- Disk Utility Erase Scheme
- Why Can T I Erase Disk Utility Vehicle
- Why Can T I Erase Disk Utility
- Can't Erase Disk On Mac
My Mac Mini w/ Fusion Drive (that's a hard disk and an SSD pretending to be a single volume for better performance) froze and wouldn't boot. Nothing would make it boot normally again. Recovery mode was OK but couldn't erase the boot volume nor mount it via Disk Utility (I just got 'Unable to delete the core storage logical volume'), so reinstalling seemed impossible.
- Disk Utility Error Message when formatting in MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook Air. There are 2 ways to really fix this problem.CODE you need fo.
- Hi, I've a windows installation DVD that is RW and I want to erase it and re-burn, but the 'Erase this Disc' option is greyed out and doesn't work! I tried to format this disk but it shows 'The disk is write-protected'. The same is the situation for every disk that I insert in my PC. Though, all those are re-writable. What should I do?
Using disk utility I erased the BOOTCAMP partition and formatted it to MacOS Extended (Journaled). All went well until I tried to remove the BOOTCAMP partition. The minus option is not enabled and I can't seem to fin any other way to delete it. This is what I've tried: Reboot on recovery mode and try to delete using disk utility.
Fortunately, I figured out how to do it, using some help from a StackExchange post I found. See below for the details.
The magic incantation that fixed it was inspired by instructions I found here:
http://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/136590/how-can-i-delete-a-partition-corestorage-logical-volume-from-the-terminal
Note: THIS WILL WIPE YOUR HARD DISK. Only do this if you're completely ready to just burn it all down to the ground and start over with a blank boot disk.
Here are the steps:
- Boot the recovery volume, which will take you to an OS X Utilities page that shows four options: 'Restore From Time Machine Backup', 'Reinstall OS X', 'Get Help Online', and 'Disk Utility'. If you have gotten to this article you have probably already been into Disk Utility a few times already without success, so don't open Disk Utility.
- From the Utilities menu of the 'OS X Utilities' app, open Terminal. (Maximize the terminal window that opens so it's easier to see the output of the next step.)
- Run diskutil cs list . Using the mouse, copy the long alphanumeric string that's on the third line of output after 'Logical Volume Group'. That's the Logical Volume Group's universally unique identifier, a.k.a. its 'lvgUUID'.
- LAST WARNING: FROM HERE ON OUT THIS DELETES ALL OF THE DATA ON THE HFS+ LOGICAL VOLUME (but it doesn't delete the recovery partition).
Run diskutil cs delete FOO-BAR-BIZ-BAZ, where FOO-BAR-BIZ-BAZ was your lvgUUID. This deletes the logical volume group. diskutil will print things about erasing the physical partitions that made up the logical volumes, which in my case were /dev/disk0s2 (a 931GB partition on the internal hard disk) and /dev/disk1s2 (a 113GB partition on the internal SSD). Pay attention to the names of the devices that it just liberated on your system, since you'll use those device names in the next step.
At this point you have two empty HFS+ partitions that are not a Fusion drive anymore, so you'll want to rebuild the LVG from those two physical partitions. - Run this: diskutil cs create'Macintosh HD'/dev/disk0s2/dev/disk1s2 and adjust the /dev/. stuff to include the partitions that diskutil said it erased & mounted in the prior step.
On my Mac Mini it took about a minute to finish.
At this point if you run diskutil cs list you should see just a Logical Volume Group and as many Physical Volumes as you added (which is two in my case, disk0s2 and disk1s2), without any Logical Volumes yet. - Quit Terminal.app and run Disk Utility from the main 'OS X Utilities' app.
Disk Utility should show 'Fusion Drive' without any partitions in it, which is expected since we just created the Logical Volume Group without any Logical Volumes in it. - Select the Fusion Drive and run First Aid on it.
First Aid will immediately create a Logical Volume and format it, leaving one big partition of type'OS X Extended (Journaled)' named 'Untitled'.
Now you're free to do whatever you want with this empty disk. In my case, I erased it and created a new partition named 'Untitled' of type 'OS X Extended (Journaled, Encrypted)' since I want full-disk encryption.
(I tried to call it 'Macintosh HD' during the erase step, but Disk Utility failed to erase the disk and complained that name was invalid, so I just left it as 'Untitled', erased the disk, and then renamed it by selecting the Untitled volume in the left-hand-side list of devices, then clicking on the right-hand-side pane where the name Untitled was shown and editing it there.)
Aj device tools. After this, I quit out of Disk Utility, and ran the 'Reinstall Install OS X' app. That does a network install which first required me to log in with my Apple ID and then downloaded the install files.
Dec 21, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions
While the problem is not that common, chances are that you might also get the Disk Utility Erase Process has failed error on your Mac. The problem happens when we try to format the Macintosh HD or any other external hard disk. Since it can happen due to a device or a firmware related issue, it is important to diagnose the problem first. In this guide, I'm going to tell you how to resolve the erase process that has failed on Mac with some other smart suggestions.
