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objektør Author

Level 1

4 points

delete/ erase internal SSD MacBook 12"(2017)

Looking for advice on erasing my internal drive to free up ca30GB on two inactive volumes. I am on Mojave but had Big Sur on another (or 2?) APFS volume that I deleted but it looks like I did something wrong. I did not deleted the Big Sur volume from recovery mode but directly from disk utility. Now there are 2 inactive/greyed out volumes that I can't delete and that take up almost 30GB. I tried to delete them in terminal but they were deleted and added again.

I have a bootable Sandisk SSD 250GB usb (with recovery and Preboot partitions) from another Mac with Mojave 10.14.6

Do I have to boot from the external Sandisk, before I can erase/delete my APPLE SSD AP0256J Media (or just the container 'disk1')? Or can I erase/delete my APPLE SSD AP0256J Media from disk utility in recovery mode?

How do I then reinstall the OS? Can I still reboot in recovery mode (command-R) after the ssd was deleted/erased because the recovery and reboot volumes also get deleted/erased???

I do have a Mojave installer usb stick.

Or do I have to reboot in internet recovery mode (command -option-R)?

Thanks

MacBook, macOS 10.14

Posted on Nov 2, 2021 9:58 AM

Best reply

PRP_53

Level 10

85,483 points

Posted on Nov 3, 2021 2:10 AM

The below method will WIPE ALL DATA and there is not Recovery of any information - period.

To perform this action will require booting from a Bootable Installer.

This will have to be performed from a Qualifying Computer to run the version of macOS to be made on the Bootable Installer. Example : Bootable Installer of Big Sur would have to be done on a computer that Qualifies to run Big Sur.

Once that is done read on for preparing the Destination computer >> Only works on Intel Based Apple Computers.

Extra Special Notation regarding the Touch ID equipped Apple Computer. About Startup Security Utility and Must Enable from Recovery Mode the ability to boot from External Drive Before Attempting

1 - Shutdown computer and disconnect all external drive Except the newly created Bootable Installer.

2- Restart and immediately hold the OPTION key until the Startup Manager appears and choose the USB Drive.

3 - It will present options >> Disk Utilities >> View >> View ALL attached Drives.

4 - Choose the Upper Most Drive ( not the volumes indented and list below ).

5 - The drive normally is called Apple Media or Apple SSD - that is the drive to Erase and format as APFS with the GUID Partition Map.

6 - Once that is done >> backup out of Disk Utilities and choose install macOS.

7 - Follow the prompts and it may automatically reboot several time.

8 - Upon a final reboot - Setup Assist will present with the newer version of macOS.

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delete/ erase internal SSD MacBook 12"(2017)

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