How to completely erase old 27" iMac and prepare for disposal, give away, or similar.

fbx89 · Wednesday at 5:21 PM

I have finally bought a currrent (2024) iMac to replace my old 27". Now I need to blast the HD on the 27" so that nothing is recoverable therefrom. I understand this is a difficult proposition, so I thought I'd ask what is the simplest way to safely obliterate all info on that old hard drive so I can give the thing away. It won't boot right now but I assume I could install an operating system on the 27" and then delete everything. Is there an easier way?

Happy to buy a disk that will boot and destroy if such exists.

Many thanks in advance.

Q

ferrarr · Wednesday at 5:52 PM

See this article,

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

Reset your Mac to factory settings to prepare it for a new owner.

support.apple.com

MacInWin · Wednesday at 7:12 PM

fbx89 said:
It won't boot right now but I assume I could install an operating system on the 27" and then delete everything. Is there an easier way?

Why won't it boot? If it has hardware problems, there is no way to clean the drive and get it back to a state where you can give it away.

Rod · Wednesday at 7:20 PM

MacInWin said:
there is no way to clean the drive and get it back to a state where you can give it away.

Short of removing the HD and destroying it. If you are willing to replace it with a new HD, assuming that's the problem and not some other hardware issue, yes, you could setup as new using your credentials then use the erase all data and settings procedure as outlined in ferrar's post #2

I suppose the main question is why wont it boot right now?

fbx89 · 2025-06-19T17:06:50-0400

No clue. Have zero patience is likely reason.

fbx89 · 2025-06-19T18:02:14-0400

iMac 27" boots to black screen with question mark on folder and text "support.apple.com/mac/startup"

Cannot get any further; have very old external CD to boot "hard drive eraser" but doesn't boot.

Have no Apple op sys CD anyway.

Do not particularly want to donate machine with who know what on hard drive. Replaced it last fall with new 24" iMac.

Am stumped. Problem is: can't just dump in garbage because somebody will pick it out and fix it and have all personal data, bank, credit cards, etc etc.

Only solution I can think of is sledge hammer in a field. That get it open and remove HD at least.

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Caleb

pm-r · 2025-06-19T18:21:55-0400

fbx89 said:
Do not particularly want to donate machine with who know what on hard drive. Replaced it last fall with new 24" iMac.

Am stumped. Problem is: can't just dump in garbage

Authorized Apple resellers and many other computer stores often have a secure disposal plan for old computers. I would think you should have at least one place locally that you could take your old no I'm working iMac two for them to dispose of and recycle.

Give them a call and ask if they have or Supply such a service. Also some of the respectable recycle places have similar options available some for a small fee that often shreds the whole computer. No data recovery is possible after such an operation.

- Patrick
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fbx89 · 2025-06-19T18:34:27-0400

Thx, I will ask at local Best Buy I guess. Anyone trust Best Buy?

MacInWin · 2025-06-19T19:10:11-0400

Do an Internet Recovery ( How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support ) and as part of that, format the drive. When it boots to the "Welcome" screen, just shut it down at that point and it will be as it came from the factory.

pm-r · 2025-06-19T19:26:01-0400

MacInWin said:
Do an Internet Recover

That's a good idea, at least to try, and it might work if it actually boots that far to attempt performing the process.

- Patrick
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Rod · 2025-06-19T22:26:03-0400

Your only other option would be a process of downloading an installer for a compatible macOS on your new iMac. It would need to be one compatible to both devices and that may be a problem because you cannot download a macOS installer earlier than the one the device came with.

Then you could instal the downloaded macOS onto an external hard drive (EHD), plug that into your old Mac and choose it as startup disk on powering up by holding down the Option key. You would have to go though the initial setup process but you would then have a running computer IF it's the software that's at fault.

A repairer would have startup disks for multiple macOS versions.
That's usually the first thing they would do, try to boot it from an EHD.

Your internal HD would then appear like secondary drive. Disk Utility could then erase it with your Password or instal a new MacOS.