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Jun 08, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
Solution 3: format and erase hard drive under macOS 10.13 High Sierra with AweEraser for Mac. AweEraser for Mac is a data erasure application. It can format your hard drive and erase all the data on your hard drive, beyond the scope of data recovery. It means the data on your hard drive will be permanently erased. Jun 01, 2020 If you can't install macOS Catalina, you might be able to install an earlier macOS, such as macOS Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, or Yosemite. Or create a bootable installer disk, then use that disk to install macOS on your Mac or another Mac. Insert the flash drive or hard drive you want to format for Windows compatibility. Go to the Applications folder on your Mac’s hard drive, then go to the Utilities folder, and launch Disk Utility. Select the drive you want to format. Warning: the following steps will delete any info you currently have on the drive.
“I am thinking about selling my Mac and it has personal data on it. How do I format my Mac High Sierra? What should I do to make it entirely new? ”
There are various reasons why people would try to format Mac. Maybe you are selling it or maybe you just want to empty up space. Whatever the reason is, the in-built Disk Utility is the only thing you need to carry out the task. But if you intend to use it afterward, you must gather up some additional information about the Mac file format too.
The biggest decision you have to make before you format Mac is to choose the right file format. Once you pick the right format for your needs, you can move on to how to format a Mac guide. Go through this article and you will know everything you should regarding formatting Mac safely.
Part 1. Overview of Formatting Mac
Formatting means deleting, erasing, or wiping out the existing data from a drive. This is done to make space for new data on the storage media. Formatting means erasing data on a drive while keeping the same format. You must have come across forums where people ask how to format NTFS on Mac. Typically, reformatting involves changing the NTFS or exFAT format to MacOS Extended format or APFS format as they are more compatible with Apple systems.
1. Reasons for Formatting Your Mac
The reasons which lead to formatting the Mac hard drive are listed below:
- When you are giving your Mac away.
- If you want to change the format of the disk such from Windows to Mac format.
- When the drive can’t be read by Mac.
- When you are trying to resolve a disk error or working issue which can’t be repaired.
- If the macOS installer doesn’t see the disk or can’t install it properly.
- If the macOS installer states that you can’t install the volume as it is a part of Apple RAID.
2. Benefits of Mac Formatting
![Mac Mac](/uploads/1/2/6/5/126526443/850125032.png)
Despite the reason for formatting, there are various benefits of carrying out the task too. The advantages of formatting the Mac hard drive include:
- It will prevent unexpected system crash and extend the file of storage media.
- It will improve hard drive performance.
- It will prevent data theft as all the important data is deleted without leaving a trace.
- Formatting also fixes glitches and software conflicts in the system.
How To Format A Mac For High Sierra Vista
When you are about to format Mac hard drive, it is vital that you have a complete understanding of the Mac file system format too.
3. When to Format or Reformat Mac?
Under normal situations, you only format Mac as the intention is to wipe away the data and files from Mac. It is a low-level formatting process which only involves erasing the data on the system. It doesn’t overwrite the existing data or remove it completely. The traces of the data are still left even after formatting.
But when you change a file format system of a drive, it is called reformatting. The process is accompanied by the deletion of data on the drive as the format changes, the files saved on the drive becomes irrelevant. As you reformat MacBook Pro or any other version, a partition map is created on the selected drive and an appropriate file system is applied which works with Mac such as OS X Extended (Journaled) file system. It is considered as a high-level formatting process.
So, you only need to decide whether you want to use the drive for other data or simply want to free up space on the drive. Once you understand the difference, it will be easier to decide whether you prefer to reformat Mac or simple formatting.
Related: Further read and get to know the methods to format USB drive on Mac.
Part 2. How to Format Mac in 3 Ways?
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We have gathered up a list of methods on how to reformat/format Mac without any hassle. You can use any of the listed methods according to your requirements.
1. Reinstall Your Mac OS:
It is very well-known that reinstalling the Operating System deletes every data and setting on the system. Luckily, you can install the Mac OS from the Apple server or the recovery partition in your drive whenever you want. This will format HDD on Mac and you will be able to use it as new.
- Reboot your Mac and while it is starting up the press and hold the Command + R keys until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
- A macOS Utilities window will pop-up on the screen and you will see several options on the screen. You obviously want to format Mac HDD; therefore, you will have to choose the Disk Utility option first.
