Securing (encrypting / wiping) SSD-based Mac Book Air for return to store

[itbeme]

After a few days playing around with my new MacBook Air - I decided that I may be returning the device. Unfortuately - I have already migrated mot of my personal data to the SSD

It appears from my reading here and elsewhere that wiping an or easing my data from the MacBook Air may be more of a problem than I originally had thought. In the end, the easiest way (because this is an SSD) seems to be:

1) Encrypt the entire disk with File Fault2
2) The Secure empty trash
3) Erase the disk (not secure erase since that option is grayed out)

Q1: Even though the disk will not truly be empty, it will appear to be for all intents and purposes. Furthermore the data should be entirely inaccessible should someone go to find it - even if they got that curious - correct ?

Q2:If I were to perform only step one above, would the MBA, once returned, unusable to the Mac folks (I assume they woudl just routinely wipe any returned computer

Q3: The machine, once returned could be re-enabled for someone to start again via Lion Recovery disk - but my old data would still be there - however both invisible and unrecoverable - correct ?

Thanks in advance

 

[nooboob]

2) The Secure empty trash

What do you mean by this?

 

[itbeme]

Finder---> Secure Empty Trash

Standard way Mac's secure erase data (prior to SSD's...unfortunately)
Rgds

 

[johnhurley]

After a few days playing around with my new MacBook Air - I decided that I may be returning the device. Unfortuately - I have already migrated mot of my personal data to the SSD

It appears from my reading here and elsewhere that wiping an or easing my data from the MacBook Air may be more of a problem than I originally had thought.

I think you are over complicating it. Use the Lion Recovery Disk assistant to burn a USB flash drive.

Boot up from that flash drive ( Lion Recovery Disk ) and secure erase your existing SSD. Then restore the operating system from apple using the Lion Recovery Disk.