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

[fbx89]

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]

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]

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]

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]

No clue. Have zero patience is likely reason.

 

[fbx89]

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]

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
=======

 

[fbx89]

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

 

[MacInWin]

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]

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
=======

 

[Rod]

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.

 

[fbx89]

So, here's the dopey end of the problem & the NEW problem:

I gave up. It was a 10 year old (more or less) iMac just taking up space. In my brilliant career I decided to take and remove the HD--simple, yes? Uhh . . . no.

Taking it apart was a kind of messy proposition. I didn't have the right tools they tell you to use on the internet's How to Get Inside an iMac 27", so I made do with a broken x-acto knife and various other similar devices. Went fine. Removed the screen and then looked everywhere for a HD. Uh . . .

No HD found, so I figure it must be SSD: looked nad looked, no findy.

Searched internet and found that SSDs were used in some 27" iMacs. But where is the **** thing?

Found this: Is this the Hard Drive that came with some 27" iMacs all those years ago? If not, what does the SD drive that came in iMac 27" models look like?

Clue Less

 

[ferrarr]

They look like the SSDs used in iMacs.

Here is an ifixit.com repair guide for replacing the SSD in a 2014/2015 iMac. Look through the included images and see if you can spot the SSD in your iMac. This may not be exactly like your iMac model, but most of it should be similar.

 

[pm-r]

No HD found, so I figure it must be SSD: looked nad looked, no findy.

Searched internet and found that SSDs were used in some 27" iMacs. But where is the **** thing?

Found this: Is this the Hard Drive that came with some 27" iMacs all those years ago? If not, what does the SD drive that came in iMac 27" models look like?

You were using incorrect information you were provided.

If you're 27 in Intel iMac was not originally equipped with a solid state drive (SSD), blade type or otherwise, it is no doubt a pre-2012 model.

27-inch iMacs started incorporating solid-state drives (SSDs) in late 2012 with the introduction of the Fusion Drive, a hybrid storage solution. This option combined an SSD for faster performance with a traditional hard drive for larger storage capacity.

And for dismantling instructions, you were looking at the instructions for a different model and should have been looking here:
iMac Intel 27" EMC 2309 and 2374 Hard Drive Replacement

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2309 and 2374 Hard Drive Replacement

Upgrade your hard drive for more storage space! This guide also includes steps to upgrade your iMac's hard drive with a SSD. It describes how to...

www.ifixit.com

Next time, make sure you are doing research and getting info on the correct model.



- Patrick
=======

 

[fbx89]

You were using incorrect information you were provided.

If you're 27 in Intel iMac was not originally equipped with a solid state drive (SSD), blade type or otherwise, it is no doubt a pre-2012 model.



And for dismantling instructions, you were looking at the instructions for a different model and should have been looking here:
iMac Intel 27" EMC 2309 and 2374 Hard Drive Replacement

iMac Intel 27" EMC 2309 and 2374 Hard Drive Replacement

Upgrade your hard drive for more storage space! This guide also includes steps to upgrade your iMac's hard drive with a SSD. It describes how to...

www.ifixit.com

Next time, make sure you are doing research and getting info on the correct model.



- Patrick
=======

Thanks for your help and the link but that seems to be a regular off-the-shelf mini-hard drive and is not at all what I'm dealing with. There is/was no hard drive of that sort to be found inside my former 27" imac.

I must have gotten the iMac later in later years, perhaps 2015 or later. In any case there was not conventional hard drive in the machine at all. That's why I originally asked if the HD was a solid state drive on a card of some kind where would it be and what would it look like.

I have completely dismantled the 27" iMac and have most of the guts here on a table.

 

[ferrarr]

If you looked at the D-I-Y Repair guide I linked to, you would see just how hidden the SSD's were in those models of iMacs.

 

[fbx89]

B--

Thanks and I did look, but will look again as it clearly did not have a conventional small HD as shown in previous item. As I said, I must have bought later than I recall.

 

[Rod]

You can look up the model from the serial number on the back. Lookup Mac Specs By Serial Number, Order, Model & EMC Number, Model ID @ EveryMac.com

 

[fbx89]

One more try. Here are the pieces i have left--the 1st I showed previously and now that I read the text it seems to be a 1TB SSHD. Does that seem correct?

 

[fbx89]

All -- Seems to be the case that I bought the machine much later (2015 or later) and that it had the 1 TB Samsung SSPOLARIS HD as shown above. Can't imagine what else this little piece would be.

There was certainly no mini-HD in the case anywhere.

Anyway, thing has been deep-sixed and I saved the Samsung SSHD for keepsake. Will ditch the remaining bits and pieces variously.

Many thanks for your interest and efforts.

Davy