The erase option of the hard drive is not highlighted on iMac

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ooblie1977 Author

Level 1

5 points

The erase option of the hard drive is not highlighted on iMac

I want to wipe out the hard drive in my iMac because I got a new one. On the disc Utility the erase icon is not highlighted so when I click on it nothing happens.

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Posted on Nov 23, 2021 5:20 PM

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Answer 1

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babowa

Level 9

78,429 points

Nov 23, 2021 5:26 PM in response to ooblie1977

You cannot erase the disk you are booted form, so - depending on the model/year of your Mac and OS - you need to either have the original install disks or you can use recovery to boot into and erase your drive.

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Answer 2

babowa

Level 9

78,429 points

Nov 30, 2021 5:04 PM in response to luis.rios.c

Just out of curiosity: why would you download an app to format an sd disk? Disk Utility is already built in. And that works great as long as you are not booted into the disk you are trying to erase. Besides, Macs do not have internal SD cards.

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Answer 3

Nov 30, 2021 1:07 PM in response to ooblie1977

If you are preparing this old Mac for sale, trade or recycling, please follow the guidance in this support article:

What to do before you sell, give away or trade in your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 4

Nov 30, 2021 12:34 PM in response to ooblie1977

Just download and install the app. You will be able to erase the flash drive to factory.

https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter/sd-memory-card-formatter-for-mac-download/

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The erase option of the hard drive is not highlighted on iMac

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