You can view my reference chart to see what version of macOS you can run, and where to get each version. If you’re planning to simply recycle the computer it doesn’t matter so you can skip this. It’s better to do an upgrade and then erase rather than an erase and then upgrade. If the computer is going to be reused or sold, you probably want to upgrade the software to the latest supported OS if it isn’t already. When we are done the only thing left will be a squeaky clean computer as good as from the factory. Many of these things are saved to iCloud but not necessarily. Photos, contacts, documents, application installers, etc. If you have anything on this Mac that you want to keep you’ll want to back it up. These steps will completely and irrecoverably erase everything on your Mac. You can find that in the Apple menu > About This Mac. Take note of what system version you are running, as some of these instructions will vary depending on the version.

If you are buying a used Mac, none of the previous owner’s configuration will mess things up.

If you are selling or recycling your Mac, none of your personal information remains.

Here is how to properly erase a Macintosh, ensuring that: Or worse yet a malicious security threat or connections to their old account. Sellers sometimes just delete their documents, leaving poorly configured and obsolete apps lying around. CCleaner is a less effective removal software program and has had problems with Trojans.Updated December 2, 2020: added information for new Macs with Apple processors.Īll too often I’ve seen people buy a used Mac only to find that the seller did not properly erase the Mac first. DBAN and File Shredder have the same method of deletion. No, the other options are on par with Eraser. The main characteristic it lacks is computer cleaning, which CCleaner boasts as one of its features. While quick deletion is not something you want when you are trying to be safe, Eraser works fast when compared to open-sourced File Shredder. To use it, you just need to right-click on a file and it will offer you an option to erase the data. With its easy-to-use interface, you can schedule deletion whenever you want. Eraser focuses only on the removal of trace elements.Īlso, in contrast to CCleaner, which has had problems with viruses, Eraser is completely safe to download. Unlike many standard programs, it is much more robust at deleting than CCleaner. The program works by overwriting the file that you wish to remove completely.

Keeping your information from being recovered by hackers is crucial to your safety.

Eraser for mac os x