frenchteacher
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Erasing my eMac hard drive

Hi,

 

I am trying to completely erase all data from my eMac. I have the original disk. I have booted up from the  DVD and opened disk utility. When I choose erase, it doesn't give me an options to write zeroes or choose how many passes.  When it erases it takes less than 30 seconds.  What am I doing wrong because I don't think it could be securely erased so quickly.

 

Thanks.

Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Jan 27, 2014 2:50 PM

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frenchteacher

Q: Erasing my eMac hard drive

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Jan 27, 2014 2:53 PM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 10 (271,323 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 27, 2014 2:53 PM in response to frenchteacher

    Are you using Leopard or an earlier version of OS X. You should see a button on the Erase panel labeled Options or Security. Click that button to setup the security erase.

  • by frenchteacher,

    frenchteacher frenchteacher Jan 27, 2014 7:43 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 27, 2014 7:43 PM in response to Kappy

    Kappa,

     

    I am running 10.2.4--I believe it is jaguar. I don't see any options available.

     

    Thanks.

  • by Kappy,

    Kappy Kappy Jan 27, 2014 7:45 PM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 10 (271,323 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 27, 2014 7:45 PM in response to frenchteacher

    That was not in your profile. Sorry. The option is unavailable in Jaguar and Panther. Wasn't introduced until Tiger or Leopard.

  • by Jan Hedlund,

    Jan Hedlund Jan Hedlund Jan 28, 2014 12:00 AM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 6 (9,894 points)
    Jan 28, 2014 12:00 AM in response to frenchteacher

    Hi,

     

    The following article indicates that it should be possible to zero all data with "a full Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later CD included with a computer":

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1820

     

    If that does not work, and depending upon the exact computer model, you may want to check whether one of the other suggestions in the article could be used as an alternative (starting up from a Mac OS 9.x disc and using Drive Setup, or connecting the eMac as a target computer in FireWire target disk mode, or even manually filling an empty space with large unimportant files).

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661

     

    Yet another alternative could possibly be to try a web search for an old release (dban-2.0.0_powerpc.iso) of a disk erasure utility called DBAN. You may then want to test whether a CD-R created from the iso file in question could act as a startup disc for the eMac (hold down the C key). If so, it should be possible to gain access to the utility and thus wipe the hard disk (follow the instructions on screen).

     

    Jan

  • by frenchteacher,

    frenchteacher frenchteacher Jan 28, 2014 5:58 PM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 28, 2014 5:58 PM in response to frenchteacher

    Thanks to both of you!  While there was an option button, it was grayed out.  I was able to click on the hard drive icon--not sure if it was the top one or the indented icon of the hard drive--but when I did that, the option button was accessible.  I did choose to write zeroes.  The only question I have is how do I know that it did, in fact write zeroes, since when it was finished, there was no message saying it was completed; the screen was the same as before I erased.

     

    Thanks so much!

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jan 28, 2014 6:22 PM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 10 (123,745 points)
    Jan 28, 2014 6:22 PM in response to frenchteacher

    How long did it take & what size drive is it?

  • by frenchteacher,

    frenchteacher frenchteacher Jan 28, 2014 6:27 PM in response to BDAqua
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 28, 2014 6:27 PM in response to BDAqua

    It is 75 gigs and I left before it was finished, but at least a half an hour before I left. 

     

    Thanks

  • by Jan Hedlund,

    Jan Hedlund Jan Hedlund Jan 28, 2014 10:30 PM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 6 (9,894 points)
    Jan 28, 2014 10:30 PM in response to frenchteacher

    If in doubt, you may want to try one of the other methods first to be on the safe side. The process of writing zeros via the original system disc could then be repeated.

     

    Jan

  • by BDAqua,

    BDAqua BDAqua Jan 28, 2014 10:45 PM in response to frenchteacher
    Level 10 (123,745 points)
    Jan 28, 2014 10:45 PM in response to frenchteacher

    I think it likely did then, how long beefore you returned?