Erasing data from 2013 iMac?

Question

Level 1

13 points

Erasing data from 2013 iMac?

Hello iMac community.

I have a 2013 21" iMac that I'm trying to prepare for recycling. I tried following some instructions I found on Apple Support but had no luck with that. I found other instructions that mentioned holding down Command and R at startup and then using disc utilities to erase the hard drive.

I did that and erased the hard drive and then data on the hard drive. Now when I startup I get a black screen with a question mark and a note to contact Apple support.

Does this mean that I've erased all my information from the computer and I can now safely turn it in for recycling?

Thanks for any and all help with this.

Earlier Mac models

Posted on Jan 9, 2026 12:53 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Limnos

Level 10

427,919 points

Jan 9, 2026 2:17 PM in response to GW208

It sounds like you are ready to go. The support article What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support has two sections. The second one is a list of what to do if you have not erased all content and settings, but it sounds like you have done this and that's all the first part tells you to do. Step 6 in the second part is the only thing you might still wish to do.

It starts up with the "?" which means you also erased the operating system. If you were giving it to another onwer and wanted to be nice, you would install a system. That doesn't matter in this case since you are turning it in for recycling.

Reply