How to Securely Wipe an iMac or Mac OS X Based System Hard Drive

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Boot an iMac or Apple-based higher system.

   This data includes important documents, media, Itunes files, and bookmarks. ,, If you leave them attached, they may get accidentally overwritten and you will not be a happy camper. , Use a CD if you have a CD drive or a DVD/CD if you have a DVD drive. , Go to Apple Menu
   - Restart.
   
   Click Restart when prompted. , If it doesn't, you may need to restart again and hit the C key to boot the disk. ,,, If so, ignore the message for now.
   
   Although you can't install
   10.4 on this early-style iMac system, you can use the
   10.4 System Disk utility to wipe your system clean. ,,,,,, Choose 35 if you really want to be sure, but that takes much more time and may be overkill. ,,,,, When it is completed, there are no helpful messages indicating that it's completed successfully. ,,,,,, Note that if you have cleared the system drive, the system will not boot.
   
   This will be your opportunity to install a fresh operating system, if you wish.
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   Step 2: Make sure you've backed up all your necessary data to a thumb or external hard drive.

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   Step 3: Safely remove this thumb or external hard drive so that it is no longer connected to your system.

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   Step 4: As a precaution

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   Step 5: physically detach all connected disks that you do not wish to wipe.

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   Step 6: Insert an OS 10.4 System disk.

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   Step 7: Restart your system.

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   Step 8: Your system should boot the CD.

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   Step 9: In the localization (languages) dialog

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    Step 10: choose an appropriate language for your needs

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    Step 11: or choose Use English as the main language.

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    Step 12: Wait a few seconds while a Preparing Installation screen displays.

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    Step 13: If you have an early-style iMac system

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    Step 14: you will get an Alert message that says: Alert - Your computer is not compatible with Mac OS X 10.4.

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    Step 15: At the top of your screen

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    Step 16: click Utilities Menu - Disk Utility.

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    Step 17: Wait for the Disk Utility program to start up.

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    Step 18: On the left hand pane

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    Step 19: highlight the drive and/or partition you'd like to securely erase.

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    Step 20: On the right hand pane

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    Step 21: click the Erase tab.

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    Step 22: On the right hand pane

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    Step 23: choose Security Options...

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    Step 24: Choose 7-Pass Erase.

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    Step 25: Click OK.

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    Step 26: On the Right Hand Pane

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    Step 27: click Erase.

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    Step 28: Read the confirmation message and think about it.

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    Step 29: If you're sure

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    Step 30: go ahead and click Erase.

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    Step 31: Wait many hours for the Erase procedure to take place.

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    Step 32: At the top of the screen

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    Step 33: go to the Disk Utility Menu - Quit Disk Utility.

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    Step 34: At the top of the screen

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    Step 35: go to the Installer Menu - Quit Installer.

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    Step 36: Press and hold the power button for a few seconds to restart your system.

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    Step 37: As soon as you hear the restart "boing

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    Step 38: " eject the 10.4 CD/DVD.

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    Step 39: Remove the disc and stow it away.

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    Step 40: You now have cleared the entire partition(s) and/or drives.

Detailed Guide

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