- When the Disk Utility Window opens up, click on the Erase tab and make sure that the format is compatible with the system. Then hit the Erase button at the bottom and wait while the drive is cleaned.
- Now quit Disk Utility and get back to the OS X Utilities screen. Click on the Reinstall macOS option and install the OS from Apple server or a bootable disk you have.
- Enter the Apple ID is required and wait while the OS is reinstalled on your system.
Now, you can set up Mac once again as you want. The main advantage of using this method is that you can wipe the drive securely and restore the original version of macOS from the internet. Plus, you get to install the latest compatible macOS on your system.
2. Erase Mac Hard Drive
When you erase a hard drive, you basically format NTFS on Mac and change the format to a compatible one like AFPS or Mac OS X Extended (Journaled).
- Reboot the Mac and press Command + R keys during startup until you hear a chime. Wait as the OS X Utilities window appears on the screen.
- Switch to the Erase tab and select the volume which you want to erase. If you have no partition, then select the main hard drive.
- Choose the format as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and ensure that the GUID Partition Map Scheme is used.
- You can choose whether you want fastest erase or most secure erase under the Erase Free Space option. Drag the slider according to your preference and hit the Ok button.
- Finally click on the Erase button and the Disk Utility will erase the entire drive in a while.
When you use this method to format Mac, so are only erasing the data and files on the system without making any changes in the OS.
3. Wipe Mac SSD
When you are trying to wipe the Mac Solid State Drive, you need to remember that the Mac SSD is the best-integrated circuit you can get your hands on. As it uses flash memory, the information is retained on the drive more firmly than other Storage Media. Therefore, you will have to use the Cryptographic-Erase instead of standard erase for Mac SSD to format Mac disc.
- While rebooting your Mac, press and hold the Command + R keys to enter the Recovery mode. You will see an Apple icon or hear a chime when you enter the Recovery mode.
- When the OS X Utilities window appears on the screen, choose the Disk Utility option.
- In the Disk Utility window, specify the drive that you want to delete and click on the Erase option.
- Select the Mac OS Extended (Encrypted) format under the format list. Then press the Erase button and set a password for the encrypted partition. Make sure that you use an easy password for as you are most likely to need it soon enough.
- Let the drive get erased and turn into an encrypted format. Once the process finishes, again access the Disk Utility and change the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
- When you press the Erase button, open the Security option in the pop-up window and you will see the secure erase option. The level of erase determines the security, i.e. 35 Pass Erase is the most secure option.
- Finally, press the Ok button and proceed with the wiping process.
Related: Go there and get more approaches to booting Mac into Recovery Mode.
The main advantage of using this method is that will blank the slate securely. There will be no data left on the SSD whatsoever.
Video Tutorial on How to Format a USB Flash Drive on Mac
Part 3. How to Recover Formatted Data on Mac?
When you are trying to format Mac windows, it is obvious that you are going to lose some important files. But there is no need to panic; we can deal with loss using Recoverit Data Recovery softwarefor Mac. This tool is specially designed to retrieve the lost data on your system.
Recoverit - The Best Mac Formatted Recovery Software
- Recover various data on Mac or Mac-connected devices.
- Scan and preview the files before you recover the data.
After you learn how to format Mac, it is important that you know how you can get the files back on your Mac. Here is the guide you need to follow:
Step 1: Select a location
Run the program and specify a location from where the files were deleted. In case you don’t know where the files were located, choose the “I can’t find my partition” and hit the Start button.
Step 2: Scan the location
The software will scan the drive and display the results on the screen sorted out according to their format. You can also pause the scan at any time.
Step 3: Preview and Recover
Select the files that you want to recover and have a preview of the files. You can perform a selective recovery of the files, select as many as you want and hit the Recover button at the bottom of the interface.
In this way, you can easily get your documents that were disappeared back on Mac. In case if the quick scan was not able to fulfill your requirements, then you can do a deep scan as well. Recoverit would extract data from your Mac’s storage. While the deep scan would take more time than the first scan, the results would also be far better.
Part 4. Tips for Formatting a Mac
The long-time users know that NTFS or exFAT format on Mac are not compatible. These formats are more suitable for Windows users. Hence, unless you want to transfer the files from Windows to Mac, it is advised to not use these formats on Mac. Here are some other tips related to formatting Mac that will come in handy:
- The Erase option in the Disk Utility with OS X El Capitan and later performs formatting of a drive and erasing of volume under the same name. So, you can use the Erase command for both tasks.
