Shamwari1943

Q: secure erase failed. could not create temporary file

Ever since I upgraded to Yosemite, I have been unable to do a secure erase. I get the message: secure erase failed. could not create temporary file.

Does anyone know the fix for this, please?

iMac (24-inch Early 2009), OS X Yosemite (10.10.3), null

Posted on Apr 29, 2015 1:39 AM

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Q: secure erase failed. could not create temporary file

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  • by Sootydan,

    Sootydan Sootydan May 30, 2015 8:58 AM in response to Shamwari1943
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2015 8:58 AM in response to Shamwari1943

    I have the same problem and no one including Apple can answer the question. Apple ignores a lot of problems associated with Yosemite now, it's scarily like the way micro soft handles problems.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 30, 2015 12:24 PM in response to Shamwari1943
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 30, 2015 12:24 PM in response to Shamwari1943

    hi,

     

    It would help to know what it is you are trying to Securely Erase.

    How big is that Drive or Partition ?

    How much space have you got left for  the temporary file that needs to be created.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:24 pm      Saturday; May 30, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 30, 2015 12:30 PM in response to Sootydan
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 30, 2015 12:30 PM in response to Sootydan

    Hi,


    Whilst these boards are run on Apple Servers and the Hosts (Moderators) are paid for by Apple that is a deep as it goes.

    The majority of Posters are other users like yourself.

     

    The Hosts are employed for their Moderating skills not because of their Apple knowledge.

     

    The current OS is always under development (it is likely that OS X 10.10.4 will follow OS X 10.10.3 at some point) and Apple never talk about progress ahead of it's release.

    That's not to say that there are not betas of some sort that you might be in a position to try available.

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    8:30 pm      Saturday; May 30, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sootydan,

    Sootydan Sootydan May 30, 2015 1:36 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 30, 2015 1:36 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    I was trying to erase free space just for security, I was just doing a single swipe, I have 426GB open on this main drive.This only started happening since I had updated to Yosemite. I go to disk utility, Erase, erase free space, decide on fastest or more secure etc, click erase free space,it starts working for awhile then stops saying it failed, could not create a temporary file. Never had a problem before I updated to Yosemite.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) May 30, 2015 2:18 PM in response to Sootydan
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    May 30, 2015 2:18 PM in response to Sootydan

    HI,

     

    I was really meaning how big is the free space.

    On the basis that the temp file will need to be at least as big as the Free Space  is there enough other space to create the temp file ?

     

    If the Drive is not that bit and the Free Space is the largest amount then you may have issues.

     

    I just tried this for myself and my Drive is nominally 500Gb.

    Just over half this is used ( 292.4GB) and the I can create the temporary file.

     

    Having said that it says it is going to take 26 mins.

     

    It is late here and it will be a while before I am back.

     

     

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:18 pm      Saturday; May 30, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by Sootydan,

    Sootydan Sootydan Jun 1, 2015 12:45 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 1, 2015 12:45 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Hi,

       I have 425 GB free of 700 Gb IMG_3989.jpg

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Jun 1, 2015 1:00 PM in response to Sootydan
    Level 9 (72,994 points)
    Applications
    Jun 1, 2015 1:00 PM in response to Sootydan

    Hi,

     

    Screen Grabs

    Use the CMD + SHIFT + 3 (or 4) to grab the Screen (Or part of it)

    By Default these are placed on the Desktop.

     

    For instance CMD+Shift+4 brings up the cross hairs to then scribe a rectangle around an area.

    If you use the space bar it will pick up each window as you mouse over it.

     

    So you have a 1Tb drive that is partitioned into 2 for Boot Camp to have a 300Gb partition.

     

    At this point it sounds more like you don't have Permission to Write to the space that will be the temporary file.

    Go to Applications/Utilities and open the Disk Utility.

    Set it to the current Macintosh HD item and the Repair Permissions.

    It may take a few minutes.

     

    If that does not work Restart the computer holding down the the ALT+CMD+P+R keys all at once until you have heard the Start Up bongs three time then let the start up Continue.

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:00 pm      Monday; June 1, 2015

     

      iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (Mavericks 10.9)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad
  • by papadonkey,

    papadonkey papadonkey Jun 19, 2015 9:00 PM in response to Shamwari1943
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 19, 2015 9:00 PM in response to Shamwari1943

    This was happening to me also when trying to "erase free space" while logged into the operating system. You need to shut your computer down, then hold/press command + r while the computer is loading before it gets to the desktop. This will take you to the recovery console. From there you run the disk utility and choose erase free space and it will work without the error.

  • by Tech198,

    Tech198 Tech198 May 25, 2016 6:59 AM in response to Shamwari1943
    Level 1 (48 points)
    Apple Pay
    May 25, 2016 6:59 AM in response to Shamwari1943

    You must do it from recovery mode..

     

    Sounds dumb, because the option is right in front of you to erase. Basically, forcing the user to interrupt what they are doing and using their Mac just to erase free space.

     

    You cannot erase your boot drive because its currently in use, and now for some reason, u cannot do it to external drives which are not in use either.

     

    Apple tells me "DU are being used" somehow, as as reason to back it up. Glad someone from her knew u could do it before, because Apple themselves refuse to admit it.

     

    "MY' reason behind it is, why is it there option there then if it cannot be used in the OS? I don't even think Apple want's to admit the fact that u could do it at all when the OS is running....  Can't imagine why..... its not a "secret" is it

  • by Tech198,

    Tech198 Tech198 May 26, 2016 1:24 AM in response to Tech198
    Level 1 (48 points)
    Apple Pay
    May 26, 2016 1:24 AM in response to Tech198

    Update: Actually i just got the same "Secure erase failed" in recovery mode as well..

     

    What would cause this when the OS is NOT running ?