Erasing Hard Drive
Is it possible to erase a hard drive on a MacBook which won't turn on? If it won't turn on is there still a risk to data being retrieved?
MacBook Air
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Yes but please first try to get your MacBook to power on by exhausting all the following.
Begin with If your Mac doesn't turn on. That gets some preliminary steps out of the way.
Read and follow each of its steps, including all the links within it, all the way through and including Step 4, which directs you to:
If your Mac starts up to a blank screen
Read and follow each of it steps also, all the way through and including the end.
If you decide the Mac is simply dead and cannot be resurrected, you can remove the internal storage and destroy it, or (for some models) install it in an external enclosure so that you can erase it.
If it won't turn on is there still a risk to data being retrieved?
None whatsoever, provided you encrypted it with FileVault.