Disk Utilities- Erase fonction

Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Pro & iBook G4
i'm trying to erase the content of my macPro and i was told that using
Disk Utilities was a good choice. the problem is that when i open it and click
"Erase" the 'Volume Format' option remains dark grey, not giving me the option to select my hardrive for erase.

sincerly
stef./.\
 
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,612
Reaction score
95
Points
48
Location
Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
Hi there - welcome to the forum!

You can only erase a boot drive, ie. the one you're trying to erase, from an install disk. If you have the dvds that came with your MacPro, boot from Disk 1 holding down the C key straight after you hear the startup 'bong'.

Once everything has got going from Disk 1, choose Disk Utility from the File menu, and you can erase your MacPro hard drive from there.
 
Joined
Oct 22, 2007
Messages
8,967
Reaction score
287
Points
83
Location
London
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Mini Core i7 2012 | White 2009 MacBook 2 Ghz | 733 Mhz G4 Quicksilver
you need to start up from your restore disks, Disk Utility cannot erase a disk with an active system on it

When the install screen comes up after you reboot with the disk in, pressing the C key on start-up, you can select Disk Utility from the menu bar at the top
 
OP
ibopyoubopwebop
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Pro & iBook G4
Hi there - welcome to the forum!

You can only erase a boot drive, ie. the one you're trying to erase, from an install disk. If you have the dvds that came with your MacPro, boot from Disk 1 holding down the C key straight after you hear the startup 'bong'.

Once everything has got going from Disk 1, choose Disk Utility from the File menu, and you can erase your MacPro hard drive from there.
That makes total sense... the one issue i have is that my girlfriend lost the start up CDs of the MacPro so i was thinking of using the ones from the MacPro i use at work...will that create an issue in terms of re-installing OS X?

stef./.\
 
OP
ibopyoubopwebop
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Pro & iBook G4
you need to start up from your restore disks, Disk Utility cannot erase a disk with an active system on it

When the install screen comes up after you reboot with the disk in, pressing the C key on start-up, you can select Disk Utility from the menu bar at the top
That makes total sense... the one issue i have is that my girlfriend lost the start up CDs of the MacPro so i was thinking of using the ones from the MacPro i use at work...will that create an issue in terms of re-installing OS X?

stef./.\
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Only if they are the same model as system restore discs are model specific. Tell your girlfriend to go and find t hem as they are vitally important, especially if you want to sell the machine at some time.
 
Joined
May 18, 2008
Messages
3,612
Reaction score
95
Points
48
Location
Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
Your Mac's Specs
MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
my girlfriend lost the start up CDs of the MacPro so i was thinking of using the ones from the MacPro i use at work...will that create an issue in terms of re-installing OS X?

If it's the same model of MacPro, you may be in luck. You can but try.

Restore disks, as mentioned by Louishen, are model-specific, and are usually colored grey. Retail disks for full OS install (and other functions like Erase) are usually colored black.
 
OP
ibopyoubopwebop
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Pro & iBook G4
Only if they are the same model as system restore discs are model specific. Tell your girlfriend to go and find t hem as they are vitally important, especially if you want to sell the machine at some time.
the CDs are gone, as in left in a house in guatemala a year ago....
Can you buy those disks from Apple?

stef./.\
 
OP
ibopyoubopwebop
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Montreal, Quebec
Your Mac's Specs
Mac Pro & iBook G4
Thanks for all who responded; i used the install disk from the macPro from
work and i was able to erase the hardrive with Disk Utility and re-install Mac OSX with the two install disks.

stef./.\
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top