Hi,
I am trying to completely erase all data from my eMac. I have the original disk. I have booted up from the DVD and opened disk utility. When I choose erase, it doesn't give me an options to write zeroes or choose how many passes. When it erases it takes less than 30 seconds. What am I doing wrong because I don't think it could be securely erased so quickly.
Thanks.
Mac OS X (10.5.8)
Are you using Leopard or an earlier version of OS X. You should see a button on the Erase panel labeled Options or Security. Click that button to setup the security erase.
Kappa,
I am running 10.2.4--I believe it is jaguar. I don't see any options available.
Thanks.
That was not in your profile. Sorry. The option is unavailable in Jaguar and Panther. Wasn't introduced until Tiger or Leopard.
Hi,
The following article indicates that it should be possible to zero all data with "a full Mac OS X 10.2.3 or later CD included with a computer":
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1820
If that does not work, and depending upon the exact computer model, you may want to check whether one of the other suggestions in the article could be used as an alternative (starting up from a Mac OS 9.x disc and using Drive Setup, or connecting the eMac as a target computer in FireWire target disk mode, or even manually filling an empty space with large unimportant files).
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1661
Yet another alternative could possibly be to try a web search for an old release (dban-2.0.0_powerpc.iso) of a disk erasure utility called DBAN. You may then want to test whether a CD-R created from the iso file in question could act as a startup disc for the eMac (hold down the C key). If so, it should be possible to gain access to the utility and thus wipe the hard disk (follow the instructions on screen).
Jan
Thanks to both of you! While there was an option button, it was grayed out. I was able to click on the hard drive icon--not sure if it was the top one or the indented icon of the hard drive--but when I did that, the option button was accessible. I did choose to write zeroes. The only question I have is how do I know that it did, in fact write zeroes, since when it was finished, there was no message saying it was completed; the screen was the same as before I erased.
Thanks so much!
How long did it take & what size drive is it?
It is 75 gigs and I left before it was finished, but at least a half an hour before I left.
Thanks
If in doubt, you may want to try one of the other methods first to be on the safe side. The process of writing zeros via the original system disc could then be repeated.
Jan
I think it likely did then, how long beefore you returned?
Erasing my eMac hard drive
