


How to use Disk Utility to erase a Mac for a clean macOS install?
要彻底擦除Mac驱动器进行清洁安装,需先进入恢复模式并使用磁盘工具。步骤如下:1. 关机后按住Command+R启动进入恢复模式;2. 打开磁盘工具并选择“显示所有设备”以查看完整驱动信息;3. 选择目标卷或物理驱动器,点击“擦除”并选择合适格式(APFS或Mac OS Extended);4. 如需出售或赠送设备,可启用安全擦除选项;5. 完成后退出磁盘工具并重新安装macOS。确保操作前备份重要数据。
If you're planning a clean macOS install, wiping your Mac’s drive properly is a must. Disk Utility is the built-in tool that lets you do this without needing any third-party software. Here's how to use it effectively.

Boot into Recovery Mode
Before you can erase your drive, you need to start your Mac in Recovery Mode. This gives you access to Disk Utility without relying on the operating system currently installed.

- Shut down your Mac.
- Turn it back on and immediately hold down
Command + R
until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe. - Once you’re in Recovery Mode, click Utilities > Disk Utility from the top menu bar.
This step is crucial because you can’t erase the drive you’re currently booted from.
Open Disk Utility and Show All Drives
When Disk Utility opens, you might not see all the drives listed by default. Make sure you get the full picture.

- In Disk Utility, go to the View menu and select Show All Devices.
- This shows both volumes (like Macintosh HD) and the physical drives they're on.
Why do this? Because when erasing for a clean install, you typically want to erase the entire container or volume, and sometimes even the physical drive itself — especially if you're resetting the Mac completely.
Erase the Drive Properly
Now that you can see everything, it’s time to erase.
- Select the volume you want to erase (e.g., "Macintosh HD").
- Click the Erase button.
- Choose a format:
- Mac OS Extended (Journaled) – older Macs with non-APFS drives
- APFS – newer Macs with SSDs or Fusion drives
- Give it a name like “Macintosh HD” so it's familiar after reinstalling macOS.
- Click Erase and wait.
If you're selling or giving away the Mac, you may also want to securely erase the drive using the Security Options slider before proceeding. Just note that on modern Macs with Apple Silicon (M1 and later), secure erase options are limited due to encryption being always-on.
Exit Disk Utility and Install macOS
Once the erase completes:
- Close Disk Utility and return to the main Recovery window.
- Choose Reinstall macOS and follow the prompts.
The installer will automatically detect the erased volume and let you install macOS there.
You don’t need an internet connection unless your Mac doesn’t have a recovery partition. In that case, use Option + Command + R at startup to boot into Internet Recovery instead.
That's basically all there is to it. It’s straightforward once you know which steps to follow — just make sure you’ve backed up anything important before hitting that erase button.
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