Part 1: Why the Erase Process Fails on Mac?
To learn different ways to fix the Mac Disk Utility erase process has failed error, it is important to diagnose it first. The following are some of the major reasons for the error to help you understand its causes.
- The hard disk on your Mac might be corrupt or unavailable.
- The presence of malware or virus on your Mac can also cause this problem.
- If you are trying to format an external device and have removed it while formatting.
- You could be trying to format a volume in Mac HD that might not be logically present.
- Any other security-related issue could have stopped the process in between.
- Your system might be ruining an old or outdated macOS version.
- The essential Mac components related to Disk Utility might not be initiated properly.
Once we get the 'Error Process has Failed' prompt on Mac, the Disk Utility halts the formatting process in between. As a result, we are not able to erase the Mac drive (or an external device) using Disk Utility. Therefore, if want to troubleshoot a problem or would like to format the disk, then you need to find ways to overcome it.
Part 2: Common Fixes to Solve 'Erase Process Has Failed' on Mac
Since there could be various reasons for getting the erase process has failed error on Mac, you might look for different ways to fix it. Here are some suggestions that you can implement to fix the Disk Utility erase process has failed error.
Method 1: Erase your Disk via Terminal
If there is a problem with the Disk Utility application on your Mac, then you can try to do the same via Terminal. It is a cleaner approach to erase a disk and would help you meet your requirements easily.
Step 1. To start with, go to Finder and navigate to Applications > Utility to launch the Terminal app as an administrator.
Step 2. Once the Terminal application is opened, just type the command 'diskutil list' and press return. This will display detailed information regarding various disks and volumes in your Mac. From here, please note the identifier of the disk you wish to format (like disk2 or disk1).
Step 3. Great! Once you have noted the identifier, use the 'erase disk' command to erase the entire disk or the 'ease volume' command to just erase a volume.
Step 4. The entire format of the diskutil command is diskutil erase disk. For instance, to format the disk2 in the HFS+ format, you can just enter the command 'diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ DISK disk2' and press the return key.
Step 5. After that, just wait for the commands to process as your selected disk would be formatted in the supported file system.
Method 2: Update the macOS
As stated above, if your Mac is running on an outdated firmware version, then it can encounter the Disk Utility erase process that has failed the problem. Thankfully, it can easily be fixed by updating your Mac to its latest supported firmware. You can look for the latest update for macOS from the App Store. Alternatively, you can also click on the Apple logo from the top, go to System Preferences > Software Update and check for updates from here.
Method 3: Erase Selected Volumes Instead
Sometimes, users get the erase process has failed error on Mac while formatting the entire disk. Therefore, you can consider formatting selected volumes of the disk instead. In this way, you can check whether the issue is with a selected volume or not.
Step 1. Firstly, go to your Mac's Finder > Applications > Utility and launch the Disk Utility application on your system.
Step 2. Once the Disk Utility application is launched, go to the top-left corner of the interface. From the dropdown menu, you can choose to view all volumes or external devices.
Disk Utility Erase Scheme
Step 3. Now, just select a volume from the sidebar (instead of the entire disk) and click on the 'Erase' button on the toolbar to format it.
Similarly, you can try to erase the entire disk as well to further diagnose the problem. In this way, you can be sure whether the problem is with the entire disk or selected volumes.
Method 4: Adjust the Security Levels for Formatting an External Device
If you are getting the Disk Utility to erase the process has failed error while formatting an external device, then you should follow this drill. Ideally, if the security level for the USB drive or the external hard disk is too high, then the Disk Utility might not be able to successfully format it. To adjust its security level and fix the erase process has failed on Mac, follow these steps:
Step 1. Firstly, launch the Disk Utility application on your Mac and make sure the external device is connected to it.
Step 2. Now, select the external device from the sidebar and click on the 'Erase' button. As the following pop-up would be launched, go to its Security Options.
Why Can T I Erase Disk Utility Vehicle
Step 3. From here, you can just adjust the security level for formatting the external device. I would recommend keeping the security level on the lower side to avoid getting the erase process has failed error on Mac.
Part 3: A Complete Process to Erase Hard Drive on Mac
By following the above-listed techniques, you would be able to overcome the Disk Utility erase process has failed issue. Though, if you don't want to encounter it in the first place, then make sure you take all the right steps to erase a hard drive on Mac. If you don't make any mistake and there are no issues with your system, then you will not encounter the Mac Disk Utility erase process has failed issue.
There can be different reasons for formatting a hard drive or an external device on Mac. Some of them can be as follows:
- You might wish to troubleshoot an issue by formatting the hard disk.
- There can be an issue with your external device and formatting it can fix it.
- You might want to change the file system or the partition style of your Mac's drive.
