What to do when Disk Utility can't Erase Mac Hard Drive?

The simplest way to erase a Mac hard drive is by using Mac’s native app Disk Utility. But what to do when Mac Disk Utility can’t erase the hard drive? This may happen due to different reasons. If you find Disk Utility on Mac can’t erase a hard drive, this article will help you resolve the issue.

Methods to Resolve the ‘Disk Utility can’t Erase Mac Hard Drive’ Issue

You’re not able to erase or reformat the hard drive on your Mac when the Erase button turns gray. If this is the case, follow the methods given below:

1. Erase Mac Hard Drive by Enabling ‘Show All Devices’

The Disk Utility app in Mac shows the partitions or volumes on your system instead of the complete hard drive. The volumes or partitions are separate sections of the same parent hard drive created to facilitate data storage in an organized manner. To view and erase the Mac hard drive, follow the steps below:

Step 1:LaunchFinder, openApplicationfrom the Sidebar, and clickUtilities.

Step 2:From theUtilitiesfolder, open theDisk Utility应用程序。

Step 3:Click View on the top left and select theShow All Devicesoption.

Step 4:From the list of drives that appear in the Sidebar, select the parent folder of the drive you want to erase.

Step 5:ClickErase.

2. Use First Aid to Repair Drive before Erasing

Mac系统提供一个选项来处理the glitches in the hard drive. The First Aid option in Disk Utility can fix issues, like corrupt files, slower performance, etc., in the hard drive. First Aid scans the hard drive for any existing errors and informs you if it can’t repair any of the found issues. Here is how you can fix and erase the Mac hard drive:

Step 1:LaunchDisk Utilityfrom theApplicationfolder.

Step 2:Select the drive that you want to erase.

Step 3:Click theFirst Aidtab on the top of theDisk Utilitywindow.

Step 4:In the confirmation box, clickRun.

Once the issue is fixed, follow the steps described in the first method to erase the Mac hard drive.

3. Use Recovery Mode to Erase Mac Hard Drive

Sometimes, the Disk Utility can’t erase the hard drive because the system is using it. By booting into recovery mode, you allow minimum usage of the hard drive. Follow the steps below to boot your Mac into Recovery Mode and erase the hard drive:

Step 1:Restartyour Mac.

Step 2:When your Mac starts booting, immediately press and holdCommand + Rkeys.

Step 3:Keep holding the keys until you see the Apple logo and hear the chime.

Step 4:You will see themacOS Utilitieswindow. SelectDisk Utilityand clickContinue.

Once the Disk Utility opens, try to erase the hard drive.

4. Erase Data using BitRaser File Eraser

If you feel that the above methods are too much work to do and you wish to save your time and effort, you can use BitRaser File Eraser software to erase data from the Mac hard drive. BitRaser File Eraser is one of the most secure and efficient data eraser software that erases the data on the drive by overwriting it multiple times. It uses globally recognized erasure algorithms that make data recovery impossible. Follow the steps below to erase the hard drive:

Step 1:Download and installBitRaser File Eraseron your Mac.

Step 2:Launch the software and click onFiles and Foldersin theSelect What to Erasewindow. Then clickNext.

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Step 3:Select all the folders and files to completely erase the drive.

Step 4:Click theErasebutton in the bottom right of the software window.

Step 5:If your software is not activated, you will need theActivation Keyto activate the software. Insert the activation key.

Step 6:As soon as you enter the Activation key and hitActivate,you will see a messageBitRaser for File Activated successfully.ClickOK.

Step 7:Again clickEraseand the eraser process will start.

All the selected files and folders will be deleted beyond the scope of recovery.

Conclusion

Erasing data from a Mac Hard Drive is not a difficult task. You can easily erase the Mac hard drive by using the Disk Utility, which is an inbuilt feature of Mac. However, sometimes, you face difficulty in doing so due to different reasons. In such cases, you can follow the methods described above to erase the Mac hard drive.

FAQ

1. Why can't I erase my Mac startup disk using Disk Utility?

If you are trying to erase yourStartup Diskand cannot do so, it might be because your Mac uses the Startup Disk to perform almost all the functions, including the macOS. You can erase your hard disk by booting intoRecovery Modeas Mac has a separate partition to run in recovery mode and your Startup Disk remains idle in that case. You can also use a third-party software like BitRaser File Eraser to erase files and folders on your hard drive.

2. How do I force my Mac to erase a hard drive?

Follow the below steps to erase your M1 Mac hard drive:

• Restart your Mac. Press and hold the Power button till the startup options appear.
• ClickOptionsand then clickContinue.
• SelectDisk Utilityfrom theUtilitieswindow and chooseMacintosh HDfrom the sidebar.
• ClickEraseand select file system as APFS for M1 Mac.
• ClickErase Volume Group.

Your Mac hard drive will be cleaned up for further use.

3. Can I completely wipe my Mac?

Yes, you can easily wipe your Mac system completely using the macOS Utilities menu. If you are planning to sell your Mac or if it is not working properly, you will need to completely erase the Mac hard drive. You can also take help of a third-party data eraser software, likeBitRaser File Eraserto erase some particular files/folders or the complete hard drive.