How do I erase my Power Mac g5 hard drive

I'm trying to erase a Power PC G5 before taking it to recycle.

Disk Utilities won't let me erase it. The Volume Format (MacOS Extended (Journaled), Name (Macintosh HD) and Erase buttons are grayed out. When I click the Erase Free Space button, it takes forever then stops.

Any other way to wipe this computer clean?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 27″, macOS 10.12

Posted on Feb 13, 2024 3:34 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 14, 2024 4:19 PM

You can't erase the hard drive when the computer is booted from it. Boot from the original Restore disk or a compatible OS installer disk and run Disk Utilities from that. If you're concerned about the data on the hard drive, you could remove it from the computer before recycling it.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 14, 2024 4:19 PM in response to 2bdesign

You can't erase the hard drive when the computer is booted from it. Boot from the original Restore disk or a compatible OS installer disk and run Disk Utilities from that. If you're concerned about the data on the hard drive, you could remove it from the computer before recycling it.

Feb 16, 2024 7:58 PM in response to 2bdesign

If you just delete your personal files, their directory entries are removed, but data recovery software could still locate them on the hard drive if they haven't been overwritten by new files. That's why I suggested removing the hard drive, if the files contain sensitive data that could be used for identity theft. A screwdriver is all that's needed. I wouldn't be concerned about leaving the G5 intact for recycling.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

How do I erase my Power Mac g5 hard drive

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