac will reboot and open the Setup Assistant. In case you are giving away the machine, hit Command + Q and select Shutdown. The setup should remain untouched until the machine’s next owner gets it.
Epilogue
Spending some time ensuring that your old Mac is wiped clean will give you peace of mind, in addition to allowing the new owner to have a fresh start. The newer method of using Erase All Content and Settings makes use of cryptographic erasing, thus ensuring that recovery is near impossible, whereas using Disk Utility will make sure that your old device is erased thoroughly.
Additionally, try erasing data using a professional powerful approach i.e. MacMister Data Wipe for Mac & Windows. The application has different wiping procedures and filters that help users wiping data from old Mac according to the specific requirements. It’s easy simple GUI will ease the process for all types of users. Utilize its free demo now and explore the in-depth software processing of the application for free.