by Shirly Chen, updated on 2018-12-20 to Mac Data Wipe
'Hi, I purchased a new MacBook Air in this year, so I am planning to sell the old one. But, before selling the old MacBook Air, how can I permanently erase my data to avoid other people to recover my data?' – Shane
Every time when Apple releases new Mac computer, we may want to purchase a new one to replace our old Mac. Apple safari explorer. In 2018, Apple released new MacBook Air – this new MacBook Air was coming with many new features and lots of improvements. After or before you purchase a new MacBook Air, you may want to sell your old MacBook Air. But, before selling old MacBook Air, you'd better permanently erase your data to prevent your personal data from falling into the wrong hands.
- Apple has released two sets of instructions to perform an erase and restore on an Apple Silicon Mac or MacBook, roughly a week after users encountered issues performing a similar procedure.
- Select Disk Utility. Select Macintosh HD from the sidebar. Click Erase and input a new name and format. For simplicity's sake, you can leave both to Macintosh HD and APFS or Mac OS Extended.
- To delete a file so that it's unrecoverable by all but those who make their living recovering data, toss the file into the Trash and instead choose Finder - Secure Empty Trash.
Now, follow the steps to permanently erase data before selling old MacBook Air
Step 1: Use Super Eraser for Mac to permanently erase your data on MacBook Air.
Click on the Erase button at the top of the Disk Utility, this brings up our disk formatting options. MacintoshHD is the default disk name in macOS, disk format required is Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and the Scheme is GUID Partition Map. After erasing the disk you are ready to move on to the operating system installation.
DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac is one of the most powerful data erasure software, it can completely erase your data before you selling old MacBook Air. This certified Mac data erasure software offers three ways to help you permanently erase data on old MacBook Air:
- Erase files – permanently erase files and folders from MacBook Air before you sell the MacBook Air.
- Wipe hard drive – wipe entire hard drive to permanently erase all data on MacBook Air before you sell it.
- Wipe free disk space – erase already deleted/los data permanently on MacBook Air before you sell it.
You can use DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac to permanently erase your data before you sell your MacBook Air. Once the data is erased by this software, the data is gone forever, can't be recovered by any data recovery software. This software also can help you uninstall all applications on old MacBook Air, clean up internet files on MacBook Air. So, before you sell old MacBook Air, this software is the best tool to help you permanently destroy all personal data on it.
Step 2: Login out from all your account.
Now, you can login out from all your account on the MacBook Air, including iTunes account, iCloud account, email account, iMessage account, etc.
Step 3: Reinstall macOS on your Mac.
Then reinstall macOS on the MacBook Air. It is like you have reset the MacBook Air to factory settings.
We strongly recommend you back up your MacBook Air before you permanently erase data on it. Once the data is erased, you can't recover the data from the MacBook Air.
With DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac, you can securely and permanently delete all personal data from MacBook Air before you are selling it. We know that MacBook Air data recovery software can easily and quickly recover deleted or formatted data from MacBook Air. So, if you only just delete the files or format the hard drive with Disk Utility, the data still can be recovered. Only data erasure software like DoYourData Super Eraser for Mac can permanently erase your data on MacBook Air to prevent data recovery, without leaving any traces.
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Moving to a new Mac? Apple keyboard 2003. Before taking these steps, you can use Migration Assistant to move your files from the old Mac to your new Mac.
Create a backup
Make sure that you have a current backup of your important files. Learn how to back up your Mac.
Sign out of iTunes in macOS Mojave or earlier
If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes. From the menu bar at the top of the screen or iTunes window, choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer. Then enter your Apple ID and password and click Deauthorize.
Learn more about deauthorizing computers used with your iTunes account.
Sign out of iCloud
If you're using macOS Catalina or later, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Apple ID. Select Overview in the sidebar, then click Sign Out.
If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Sign Out.
You will be asked whether to keep a copy of your iCloud data on this Mac. You can click Keep a Copy, because you're erasing your Mac later. Your iCloud data remains in iCloud and on any other devices that are signed in to iCloud with your Apple ID.
Sign out of iMessage
If you're using OS X Mountain Lion or later, open the Messages app, then choose Messages > Preferences from the menu bar. Click iMessage, then click Sign Out.
Reset NVRAM
Shut down your Mac, then turn it on and immediately press and hold these four keys together: Option, Command, P, and R. Release the keys after about 20 seconds. This clears user settings from memory and restores certain security features that might have been altered.
Learn more about resetting NVRAM or PRAM.
Optional: Unpair Bluetooth devices that you're keeping
If your Mac is paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, mouse, trackpad, or other Bluetooth device that you plan to keep, you can unpair it. This optional step prevents accidental input when the Mac and device have separate owners but remain in Bluetooth range of each other.
If you're unpairing Bluetooth input devices from a desktop computer such as an iMac, Mac mini, or Mac Pro, you must plug in a USB keyboard and mouse to complete the remaining steps in this article.
To unpair a Bluetooth device, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, then click Bluetooth. Move your pointer over the device that you want to unpair, then click the remove (x) button next to the device name.
Erase your hard drive and reinstall macOS
The best way to restore your Mac to factory settings is to erase your hard drive and reinstall macOS.
How To Erase Macbook 2007
After macOS installation is complete, the Mac restarts to a setup assistant that asks you to choose a country or region. To leave the Mac in an out-of-box state, don't continue setup. Instead, press Command-Q to shut down the Mac. When the new owner turns on the Mac, the setup assistant guides them through the setup process.
Erase Macbook Pro To Sell
No matter the model or condition, we can turn your device into something good for you and good for the planet: Learn how to trade in or recycle your Mac with Apple Trade In.
