How to Format Macintosh Computers

If you have noticed that your Macintosh computer is slowing down or are planning to sell your computer, you can format your Mac's hard drive and complete a fresh installation of the Mac OS X operating system. Formatting a hard drive will remove all data from the computer, so you should back up all of your files before completing this process.

Instructions

1. Insert the Mac OS X installation CD into your computer.

2. Restart your Mac computer and hold down the "C" key on your keyboard to boot to the CD.

3. Go to the "Utilities" menu, and select "Disk Utility."

4. Click on the hard drive with the Mac OS X operating system installed on it from the list of available drives on the left side of the window.

5. Go to the "Erase" tab at the top of the Disk Utility window.

6. Choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" from the format options, and then enter a new name for the formatted drive.

7. Click the "Erase" button to begin the formatting process. Formatting a hard drive should take less than 15 minutes.

References

• Erasing Disks