How to Wipe a Mac Clean

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This wikiHow teaches you how to delete all the data, files, applications, and settings on your Mac computer.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

OS X 10.7 or Later

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  1. Back up any data you want to save . Wiping your Mac will erase everything, including your operating system, so keeping a backup on an external hard drive or DVD is a good idea. [1]
  2. It's the black apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
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  3. It's near the bottom of the menu.
  4. This immediately shuts down and reboots your Mac.
    • Wait for your Mac to shut down.
  6. The "macOS Utilities" window will appear.
  7. It's at the bottom of the list.
  8. It's in the lower-right corner of the window.
  9. It's in the upper-left of the window, under "Internal."
  10. It's a button at the top-center of the window.
  11. Type it in the "Name:" field.
  12. drop-down menu.
  13. To reinstall a MacOS system, select:
    • Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the fastest wipe.
    • Mac OS Extended (Journaled, Encrypted) to encrypt the disk after wiping.
  14. It's in the lower-right corner of the dialog box. The wipe process will begin.
    • The time to erase your disk will vary based on disk size, the amount of data stored, and whether your chose an encrypted format.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

OS X 10.6 or Earlier

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  1. Back up any data you want to save . Wiping your Mac will erase everything, including your operating system, so keeping a backup on an external hard drive or DVD is a good idea.
  2. Insert the installation DVD or CD that came with your computer into the computer's disc drive and wait for the computer to recognize the disc.
    • If you are using a USB drive instead of an installation disc, insert the USB drive.
  3. It's the black apple icon in the upper-left corner of the screen.
  4. It's near the bottom of the menu.
  5. This immediately shuts down and reboots your Mac.
    • Wait for your Mac to shut down.
    • If you are using a USB drive instead of an installation disc, hold down ⌥ Option instead.
  7. It's located in the "Utilities" section of the Installation menu.
  8. It's in the upper-left of the window, under "Internal."
  9. It's at the top of the page.
  10. Type it in the "Name:" field.
  11. drop-down menu.
  12. If you plan to reinstall OS X, select: Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) .
  13. It's in the lower-right corner of the dialog box. The wipe process will begin.
    • The time to erase your disk will vary based on disk size and the amount of data that was stored on your hard drive.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you make sure there's no data left on your computer?
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.
    Luigi Oppido
    Computer & Tech Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Do a secure erase under your Disk Utility. Instead of just marking files for deletion, that will write over the hard drive with a series of ones and zeros at the machine level.
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    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 1
  • Question
    What should I do - when I turn on my Mac, nothing is left, only the drive?
    Lucian Lees
    Community Answer
    You didn't re-install OSX. You have to go to Safari (default app on a Mac), and get a browser, like Chrome. Go to the Command+R menu, and click Re-Install OSX.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 5 Helpful 13
  • Question
    Will this not affect my other laptop which has the same data?
    Community Answer
    If the data is located/stored in the cloud, and the laptop is not accessing the data directly from the cleaned Mac, the other laptop should not be affected.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 2 Helpful 10
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      References

      1. ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 February 2021.
      2. ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 February 2021.

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Restart your Mac.
      2. Press Command Key + R as it restarts.
      3. Run Disk Utility .
      4. Select a drive.
      5. Click Erase .
      6. Name the drive and select a format.
      7. Click Erase .

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