
Press the Enter key and your external drive will be erased completely.Next, type: diskutil eraseDisk JHFS+ (diskname diskidentifier).Now you’ll see a list of disks there, target yours through the disk identifier.Open it and enter this line: diskutil list.You can also try the Terminal app, though it’s a command-line tool that requires you to be a bit geeky. If for any reason Disk Utility fails to wipe your drive.
Wipe External Hard Drive on Mac via Terminal (Command Line) It’s because SSDs don’t have to go through this process due to the way it manages files. Note: If your drive is an SSD, you won’t be able to click “Security Options” as this option will be grayed out.
Here you can specify how securely you want to wipe the drive, move to Most Secure if you are paranoid because this option overwrites more times to the disk space, though the process tends to be slower. Next, click the Security Options button at the bottom. Choose a file system to which you want to format your external drive. Select the disk or volume in the list on the left panel.
Click on the Erase tab (next to “First Aid”). On your Mac, go to Applications > Utilities >Disk Utility. Then follow the step by step tutorial below: Make sure the device can be detected by the machine. Erase External Hard Drive on Mac via Disk Utilityįirst off, connect your external hard drive to your Mac. Once you use any of the methods below, the drive will be completely erased and all data will be removed permanently. Warning: Before you proceed, make sure you’ve already backed up all your important data. The guide should work with all types of external disks, including hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive ( SSD) or a flash drive. So we look not only at the versatility and general performance of the drives - across a number of benchmarks - but also their relevance to specific use cases, after sales and warranty as well as sheer value for money.So you just got a new external hard drive, and wanted to sell or donate your old one? Or your current external drive just got over-cluttered, and you want to completely wipe it out to regain all the storage space?Įither way, in this article we are going to show you two different ways to securely erase an external drive on a Mac computer (iMac, MacBook, etc.). That however came at the cost of endurance, especially at the lower end of the market and is likely to be an issue if you use our SSD storage extensively.Īll newer MacBook and desktop Macs (iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Pro) come with one or more Thunderbolt ports which are also compatible with USB Type-C. While we will talk mostly about hard drives as storage device write and read on spinning metal or glass platters, we have to mention SSD (solid state drives) as well as they have grown both in capacity and in performance. Best external hard drives for Mac: How we chose them? There are other things as well, including a rugged build if you plan on taking it out in the field with you, and portability if you plan on traveling around with it. If you’re storing very important files, especially for work, consider getting one that has more robust security features. Many external hard drives have USB 3.0 connections, but since MacBooks and Mac accessories rely on the power and data transfer speed of USB-Cs, USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3 or 4 connections are certainly favorable. Finding one that’s not only affordable, but has enough storage space – a minimum of 1TB is highly recommended – for your present and future needs is definitely ideal, even if you have more than enough money to splurge for something expensive.Īnother deciding factor, however, is the connection. Of course, those two things are absolutely vital. When choosing the best external hard drive for your Mac, you need to consider other things beyond storage capacity and price.
What to look for in a external hard drive for your Mac This chapter includes the following topics: Features Kit Contents Optional Accessories Operating System Compatibility Disk Drive Format Physical. It features ultra-fast USB 3.0 connectivity, and local and cloud backup. This drive offers high capacity in a sleek portable device. It's more pricey than the other drives of its capacity, but the extra security it offers will be well worth it for many people. 1 About Your WD Drive Welcome to your easystore portable hard drive.
When you consider all that extra security, the prices won't scare you away either. What's more, the data is encrypted by the 256-bit AES protocol, with multiple forms of protection in place to ensure the bad guys don't get in no matter how persistent. If someone tries to tamper with your iStorage drive, you can configure it to self-desturct. If you're worried about people getting access to your data if your external hard drive is stolen, than you'll like the iStorage drive here.