


How to use Disk Utility to erase a Mac for a clean macOS install?
Jul 02, 2025 am 12:23 AM要徹底擦除Mac驅(qū)動器進行清潔安裝,需先進入恢復(fù)模式并使用磁盤工具。步驟如下:1. 關(guān)機后按住Command+R啟動進入恢復(fù)模式;2. 打開磁盤工具并選擇“顯示所有設(shè)備”以查看完整驅(qū)動信息;3. 選擇目標(biāo)卷或物理驅(qū)動器,點擊“擦除”并選擇合適格式(APFS或Mac OS Extended);4. 如需出售或贈送設(shè)備,可啟用安全擦除選項;5. 完成后退出磁盤工具并重新安裝macOS。確保操作前備份重要數(shù)據(jù)。
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.
The above is the detailed content of How to use Disk Utility to erase a Mac for a clean macOS install?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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