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Disk Utility For Mac: Erase With Images10/27/2021
It may be because you’re selling or donating your Mac, and you want all your personal information wiped clean from the drive. If you will be going between Mac and Windows then there should be no issues.There may come a time when you want to completely remove all traces of information on your Mac’s drives. If you plan on using the drive for Mac only then you will want to erase the disk. For more technical information see Microsoft documentation - here. This is typical and not an issue when using the drive as NTFS. It is shown as Microsoft Reserved in Disk Utility.
Disk Utility : Erase With Images Full Disk EncryptionMethod 2: Use Disk Utility Creating a Disk ImageSo, if it’s so easy, why the need for this guide? Well, while the process is simple, there are some important considerations to understand that will affect how you erase your Mac’s drive.Data Security AES 256-bit Full Disk Encryption, TCG/Opal V2. To restore a disk image, follow the above steps in reverse. If you want to create a disk image on an existing disk, then select a folder instead. Go to File, select New Image, then.If you want to create a cloned copy of the source volume, then select a destination disk, but be advised that existing files may be overwritten. Mac OS Extended (Journaled) is the format normally used with the Mac OS.No matter the reason, wiping a drive is an easy – though sometimes very long – process that just about any Mac user can take care of on their own.Safely erase multiple files using an encrypted disk image Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility). Pick a format type to use.(Use the slider to select one of four secure erase options.)Disk Utility includes a secure erase option that will not only erase the hard drive’s catalog files, which point to where individual files are stored on the drive, but will also overwrite the actual data on the hard drive with new information. We’ll cover SSDs a bit later in this guide. Don’t worry, though SSDs can also be wiped, they just require a different technique. They should not, however, be used with any SSD (Solid State Drive), including a Fusion drive, which contains an SSD element. It doesn’t matter if it’s an internal, external, or your Mac’s startup drive using these techniques you can obliterate the contents of the selected drive, making it all but impossible to recover the data.These methods will work for any hard drive you may be using with your Mac. Andriod emulator for mac reviewSelecting a drive will erase all volumes and partitions associated with the drive.Pick a format type to use. Selecting a volume will only erase the individual volume or partition you selected. If you need any of the information, make sure you have a backup before proceeding.Launch Disk Utility, located at /Applications/Utilities/Disk Utility.In Disk Utility’s sidebar, select a volume or a drive. As such, we won’t call out the exact differences, but be aware that what you see in the version of Disk Utility you’re using may not exactly match the images in this guide.Warning : This process will absolutely remove the data that currently occupies the selected drive. The only real difference is the look of the UI. For the most part, the steps in the process are the same for both versions of Disk Utility. The first two passes use random data the third pass uses a known data pattern. This is the default erase method that just erases the catalog entries.Single Pass of Zeros: Erases the catalog entry plus writes a single pass of zeros to all locations.3-Pass: This option erases the catalog entry and performs a 3-pass write to all data locations. You can just leave this entry as is.Use the slider to pick the secure erase option you wish to use:Fastest: This is not a secure erase option and does not overwrite data. Selecting the Most Secure option can take a large amount of time, while the Single Pass of Zeros is quite a bit shorter. (Selecting a drive will erase all volumes and partitions that were created on the drive.)The time the secure erase will take is dependent on the secure erase option you selected. This method meets the DoD 5220.22 M standard for securely erasing magnetic media.Note : OS X Snow Leopard and earlier also offered a 35-pass secure erase option that is quite excessive, and takes a very, very long time to perform.Click the Erase button to start the secure erase. (Booting from the Recovery HD will allow you to erase your Mac’s startup drive.)You can use the instructions in the Everything You Need to Know About OS X Recovery guide to boot from the Recovery HD. The Most Secure option is appropriate if you need to meet the DoD requirements, but be prepared for a very long wait.If the drive you need to perform a secure erase on is your Mac’s startup drive, you’ll need to first boot from another drive with a Mac system installed, or from the Mac OS Recovery volume. The 3-pass option is a better choice when you’ll no longer retain possession of the drive. The point being that the computer never knows where the actual physical file is located on the SSD, only the logical location provided by the map. The architecture of an SSD is much more similar to RAM than a hard drive.SSDs use a map that communicates the logical file location to the computer, but behind the scenes, the SSD may be moving data blocks around in an attempt to ensure all memory cells see the same usage, a process known as wear leveling. (The internal architecture of SSDs makes for a simplified erase process that is also very secure.)Speaking in general terms, an SSD has very little in common with a hard drive, other than that they both store data long term. Let’s examine why this is true. Using Disk Utility to perform a simple erase (no secure erase options selected) will result in an SSD that will prove very difficult to recover meaningful data from. Using the same secure erase techniques as those used for hard drives can be detrimental to an SSD, decreasing its operating lifetime because of the excessive number of writes involved.Luckily, securely erasing an SSD is actually easier and faster. For those who want to go the extra mile, a sledgehammer may be a handy tool.
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