- Make sure that you create a backup of the data already present on the drive as you might end up losing it permanently.
- Choose between the format APFS or Mac OS Extended format carefully.
- To find out the current format of the drive, you can look into the System Information. The file system column on the Storage sidebar displays the current file format.
- It is advised not to change the built-in APFS-format into Mac OS Extended under any situation.
Conclusion
In this article, you almost learned everything on how to format HDD on Mac. You can choose the method as per your requirements. And if somehow you end up losing some important files, Recoverit is here to help you as it can recover data from formatted hard drive. So, if your friends, family, or close ones need help with formatting Mac, forward the guide to help them.
What's Wrong with Mac
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Source: iMore
- Prepping your Mac for Sale
It is that time again. Time to decide whether to keep or replace your Mac laptop or desktop computer. If you are reading this article, chances are you've already come to the decision to replace your Mac with the newes model (or maybe you just got a new Mac as a present!), and you're thinking about selling your old one.
The first thing you should do before hitting the streets to sell your old Mac is clear it of any and all personal data. You don't want to accidentally sell your computer to a stranger when you are still logged into iCloud.
The next step is to reinstall the Mac's operating system so that the new owner can get started without having to figure out how to start up in recovering mode. Believe me, that can be a pain.
If you're going through the process of erasing your old Mac and reinstalling the operating system, we've got some common troubleshooting tips to help you out. Don't forget to follow the additional steps if you're selling a MacBook with Touch ID.
Clean the Mac of your personal data before erasing it
If you're about to sell your old Mac, the one thing you don't want to do is to give away the data you've been storing on it all these years. It's a security and privacy thing for you, but it's also important for the buyer. If you leave behind anything that needs to be logged into with a password, that buyer is going to have to track you down and get your password in order to change ownership. A completely fresh-from-scratch Mac is the best way to do this.
Step 1: Back up your Mac
If you already have your new Mac on hand, you can transfer all of your data from your old Mac or use an older Time Machine backup. If you don't have your new Mac yet, well ... then you probably shouldn't be selling your old one yet. But, if you really don't think you'll need your old computer before getting your new one, just make sure to back up your data so that nothing happens to it before you get what you need onto your new Mac.
Step 2: Sign out of everything
The software you have on your Mac is licensed to you, which means it doesn't get transferred to the new owner of your computer (except the operating system). In order to avoid complications with the new owner attempting to download and install software that is licensed by you, make sure to sign out of everything your personal information is connected to.
How to sign out of iTunes (macOS Mojave and older)
- Open iTunes on your Mac.
- Click Account in the Menu bar on the left side of your screen.
- Click on Sign Out.Source: iMore
How to sign out of iMessage
- Open Messages on your Mac.
- Click Messages in the Menu bar at the top left corner of your screen.
- Click Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Select your iMessage account.
- Click on Sign Out.Source: iMore
How to sign out of iCloud
- Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
- Click System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Click on Apple ID (on macOS Mojave and older, click on iCloud).Source: iMore
- Un-tick the box for Find My Mac.
- Enter your system password when prompted.
- Click on Sign Out.
- Click Remove data from this Mac when prompted.
Step 3: Unpair your Bluetooth devices
If you're keeping your Bluetooth devices, you don't want to leave them paired to a Mac that you're getting rid of. It isn't really that important of a step, but if you sell your old Mac to, say, a roommate or someone living in the same house as you, you may experience accidentally connecting back to it.
- Click on the Apple icon in the upper-left corner of your Mac's screen.
- Click System Preferences from the drop-down menu.
- Click on Bluetooth.
- Hover over the device you want to unpair.
- Click on the X next to the device.
Note: If you're unpairing a keyboard, trackpad, or mouse on a desktop Mac, be sure to have a wired one plugged in or you won't be able to type or use a curser and you'll have to repair it all again.
Step 4: Erase your hard drive
Once your data is backed up and you've signed out of everything that might connect your old Mac to your personal information, you can erase everything on it by reformatting the hard drive.
- Restart your Mac.
- While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously. Your Mac will boot into macOS Recover.
- Select Disk Utility.
- Click on Continue.Source: iMore
- Click on View.
- Click on Show all Devices.
- Find your Startup disk (it should be named 'Machintosh HD' unless you renamed it) in the sidebar.
- Select the data disk under the startup disk.
- Click Edit.
- Click Delete APFS Volume from the menu bar or click the Remove button in the disk utility bar.
