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Instead of Erase Assistant, Use Disk Utility to Wipe Your Mac
If you’re trying to erase all the data on your Mac but run into an error saying "Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac", don’t panic. This doesn’t mean your Mac is beyond cleaning—it just means Erase Assistant won’t do the job. In this guide, we’ll explain the cause of this issue and walk you through how to use Disk Utility to erase your Mac instead of relying on Erase Assistant.
Quick Instructions
- Power off your Mac.
- Turn your Mac back on and enter the utilities menu.
- Choose Disk Utility.
- Erase the Macintosh HD volume.
- Return to the utilities menu and reinstall macOS.
Detailed Instructions
Why Can't I Use the Erase Assistant?
Only certain Mac models are compatible with Erase Assistant. To use Erase Assistant, you must have macOS Monterey or a newer version, and your Mac should be equipped with Apple Silicon or the Apple T2 Security Chip.
- If you don't meet both of these criteria, Erase Assistant won't work. However, you can still erase your Mac using Disk Utility. For instructions, check out how to do it for Apple Silicon Macs and Intel-based Macs.
- If your Mac meets the requirements but Erase Assistant still doesn’t function, Disk Utility remains a viable option to erase your Mac.
Using Disk Utility with Apple Silicon Macs
Make sure to update to the latest version of macOS and back up your data. Erasing your Mac will permanently remove all your files, so it’s crucial to back them up either on physical media (e.g., flash drive or SD card) or in the cloud.
Shut down your Mac, if it’s currently on. In order to access Disk Utility, your Mac must be powered off.
Press and hold the power button. This will turn on your Mac. Keep holding the button until the startup options window appears.
Choose Options. Click Continue to proceed to the next step.
- If asked, sign in with an administrator account.
- If prompted to log in to the last-used Apple account, do so to continue.
Choose Disk Utility. Click Continue to proceed further.
Ensure that the Macintosh HD volume is visible. If you don’t see Macintosh HD but another drive appears, it may have been renamed. If no drives are visible, shut down your Mac, disconnect any unnecessary peripherals, and restart to access Disk Utility again.
- If Macintosh HD is still not visible after restarting, contact Apple for support.
Remove any volumes other than Macintosh HD. Select the unwanted volume and click the minus button in the toolbar to delete it.
Select Macintosh HD and click the erase button in the toolbar. The erase button looks like a drive icon with a small “x” next to it.
Give the drive a name and choose its format. The default name will be Macintosh HD, and ensure the format is set to APFS.
Click Erase > Erase Mac and Restart. If prompted for your Apple account info, enter it when requested.
Follow the on-screen prompts to activate your Mac. You will be asked to select a language and connect to Wi-Fi.
Click Exit to Recovery Utilities after your Mac is activated. You’ll then be ready to reinstall macOS.
Click Reinstall macOS. Follow the instructions displayed on the screen to restore macOS and get your Mac up and running again.
Steps for Using Disk Utility on Intel-Based Macs
Make sure to update your macOS and back up your data. Erasing your Mac will permanently erase everything, so ensure you back up your files either on a physical device (like a flash drive or SD card) or in the cloud.
Power off your Mac. To access Disk Utility, your device must be completely powered down.
Press and release the power button. Immediately after, press and hold Cmd+R on your keyboard. Continue holding the buttons until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- If prompted, enter an administrator password to proceed.
Click on Disk Utility. Hit Continue to proceed to the next step.
Check if the Macintosh HD volume is visible. If you can’t find Macintosh HD, it could be because you renamed the drive. If no drives show up, shut down your Mac, disconnect unnecessary devices, and try accessing Disk Utility again.
- If after restarting the drive still doesn’t appear, reach out to Apple for further guidance.
Select Macintosh HD and hit the erase button on the toolbar. The erase icon resembles a drive with a small “x” symbol next to it.
Set a name and format for the drive. By default, the drive is named Macintosh HD. Ensure that the drive is formatted as APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for optimal use.
Click Erase. If you are asked to re-enter your Apple Account details, do so as instructed.
- If there are other volumes on your Mac besides Macintosh HD, follow the same steps to erase those as well.
Select Exit to Recovery Utilities. This will allow you to proceed with the macOS reinstallation.
Click Reinstall macOS. Follow the instructions provided to reinstall macOS and get your Mac up and running again.
