Disk Utility Won't Erase Hard Drive: What Is It & How to Fix It?

Thoroughly clearing your hard drive can sometimes significantly simplify the sorting of files and folders in the future, especially if you are sure you don't need anything on the hard drive anymore. While most deletion operations go smoothly, Disk Utility may not erase the hard disk, causing problems.

Disk Utility's inability to erase hard disks can seriously affect daily work, leaving behind a large number of unwanted files and folders. Worse, this can be a very tricky technical issue.

However, I will try my best to help you solve this problem. Please continue reading to learn what to do if you encounter this problem.

Why can't Disk Utility erase hard disks?

There may be several reasons why Disk Utility cannot erase hard disks. For example, the disk may be corrupted. If the disk is not mounted, your computer cannot complete this task. In some cases, you may also try to erase the disk used to boot your Mac; this is not possible and you need to choose another method.

How to fix the issue where Disk Utility cannot erase hard disks?

Try each of the following methods to fix the Disk Utility error:

1. Check drive permissions and format.
2. Disconnect external peripherals.
3. Use the Disk Utility First Aid to repair the disk.
4. Boot the Mac into recovery mode to erase the hard drive.
5. Erase the volume.
6. Update macOS.
7. Use the terminal to force the hard disk to erase.
8. Reformat using third-party tools.

Now, I will explain each troubleshooting method in more detail – just keep reading and be patient with my instructions.

1. Check drive permissions and formats

In my personal experience, permissions and formats are the main reasons why Disk Utility does not work properly on Mac.

Here is how to check if the drive requires administrator access to modify, or if it is locked/read-only:

1. Open Focus, search for Disk Utility, and then open the app.
2. Click the drive you want to check and click "Information".
3. Check your hard drive permissions. If you need administrator access, switch your account or contact the administrator associated with your Mac.

2. Disconnect external peripherals

Whether you need to perform disk repair on your Mac or an external hard drive is not showing up on your Mac, it is wise to disconnect all external peripherals (except the drive you want to clear). Doing this helps avoid system conflicts, so follow these tips:

1. Open "Findor".
2. Go to Location and find the icon you want to eject the drive.
3. Right-click (or click with the trackpad while holding down Control).
4. Select "Eject [Disk Name]". Repeat this process for each drive you want to disconnect.

Alternatively, if the external drive is displayed on the desktop, you can remove it from the desktop.

3. Use Disk Utility to "First Aid" to repair the disk

If neither of the above methods works, I recommend using the First Aid tool to repair disks on your Mac. This usually fixes errors that block the erase process; run First Aid in recovery mode to prevent the computer from being unresponsive:

1. Open Disk Utility.
2. Click the drive you want to erase and select First Aid.
3. Select Run when the pop-up window appears.
4. After the repair is complete, try erasing the hard drive again.

4. Boot the Mac into recovery mode to erase the hard disk

Recovery mode disables multiple computer features and can help you perform functions such as erasing more easily. Just follow these steps:

1. Select "Apple Logo> Restart".
2. Confirm that you want to restart the device.
3. Wait for the computer to shut down and restart. After restarting, press and hold Command R until you see the login screen.
4. Navigate to Finder, locate your hard drive, and right-click.
5. Select Erase Disk.

5. Erase the volume

Erase volumes do not delete everything on disk, but it may target volumes, which can cause problems. So, I suggest at least try:

1. Open the Disk Utility application.
2. Select the drop-down menu next to the hard drive. Here you should see all its volumes.
3. Right-click and select Erase. If it is grayed out, you cannot do this.

6. Update macOS

Updating the macOS version of your computer usually solves the disk utility issues that old software may cause. However, I recommend that you back up your device and drive in advance to avoid data loss. You can do this using Time Machine or iCloud.

After you have done this, follow these steps to update your macOS:

1. Open System Settings. You can use Focus or navigate to Apple Menu.
2. Select General > Software Update.
3. Your Mac will then search for updates. If you see an update, select Update Now.
4. Confirm that you comply with Apple's license agreement.
5. Wait for the software to be installed, and then try erasing the disk again (or formatting the hard disk on your Mac).

7. Forced erase the hard disk using the terminal

If no method works so far, using a terminal is another good option for erasing a hard drive. However, I have to warn you that this is more of a technical option. If you are ready, do the following:

1. Open "Focus" and search for "Terminal". Open the application when the option appears.
2. Type this code and press Enter: diskutil list .
3. Find your disk number under the identifier.
4. Erase the disk by typing: diskutil eraseDisk JHFS [用户名] /dev/[磁盘编号]

8. Reformat using third-party tools

Sometimes everything you use on your Mac may still not help you solve the problem. If you tried all the methods in this list and still haven't succeeded, it might be a good idea to turn to third-party tools. Here are some tools you can consider:

• KillDisk
• MHDD
• Secure Eraser
• Remo Drive Wipe
• Freeraser

There are many options when Disk Utility can't erase hard disks

Disk Utility usually cleans the hard drive without any problem, but it is not perfect. Sometimes you may experience problems caused by outdated software, a failed volume, or other reasons. Solving this problem may be quite technical, but your computer usually has a variety of options.

However, I suggest you seek help from a professional support team:

1. Open the MacKeeper application.
2. On the right, look for the Advanced Services toolbar. Alternatively, select the Advanced Services tab on the left.
3. Enter your message in the Message text box.

This way, you can make sure you get the right support and you can usually solve the problem faster. In these cases, MacKeeper’s advanced service team is worthy of your trust—check now.

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