How long does it take to erase a MAC disk?

Answer by  worker4767 (56)

This depends on the type and size of disk as well as the type of formatting. Typically it should take no longer than an hour. If it's taking longer you may have a physical problem with that disk. Try running a scan for bad sectors, that will reveal any problems.

Answer by  danpersand (246)

On most macs the erase feature in the disk utility takes less than a minute to run, but may be a bit slower for large disks on older machines.

Answer by  Clemens (29)

-Don't erase Data : It's fast and only erases headers so you can recover your data. -Zero Out Data : It's also fast and recovery is very long. -7-Pass erase : As it writes random data 7 times on the disk, this method takes several hours to complete. -35-Pass erase : Takes more than one day.

Answer by  Taylor (863)

Depending on the Disk's capacity, transfer rate, and the type of Format you are attempting it can take anywhere between 5 Seconds to 10+ Minuets

Answer by  gigo (1706)

If you work with the hard disc service program, deleting your hard disc and reinstalling is one process that goes approximately one hour (dependent of the size of your harddisc).

Answer by  anne08 (124)

Erasing all data takes longer than a normal disk initialization. It all depends on the hard drive, If it is large or small drive. Up to 4 hours for the large hard drive. And to a small drive it consist of 2 hours on erasing a MAC disk.