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I was wondering about rebooting with the new macbook air 2011. To reformat it is by pushing Command + R when restarting correct? Does this delete all data on the computer? Does it delete hidden things such as keyloggers and trojans? Thanks!
MacBook Air, Mac OS X (10.7), Lion
I don't know about the shortcut you are referring to, but you should try removing it using some kind of security software.
Just deleteing things may not necesserily remove them.
Yes but sometimes security software doesn't help. I would like to reformat it. The new Macbook air doesnt come with CD's because they say the lion osx doesn't need one. So i was wondering if pushing Command + R when restarting is the same as reformat.
What I meant was that deleting files from your hard drive may not necessarily remove a virus or trojan (it could still be hiding in memory).
Oh I had no idea about that. I assumed reformating was like new 😟
Well your hard drive would be clean, but I can't comment on the memory.
Why do you suspect your computer has keyloggers or trojans? If it is new, then you may not have to do anything.
Also, you could probably just download security software from the internet (won't need a cd drive).
Your computer doesn't have a virus. There is absolutely no need to wipe your hard drive. If you're worried about it, stop. If you're still worried about it tomorrow, go to the Mac App Store and download one of the free antivirus apps available there. But really: It's not necessary because there are no viruses in the wild that can infect and attack Macs.
Okay is there anything to clean the memory besides security software?
I suspect something because I was downloading music and its not a trusted source in my opinion :/
Do you know any free security software for mac? I really appreciate your help.
Command-R during power-on loads the Recovery Disk - a stripped-down version of Mac OS X that will allow you to wipe your machine and perform a clean install of the OS.
On that basis, yes, it will clear any malware you have installed - provided you follow through on the erase-and-reinstall process... just booting in Recovery Mode isn't going to do much on its own - any malware will still be present when you boot back under your regular OS install.
However, unless you have specific cause to think your machine is infected, it's not likely to make much difference... there are few malware apps around on Mac OS X.
Camelot, what do you mean by the erase-and-reinstall process? Thanks.
Camelot, what do you mean by the erase-and-reinstall process? Thanks.
Umm... I'm not sure I understand the question. the 'erase-and-reinstall' process is where you kinda just erase your disk and reinstall a clean OS. Not sure what's not clear there.
Well I am not sure if you meant that command + R is what erases and reinstals everything, or that in addition to pushing command + R, I would have to do something else. I was reading apple's article http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718 and since Lion doesn't have a disk, I am wondering if Comman + R is the erase and reinstall process.
You do not have a virus, if believing that you do is the reason for wanting to reformat your Mac you are wasting your time, you may also not fix whatever it is that is making you think that you have a virus.
To clear memory (Ram) a restart is all that is needed, Ram gets empty when power is removed.
Well I am not sure if you meant that command + R is what erases and reinstals everything, or that in addition to pushing command + R, I would have to do something else.
I thought I clarified that in my earier post. Command-R boots your machine in recovery mode. Nothing more. Nothing on your main drive is changed/touched/added/deleted or in any way affected by booting in recovery mode.
Once you're booted in recovery mode you have options for what you want to do, including verifying/repairing common disk errors, reinstalling your OS, restoring from Time Machine, etc., but the actual act of booting in recovery mode doesn't do much in and of itself.
IMHO it would be pretty irresponsible of Apple to setup any system whereby pressing a couple of keys when you power up is enough to erase your entire disk - just think of a cat walking across your keyboard at an inopportune moment and you can see why that would be a bad idea. Therefore you HAVE to take additional steps if you want to erase/reformat. Not that I think you need to do this anyway...
Rebooting macbook air helps clear viruses??
