To wipe your external hard drive, follow these steps:
1. Connect your external hard drive to your computer: Start by plugging in your external hard drive to one of the available USB ports on your computer. Ensure that the connection is secure.
2. Open the Disk Utility App: On a Mac, you can find the Disk Utility App by going to the Applications folder, then Utilities folder, and finally opening Disk Utility. On a Windows computer, you can access the Disk Utility function by opening the Control Panel, selecting System and Security, and then clicking on Administrative Tools. From there, open Computer Management and select Disk Management.
3. Select the drive you want to wipe clean: In the Disk Utility App, you will see a list of all the drives connected to your computer. Locate your external hard drive in the list and make sure you have selected the correct drive. Double-check that you have not accidentally selected any other external hard drives or internal drives, as wiping the wrong drive can lead to permanent data loss.
4. Click Erase: Once you have confirmed that you have selected the correct drive, click on the Erase button. This will prompt a pop-up window where you can choose the name and format of the drive.
5. Choose a name and format for the drive: In the pop-up window, you can enter a name for your external hard drive. This name will be used to identify the drive in your computer’s file system. Additionally, you can select the format for the drive. The format you choose will depend on your specific needs. If you want the drive to be compatible with both Mac and Windows systems, you can choose the ExFAT format. If you only plan to use the drive with a Mac, you can select the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format.
6. Start the erasing process: Once you have chosen the name and format for your drive, click on the Erase button to start the wiping process. This will erase all the data on the external hard drive, so ensure that you have backed up any important files before proceeding.
7. Wait for the process to complete: The time it takes to erase the drive will depend on the size of the drive and the speed of your computer. You may see a progress bar indicating the status of the erasing process. Once the process is complete, you will be notified.
8. Safely eject the drive: After the erasing process is finished, it is important to safely eject the drive before disconnecting it from your computer. On a Mac, you can do this by right-clicking on the drive’s icon and selecting Eject. On a Windows computer, you can right-click on the drive in File Explorer and choose Eject.
By following these steps, you can effectively wipe your external hard drive and ensure that your data is securely erased. Remember to always double-check that you have selected the correct drive before proceeding with the erasing process.