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Unable to get the iMac to boot from a usb drive

I’m trying to wipe my Late 2015 Intel iMac using DBAN. I have been unable to get the iMac to boot from a usb drive. I used dban_2.3.0.iso to create a supposedly bootable usb drive from the ISO file. The contents of the usb drive are shown below. I can’t get the iMac to boot from the drive. Any help,would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Phil


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 27″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Aug 1, 2023 10:32 AM

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Posted on Aug 2, 2023 2:02 PM

Try using ShredOS instead which uses methods similar to DBAN. You will need to use the 64 bit .img file as a source for Etcher (Mac/Windows/Linux) to create a bootable ShredOS USB stick.


FYI, you only need to use this if the Mac has a hard drive (or Fusion Drive). Only run it on the hard drive since it is not needed for an SSD due to how SSDs work. Just a simple erase of an SSD using Disk Utility to erase the SSD is enough to destroy all data on the SSD at least with macOS.

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 2, 2023 2:02 PM in response to PhilD44

Try using ShredOS instead which uses methods similar to DBAN. You will need to use the 64 bit .img file as a source for Etcher (Mac/Windows/Linux) to create a bootable ShredOS USB stick.


FYI, you only need to use this if the Mac has a hard drive (or Fusion Drive). Only run it on the hard drive since it is not needed for an SSD due to how SSDs work. Just a simple erase of an SSD using Disk Utility to erase the SSD is enough to destroy all data on the SSD at least with macOS.

Aug 1, 2023 10:45 AM in response to PhilD44

Maybe a question for the makers of DBAN.

Is this what you are using: https://dban.org/ ? If so, why?

It appears you have a Boot Camp partition. To remove that partition use Boot Camp Assistant.

If you want to reset your computer follow these instructions after removing the Boot Camp partition.

What to do before you sell, give away, trade in, or recycle your Mac - Apple Support

if I have misunderstood your question, please post back with additional details and context:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5931


Aug 1, 2023 12:53 PM in response to BobTheFisherman

I'm trying to use DBAN because it has the capability to overwrite the HD multiple times with random data. I believe it does a better job than the Apple erase. I used it back in 2015 when I repurposed my older iMac. It was simple then. All I had to do was boot the iMac for a CD containing the dban.iso file. Evidentially, things have changed in the last 8 years. What I'm trying to do is create a bootable media on my iMac that will launch dban. Am I in the wrong forum?

Unable to get the iMac to boot from a usb drive

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