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Just Zero Erase my new SSD - What now?

thanks!
ahh i tried connecting the drive to my windows desktop to see if i could just use windows to clear it... :/
 
Sankersizzle said:
wait, so i can't just use disk utility to zero out my data?

i've been doing this very wrong then, haha.
Click to expand...

Zeroing the data is bad for SSD... When you zero the data it writes 0s to the entire drive.. where are SEcure erase essentially just sends the command to "mark as free" and makes the block free
 
Maclver said:
Zeroing the data is bad for SSD... When you zero the data it writes 0s to the entire drive.. where are SEcure erase essentially just sends the command to "mark as free" and makes the block free
Click to expand...

damn, i don't have an eclosure or the capacity to pull out my hard drive and put it back in during boot, so it looks like i'm stuck. that link is great, btw. excellent tutorial!
 
gonna do a secure erase using the ubuntu sleep method

hope everything goes well so i can sleep in peace!

USD144 down in the drain ><
 
just tried the ubuntu method, it requires me to type sudo first before the given commands.
the actual cleaning took less than a second...

shall see if things get better on this new install of Mac OSX

EDIT went to redo the secure erase, this time round it only went
Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="Eins", user=user

but upon verification, it shows "not enabled"

I suppose my drive is now cleaned right?

A SSD install of OS X takes around 22 mins is that right?
 
yeah but you gotta do it w/o all the fluff that you don't need (i.e. printer drivers, languages, etc). I believe OS X install on my x25-m was around 15 minutes or less for the "core only" install (since I don't use the extras).
 
The only way to erase a SSD properly is to use HDDERASE and for that you need to put the drive in the a PC because the AT Security command set is blocked by EFI on Macs.

wilflare said:
thanks all for the replies,
finally my MBP is all ready to go! :D
Click to expand...
 
steffi said:
The only way to erase a SSD properly is to use HDDERASE and for that you need to put the drive in the a PC because the AT Security command set is blocked by EFI on Macs.
Click to expand...

Or you can do a manual secure erase ATA command via live Linux cd. Which is what the OP did and it worked.

It's kind of a pain in the ass, but the only way to do it on a Mac for now I'm afraid.
 
That worked? I think the EFI is working even when you boot from a Linux CD.

Baral said:
Or you can do a manual secure erase ATA command via live Linux cd. Which is what the OP did and it worked.

It's kind of a pain in the ass, but the only way to do it on a Mac for now I'm afraid.
Click to expand...
 
My understanding was that it had to be from a PC since EFI will block this.

wilflare said:
just tried the ubuntu method, it requires me to type sudo first before the given commands.
the actual cleaning took less than a second...

shall see if things get better on this new install of Mac OSX

EDIT went to redo the secure erase, this time round it only went
Issuing SECURITY_ERASE command, password="Eins", user=user

but upon verification, it shows "not enabled"

I suppose my drive is now cleaned right?

A SSD install of OS X takes around 22 mins is that right?
Click to expand...
 
steffi said:
That worked? I think the EFI is working even when you boot from a Linux CD.
Click to expand...

steffi said:
My understanding was that it had to be from a PC since EFI will block this.
Click to expand...

You're right, it will. Which is why you have to hot-swap your drive for the method to work.

Or you can run the command on a drive that is connected via external enclosure (however, this method didn't work for me, but the hot swap worked without a hitch).
 
You cannot run that AT command set over an external enclosure.

Won't work. Basically has to be a PC based laptop with the drive
internal or a desktop again with the drive internal.

Baral said:
You're right, it will. Which is why you have to hot-swap your drive for the method to work.

Or you can run the command on a drive that is connected via external enclosure (however, this method didn't work for me, but the hot swap worked without a hitch).
Click to expand...
 
I fitted a Kingston SSD to my MBP a couple of weeks ago. I just treated it like a standard HDD - formatted it and did a time machine backup to restore my files. The only downside I have now is any non-SSD system feels slow by comparison.

Glad I didn't run into this zeroing the drive stuff when I was checking to see if there was anything else I needed to do to get it to work.
 
steffi said:
You cannot run that AT command set over an external enclosure.

Won't work. Basically has to be a PC based laptop with the drive
internal or a desktop again with the drive internal.
Click to expand...

I can guarantee you can run it over an external enclosure, I've seen it done. For some reason, it didn't work for me. If you read the macrumors thread that is a tutorial for doing this (linked earlier) you'll see that it works for some and not for others, not sure why.

And as for internal drives, you just have to hot-swap. Which is what I did.
 
What interface was used over an external enclosure. Maybe it's possible over eSata but I didn't think it was possible over either USB or Firewire. I'll be glad to look for the tutorial.

Baral said:
I can guarantee you can run it over an external enclosure, I've seen it done. For some reason, it didn't work for me. If you read the macrumors thread that is a tutorial for doing this (linked earlier) you'll see that it works for some and not for others, not sure why.

And as for internal drives, you just have to hot-swap. Which is what I did.
Click to expand...
 
steffi said:
The only way to erase a SSD properly is to use HDDERASE and for that you need to put the drive in the a PC because the AT Security command set is blocked by EFI on Macs.
Click to expand...

LOL did you not even look at the link posted? It shows you can clearly do it without taking the SSD out and without HDDERASE?!
 
steffi said:
What interface was used over an external enclosure. Maybe it's possible over eSata but I didn't think it was possible over either USB or Firewire. I'll be glad to look for the tutorial.
Click to expand...

Honestly I don't remember. I think it was USB though.
The tutorial is linked in post 2 of this thread.
 
Care to show me the link that guarantees that you can do it in an external enclsoure?

Yes I've been reading the referenced thread but it appears some folks did have issues trying it. I have a newer MBP and there's no way I'm taking the back off that just for this. With the older easier drive bay accessible MBPs this would seem worth trying.

Maclver said:
LOL did you not even look at the link posted? It shows you can clearly do it without taking the SSD out and without HDDERASE?!
Click to expand...
 
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