Wiping the drive, rookie question

[boynigel]

I have a MBP that's around 8-10 years old. I'd like to wipe the hard drive as I'm gifting it to someone. I was able to find instructions here as to how to do it, but I'm concerned that I'd wipe out the OS in the process, which I don't want to do.

Maybe it doesn't wipe the OS, but I wanted to make sure as I don't have any os install disc for it. Anything else that I'd need to know would be appreciated.

 

[rm5]

No, it doesn't wipe the OS, unless you intentionally do so. By that I mean you are booting to a USB installer of macOS and erasing the entire drive.

Simple answer is - just go into Cmd + R (Recovery), go to Disk Utility, and click View > Show All Devices. From there, select the VOLUME (not the "whole disk").

 

[Fishrrman]

To expand just a little on rm5's advice:

a. Boot to INTERNET recovery (NOT to "the recovery partition"):
Command-OPTION-R
at boot.

b. You'll need your wifi password, be patient as the utilities load (spinning globe).

c. Open disk utility. VERY IMPORTANT -- go to view menu and choose "show all devices".

d. In the "list on the left", the topmost item should be the physical drive inside in. Click on it and click the "erase" button.

e. Here it can get a little tricky. You didn't tell us WHICH MBP you have (how old is it, that's important). How old it is, determines what version of the OS the installer will "offer" to you.
For High Sierra and earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format"
For Mojave and later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

f. When the erase is done, quit disk utility and open the OS installer.

g. Start clicking through. The Mac will reboot one or more times, and the display will go dark for one or more minutes, with no other indication of activity.
BE PATIENT.

h. When the install is done, you'll see the initial setup screen (choose your language).
Now... either quit the installer and shut down (through the menu), or just PRESS AND HOLD DOWN the power-on button until the screen goes dark and the Mac shuts off.

It's ready now to hand over to the next owner...

 

[boynigel]

To expand just a little on rm5's advice:

a. Boot to INTERNET recovery (NOT to "the recovery partition"):
Command-OPTION-R
at boot.

b. You'll need your wifi password, be patient as the utilities load (spinning globe).

c. Open disk utility. VERY IMPORTANT -- go to view menu and choose "show all devices".

d. In the "list on the left", the topmost item should be the physical drive inside in. Click on it and click the "erase" button.

e. Here it can get a little tricky. You didn't tell us WHICH MBP you have (how old is it, that's important). How old it is, determines what version of the OS the installer will "offer" to you.
For High Sierra and earlier, erase to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format"
For Mojave and later, erase to "APFS, GUID partition format".

f. When the erase is done, quit disk utility and open the OS installer.

g. Start clicking through. The Mac will reboot one or more times, and the display will go dark for one or more minutes, with no other indication of activity.
BE PATIENT.

h. When the install is done, you'll see the initial setup screen (choose your language).
Now... either quit the installer and shut down (through the menu), or just PRESS AND HOLD DOWN the power-on button until the screen goes dark and the Mac shuts off.

It's ready now to hand over to the next owner...

I already F'd it up. Now when I boot all I get is a folder icon w/a question mark on it. Ah, nuts.

 

[rm5]

Well you can use @Fishrrman's advice and use INTERNET RECOVERY - Option + Cmd + R.