Here's the video tutorial that explains how to securely wipe the free space on your Mac using Disk Drill.Download for free: https://www.cleverfiles.com/disk.
This doesn't seem to be working. The applications used to search for large files are just displaying files that are located within my Users folder, all of which only add up to a total of 65 GB. The remaining 55 GB that's taking up space on the disc seem to be unaccounted for. What's the difference between Users and the disk? Every file that I've ever saved is in some division of the users folder (as it contains the desktop, documents, music, applications, movies, and so on), so why my Users folder so much smaller than my disk? What else is there?
- This will display a list of all your Mac’s hard drives. What you need to copy is the Identifier number beside your selected disk. In my case, I want to securely erase the free space on the disk.
- Note: With OS X Lion and an SSD drive, Secure Erase and Erasing Free Space are not available in Disk Utility. These options are not needed for an SSD drive because a standard erase makes it difficult to recover data from an SSD. For more security, consider turning on FileVault 2 encryption when you start using the SSD drive.
- With an SSD drive, Secure Erase and Erasing Free Space are not available in Disk Utility. These options are not needed for an SSD drive because a standard erase makes it difficult to recover data.
There's also still the issue of how all the files I deleted cleared up absolutely no space. Wherever those files were being stored, them being deleted should have made some impact on the overall space left on my disk. I don't know if this changes anything, but I copied a bunch of files (Probably a couple tens of GB) onto a Seagate External hard drive (with 4TB of space) which connects to the computer via USB cable. I placed all the files on that hard drive, ejected it, deleted the original files off my mac, then emptied the trash. I don't know if this information helps in any way, but I'm completely stumped as to why this did nothing.
- Jun 21, 2018 You can eject the device after you see the “Format Successful” pop-up message. To reformat a USB device using MacOS: Go to Applications, select Utilities, and double-click on Disk Utility.; In the sidebar, click on the USB drive you want to format and then choose Erase from the top toolbar.; In the drop-down window, under Name, type a name for the drive.
- Although the Disk Utility app of Mac OS X can erase free space on Mac hard drive, there is a chance that it might not be able to do so in a secure manner. To make sure that the erasing of the free space is completed without any damage to the hard drive then using a data erasure tool is the best option.
- Feb 08, 2018 Learn how to use Terminal to delete your Mac's free hard drive space securely and completely. Number ‘2’ uses a 7-pass secure erase and number ‘3’.
Mac Secure Erase Free Space Terminal
Mac Software Secure Delete Free Space On External Drive Windows 10
Thank you for responding to all of these so quickly, by the way, and sorry if I sound pushy, but this whole situation is really confusing. Max internet optimizer.
Mac Software Secure Delete Free Space On External Drive Software
Just be aware that if you want to properly erase the hard drive that is also your startup drive, you will have to start your Mac from an external media first. (An external hard drive or thumb drive will do.) For help creating a bootable external drive, have a look at Apple’s page here, or use a popular tool such as DiskMaker X.
How do you permanently delete a file from your Mac so that no trace of it is left behind? The answer is not as obvious as it sounds. You can’t just put it in the Trash then empty it. When you do that, all you are doing is telling macOS that the space on your drive occupied by that file is now available and removing the file from the directory. The file itself is still there. That’s why file recovery software works. If you want to erase every trace of a file, you’ll need to go further.
The easiest way to completely remove a file is to use a specially designed tool, a permanent eraser for your Mac. There are quite a few available, so here’s our list of the best.
1. CleanMyMac X
Naturally, we think CleanMyMac X is the best erase for your Mac. Its file shredding tool can quickly erase any file or files on your Mac and its Shredder tool is free. In addition, CleanMyMac X has several other utilities, such as its app uninstaller, that can free up several gigabytes of space on your drive. It also has tools to improve your Mac’s performance and to protect it from malware. Why choose an app that only does one thing when you can have one that has so many useful tools? Here’s how the shredder works.
This method overwrites the file with random zeroes and ones. It’s solid rock permanent erasure.
