I have a Mac Pro from 2014 running Yosemite. I'd like to easily (if possible) and securely erase all date and content from it while leaving it operable. Will using Disk Utility's erase function ensure the OS is preserved?
MacBook Pro from 2014 has Internet Recovery in its ROM. It NEVER used an Installer/Utilities DVD. The MacOS versions it could run are only available by download.
Also, you can not ERASE the drive your Mac is booted from, so-called "cutting off the branch you are standing on."
Instead, Invoking Internet Recovery expands 'MacOS Base System' (a stripped-down disk-image saved in its Boot ROM), and creates as many as 30 RAM risks to store temporary files. Internet Recovery is perfectly capable of erasing and re-installing MacOS.
How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support
Tanks, Niel, but I don't have the original OS disc. Although this computer still functions beautifully, it's so outdated - 11 years old - that I think I'll erase it completely and then send to recycling.
Click here and follow the instructions. The Erase function won't leave the OS; a fresh one would need to be installed separately afterwards.
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Erasing an old Mac before donating it.
