Apple Intelligence is now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac!

📢 Newsroom Update

Apple’s new MacBook Pro features the incredibly powerful M4 family of chips and ushers in a new era with Apple Intelligence. Learn more >

📢 Newsroom Update

Apple introduces M4 Pro and M4 Max. Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

I am trying to erase an older MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo and OS 10.4. I've tried every combination of key presses during start-up without ever getting to Recovery mode. I don't know what to do next to get it erased. Help??!

I've exhausted all the instructions on the Apple site!

iMac (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Oct 11, 2023 8:11 PM

Reply
2 replies

Oct 11, 2023 8:31 PM in response to rameeure202

I believe that Mac OS X version 10.4 Tiger is too old to have the advantage of the Recovery boot options. I think that became available with Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.


Ideally, you should use the grey label Mac OS X install CD/DVD discs that the machine shipped with. You would boot from that and then erase the internal hdd and reinstall the Mac OS X version that the machine shipped with.


If you no longer have the original install CD/DVDs I think the best you can do is use System Preferences > Users & Groups to create a new user account with admin privileges. Then log into that new, empty account and use, again, Sys Prefs > Users & Groups to delete all of the other user accounts.


Finally, use Disk Utility to Secure Erase any free/empty space on the internal hdd. Use a multiple-pass option that will write zeros to the empty space.


I think this is right, but it's been a long time since I played with OS X versions of that era.



I am trying to erase an older MacBook Pro with Intel Core Duo and OS 10.4. I've tried every combination of key presses during start-up without ever getting to Recovery mode. I don't know what to do next to get it erased. Help??!

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.