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Fix: Erase assistant is not supported on this Mac

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  • 3 min read

The Erase Assistant is a useful tool when managing your Mac’s storage space or preparing your computer for a fresh start. It allows you to securely erase your Mac’s hard drive, making it ready for a clean installation or disposal. However, there are instances where you may encounter an error message stating Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac.

In this article, we have discussed what erase assistant is, the steps to use it, and what to do if your Mac does not support it.

Also read: What is Thunderbolt Bridge? How to connect two Macs using the bridge?


What is Erase assistant?

Resetting your Mac and erasing all its contents earlier required a manual process. You had to log out of all your accounts, erase the startup disk, and reinstall the macOS. However, with the introduction of macOS Monterey, Apple introduced a new feature called the Erase Assistant.

This tool makes it much easier to reset your Mac to its factory settings and erase everything before reinstalling macOS. You can use the Erase Assistant to accomplish these tasks quickly and effortlessly with just one click.

Steps to use Erase Assistant

On macOS Ventura

Step 1: Click on Apple Menu > System Settings…

Step 2: Click on General > Transfer or Reset.

Step 3: Click on Erase All Content and Settings.

On macOS Monterey

Go to Apple Logo> System Preferences> Erase All Content and Settings.


What to do if your Mac does not support Erase Assistant?

The Erase Assistant is a special tool that can only be used on certain Mac computers. Specifically, it works on Macs with Apple silicon (M-series chips) or the Apple T2 Security Chip. Additionally, your Mac needs to have at least macOS Monterey or macOS Ventura or a newer version installed to use the Erase Assistant.

Use Disk Utility

If you encounter the Erase Assistant not supported on this Mac error and cannot use the Erase All Content and Settings feature, you can still erase your data using Disk Utility. Disk Utility is a built-in macOS utility that allows you to manage and format your hard drives.


Use a Third-Party Shredder

If you can’t find the Erase All Content and Settings option on your Mac or prefer an alternative method to erase your data securely, you can consider using a third-party file shredder. These applications specialize in permanently deleting files and ensuring they cannot be recovered.

Also read: How to force quit on Mac?

Akash Singh

Akash Singh

Akash is a law graduate who likes to go for bike rides on the weekends soul-searching for answers to his many existential questions. You can contact him here: singhakash95@pm.me

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