Hi - I've upgraded to a newer iMac and want to safely remove data from my old one.
It's iMac Early 2009, currently running OS X El Capitan - v 10.11.6
Various links here and elsewhere state erasing using Disk Utility, but that option is greyed out.
Would this iMac have come with disks to install the original OS? (If so, will have to hunt them out as I took this imac over from my mother).
Any advice....
If you boot into Recovery Mode (Command + R), you should be able to erase the "Macintosh HD" volume. Use the secure erase option which writes zeroes to the drive if the drive did not have Filevault enabled. If Filevault is enabled, then you may need to first unlock volume. Writing zeroes to the entire volume will take at least several hours to a day or more depending on the size of the drive and the condition of the drive.
You can also create a bootable Parted Magic USB drive using Etcher (Mac/Windows/Linux). Option Boot the Parted Magic USB drive and select the orange icon labeled "EFI". There should be an icon on the Parted Magic desktop for erasing drives. The last free version of Parted Magic can be downloaded from the MajorGeek's mirror here.
You can't erase the boot drive. You can boot from the installer DVD or from an external drive or even a bootable thumb drive and then erase it.
I've been to that page and followed the instructions. When I got to Disk Utilities, the option to Erase the disk is greyed out so I can't use it - I don't know what else to do.... or if there is another option.
Sorry. I believe you will need the original install disks to boot from, or if you cannot find them, Purchase the Snow Leopard disks.
Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple
If you can still download El Capitan, you could make a bootable installer.
How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support
Hi folks - thanks for your responses.
I've decided that it's probably beyond my technical abilities so I'll see what help I can get recycling it thorugh an Apple outlet.
Cheers
iMac early 2009 - erasing hard drive