- Confirm by clicking Delete when prompted.
How To Format A Mac For High Sierra Windows
Repeat this process for all data disks under your startup disk. Do not use Delete Volume Group. Once you've deleted all of your data drives, you'll move on to erasing your startup disk.
- Select your Startup Disk (it should be named 'Machintosh HD' unless you renamed it) in the sidebar.
- Click the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility window.
- If your Mac is using HFS+, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) from the format list. If your Mac is using APFS, select APFS from the format list. See Troubleshooting for more information on which format to select.
- If Scheme is available, select GUID Partition Map.
- Click Erase.Source: iMore
- After the process is complete, select Quit Disk Utility from the Disk Utility drop-down menu in the upper left corner of the screen.Source: iMore
Source: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore
After you erase your hard drive it will be ready for a clean installation of the operating system. You should already be in the Utilities window after erasing your Mac. If not, restart your computer and hold down Command and R at the same time until you see the Apple logo.
Make sure to reinstall macOS through Recovery Mode, holding down Command+R. You may be asked to sign in with your Apple ID.
If you get stuck during reinstallation, see our troubleshooting section for additional help.
Note: Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet in order to verify the software. You'll be asked to do so during the installation process.
If, while reinstalling macOS, you're asked to enter a password, enter the password you use to unlock your Mac, not your Apple ID.
- Restart your Mac.
- While the startup disc is waking up, hold down the Command+R keys simultaneously. You're Mac will boot into macOS Recover.
- Click on Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X where applicable) to reinstall the operating system that came with your Mac.
- Click on Continue.
- Select your hard drive ('Machintosh HD), when asked to select your disk.
- Click on Install to install the latest operating system that was on your Mac. Your Mac will restart after the installation is complete.
- Make sure you don't close the lid on a MacBook or put your Mac to sleep during this reinstallation period, even if it takes a while. If the computer goes to sleep, it will stop the installation process from continuing and you'll have to start over. Your screen will go blank, show the restart Apple logo, and show a progress bar several different times.
- Hold down Command and Q after the installation is complete. Do not follow the setup instructions. Leave that part for the new owner.
- Click Shut Down to shut down your Mac.Source: iMore
Your Mac is now clean and ready for a new owner. They will complete the setup instructions to get started using the Mac, as well as download the latest macOS operating system that is available and supported on their Mac.
Troubleshooting erasing your hard drive or reinstalling macOS
I've gotten a lot of very specific questions about issues some readers have with erasing or reinstalling macOS (usually reinstalling). Sometimes, the easiest way to fix issues with reinstalling macOS is to start by holding Shift+Option+Command+R which will put your Mac into an alternate version of Recovery Mode that allows you to install the original macOS that came with your Mac. From here, you can either keep that operating system and let the new owner update to their preferred macOS, or go through the macOS update process.
If, during the macOS reinstallation process, the installer doesn't see your disk or says you can't install the operating system on the disk, you may need to try erasing your hard drive again. Restart your Mac and hold down Command+R to bring up Recovery mode and repeat Step 4.
Since macOS changed to APFS, some readers have struggled with which format option to choose when erasing their disk. Here are some other possible troubleshooting issues from Apple's support document that may help you.
Are you formatting the disk that came built into your Mac?
If the built-in disk came APFS-formatted, don't change it to Mac OS Extended.
Are you about to install macOS High Sierra or later 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:
- macOS Mojave and Catalina: The installer converts from Mac OS Extended to APFS.
- macOS High Sierra: The installer converts from Mac OS Extended to APFS only if the volume is on an SSD or another all-flash storage device. Fusion Drives and traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) aren't converted.
Are you preparing a Time Machine backup disk or bootable installer?
Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for any disk that you plan to use with Time Machine or as a bootable installer.
Will you be using the disk with another Mac?
If the other Mac isn't using High Sierra or later, choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Earlier versions of macOS don't mount APFS-formatted volumes.
To learn which format is currently in use, use any of these methods:
- Select the volume in the Disk Utility sidebar, then check the information 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.
If you're still having trouble with either erasing your hard drive or reinstalling macOS, please reach out to us in the forums. We have a wonderful community of Apple users that are happy to help someone in need.
Any questions?
Is there anything about resetting your Mac to prepare it for sale that you need help with? Let me know in the comments and I'll get you squared away.
Updated May 2020: Updated for macOS Catalina.
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