- Get a free version of CleanMyMac X — the Shredder is a part of the app.
- Follow the instructions on screen to install it, then launch it.
- Choose Shredder at the bottom of the sidebar.
- Click Select files.
Navigate to the files you want to permanently erase and select one. To select multiple files, hold down Command while you select them. When you’re done, click Open. Choose Remove. That’s about it.
Did you know CleanMyMac X can improve privacy on your Mac in other ways. It can remove chat logs from messaging apps like Messages and Skype. And it can get rid of browsing data like cookies, auto-fill form information and browsing history with just a few clicks.
2. MacClean
MacClean is another tool designed to free up space on your Mac, improve its performance and protect your privacy. Its file eraser tool, according to its developer, will “remove out of date and offline files.” However, it doesn’t explain whether that removal process is a secure erase and whether it will “shred” the file leaving no trace behind.
3. Permanent Eraser
Unlike CleanMyMac X and MacClean, Permanent Eraser only has one function: to securely delete files. It does that by overwriting the file multiple times, in a similar manner to the way the Finder’s “Secure Empty Trash” used to do. In addition, it scrambles the original file name, reduces the file size to zero and removes it from the file directory, erasing all trace of it from your Mac.
What happened to Secure Empty Trash
Since El Capitan OSX, Apple has removed the option to “Secure Empty Trash.” Looks like there’s been lots of complaints after people trashed their important files irrecoverably. Also, overwriting files works differently on SSDs There’s a way to enable the said feature using the Terminal, but it’s too technical for most of us.
4. ShredIt X
This is another tool that is focused only on permanently erasing files. ShredIt X has some interesting features, including the ability to choose the level of security when you shred a file. You can also schedule regular shredding sessions, nominate a “safe place” for files so if they are placed there, they can never be shredded, and choose to confirm any shred before it happens. And the Don’t Panic feature allows you to drop an entire disk onto ShredIt X and only wipe the free space on it, leaving your data intact.
5. FileShredder
FileShredder aims to be the simplest file erasing utility you can use. When you install it, it adds a shredding option to the contextual menu when you right-click on a file icon in the Finder. The other option is to drag and drop a file or files onto its icon, to erase them. Whichever method you use, you can choose from Shred or Secure Shred. The latter allows you to specify whether you want to overwrite a file once, three times, seven times, or 35 times for maximum security. It also has an emergence stop feature, just in case you change your mind.
6. Secure File Deletion
Like FileShredder, Secure File Deletion allows you to securely erase files by using a contextual menu item in the Finder or by dragging files onto its icon. It only has three options for secure deletion, however: one pass, seven passes or 35 passes.
7. DoYourData Super Eraser
Mac Secure Erase Free Space
DoYourData offers several options for deleting your data, including wiping your entire hard drive, uninstalling applications, getting rid of web browser data, and securely wiping all the free spaceon your disk.
How To Free Up Space On Mac
When it comes to securely erasing files, it’s not quite as simple as FileShredder or Secure File Deletion: you must launch the app and add files to a list using the Add More button. Proshow gold style packs. However, DoYourData does offer four different methods of securely erasing files, with five options for the number of passes: 1, 2, 3, 7, and 35.
8. Shredo
Shred is a simple file shredding app that allows you to drag folders onto its interface, then either permanently and securely erase them immediately or inspect the contents of the folder you dropped. It offers 1,7, or 35 passes using two different methods.
When you drag a file to the Trash and then empty it, the file isn’t removed from your Mac. That’s why Apple used to offer a Secure Empty Trash feature that wrote over the files you wanted to erase multiple times. However, Secure Empty Trash was removed in El Capitan because over-writing files multiple times doesn’t work well with SSDs. That restriction also applies to the tools above, but if you still have a hard drive or Fusion Drive, they are an excellent way to permanently erase files from your Mac. If you need an easy replacement, get a Shredder tool in CleanMyMac X — it’s free of charge and will be enough for most users’ purposes.