I want to do the best cleaning of my hard drive?

[macswitcha2]

I may be selling my iMac and so in preparation, I want to do the best cleaning, deep cleaning so that there are no personal information left or traceable.

Can someone refer a link to instructions or post some instructions here so I can follow?

 

[thegoldenmackid]

After you have gotten whatever you wanted off of the drive. Use the 7-Pass erase option by inserting your Restore Discs, reboot off the disc (hold down option and select the restore disc option) and then open up Disk Utility and select 7-Pass. If you feel like you need to be safer, you could always 35-Pass.

 

[macswitcha2]

After you have gotten whatever you wanted off of the drive. Use the 7-Pass erase option by inserting your Restore Discs, reboot off the disc (hold down option and select the restore disc option) and then open up Disk Utility and select 7-Pass. If you feel like you need to be safer, you could always 35-Pass.

I assume that what you mean by getting all I wanted off the disk you mean getting it back up via an external hard drive. And, this 7-pass to 35-pass process takes long correct?

 

[MWPULSE]

I assume that what you mean by getting all I wanted off the disk you mean getting it back up via an external hard drive. And, this 7-pass to 35-pass process takes long correct?

depending how big your drive is, how much data was there before and how much free space there was. It can take a long time yes.. the 35 pass erase writes over each byte of the HD 35 times!!

 

[macswitcha2]

the 35 pass erase writes over each byte of the HD 35 times!!

wow! But for the peace of mind I think its worth the process.