- If malware has corrupted your Mac, then you easily fix it by formatting the disk.
- If you are reselling your Mac, then you might wish to format it to protect your data.
It doesn't matter what your reason for formatting a hard drive or external device is – the process is extremely easy. I have already provided a smart solution to format a disk via Terminal above that you can follow. Although to format the disk via Mac's graphic user interface, the following steps can be taken.
Step 1: Launch the Disk Utility application
As you know, Disk Utility is responsible to run formatting and erasing operations on the disk. Therefore, you can just go to Finder > Applications > Utility and launch the Disk Utility application from here.
Step 2: Select a Disk or Device to format
Now, you can view a list of all the available disks and the connected devices on the sidebar of the Disk Utility application. If you want, you can go to the dropdown menu from the top-left corner to view all volumes and devices. From here, you can just select a disk, volume, or even an external device that you wish to format.
Step 3: Erase the selected disk
After selecting the internal drive or the external device of your choice, just go to the Disk Utility toolbar on the right and click on the 'Erase' button.
This will launch a pop-up window so that you can make the needed changes to format the drive. For instance, you can give it a new name, change its file system, or even its partitioning scheme. After making the appropriate changes, just click on the 'Erase' button and wait for a while as the selected drive would be erased.
Part 4: Tips for Erasing a Disk Without Losing Data
Needless to say, when we format a disk, all the saved data in it is automatically erased. Therefore, if you don't want to lose your important files in the process, then consider taking a backup of your data in advance. For instance, you can manually copy your data and save it in another location (like another volume or an external hard disk). Apart from that, you can also use Time Machine to take an entire backup of your drive that you can later restore.
Though, if you have not taken a prior backup and have formatted your disk, then using a data recovery tool would be an ideal solution. You can take the assistance of Wondershare Recoverit, which is an extremely reliable data recovery application, supporting all the major macOS versions. By following a simple click-through process, you can get back your lost photos, videos, music, documents, and kinds of data. The application has one of the highest data recovery rates and can be used in the following way:
Step 1: Pick a source to scan
Firstly, launch the Recoverit Data Recovery application on your Mac by visiting its Finder > Applications. Now, from its home, you can just select a location to scan. It can be any drive, volume, or even an external device. You can also select a particular folder to scan too.
Step 2: Start the data extraction process
After selecting a source, simply commence the data recovery process that would scan the selected location. You can wait for the process to be over, view the scanning results, and even halt the process in between.
The application also provides different filters for you to search for the files that you have lost. You can filter the searched results by file size, type, last modified date, and so on.
Why Can T I Erase Disk Utility
Step 3: Restore your deleted files
Part 1: Why the Erase Process Fails on Mac?
To learn different ways to fix the Mac Disk Utility erase process has failed error, it is important to diagnose it first. The following are some of the major reasons for the error to help you understand its causes.
- The hard disk on your Mac might be corrupt or unavailable.
- The presence of malware or virus on your Mac can also cause this problem.
- If you are trying to format an external device and have removed it while formatting.
- You could be trying to format a volume in Mac HD that might not be logically present.
- Any other security-related issue could have stopped the process in between.
- Your system might be ruining an old or outdated macOS version.
- The essential Mac components related to Disk Utility might not be initiated properly.
Once we get the 'Error Process has Failed' prompt on Mac, the Disk Utility halts the formatting process in between. As a result, we are not able to erase the Mac drive (or an external device) using Disk Utility. Therefore, if want to troubleshoot a problem or would like to format the disk, then you need to find ways to overcome it.
Part 2: Common Fixes to Solve 'Erase Process Has Failed' on Mac
Since there could be various reasons for getting the erase process has failed error on Mac, you might look for different ways to fix it. Here are some suggestions that you can implement to fix the Disk Utility erase process has failed error.
Method 1: Erase your Disk via Terminal
If there is a problem with the Disk Utility application on your Mac, then you can try to do the same via Terminal. It is a cleaner approach to erase a disk and would help you meet your requirements easily.
Step 1. To start with, go to Finder and navigate to Applications > Utility to launch the Terminal app as an administrator.
Step 2. Once the Terminal application is opened, just type the command 'diskutil list' and press return. This will display detailed information regarding various disks and volumes in your Mac. From here, please note the identifier of the disk you wish to format (like disk2 or disk1).
Step 3. Great! Once you have noted the identifier, use the 'erase disk' command to erase the entire disk or the 'ease volume' command to just erase a volume.
Step 4. The entire format of the diskutil command is diskutil erase disk. For instance, to format the disk2 in the HFS+ format, you can just enter the command 'diskutil eraseDisk HFS+ DISK disk2' and press the return key.
Step 5. After that, just wait for the commands to process as your selected disk would be formatted in the supported file system.
Method 2: Update the macOS
As stated above, if your Mac is running on an outdated firmware version, then it can encounter the Disk Utility erase process that has failed the problem. Thankfully, it can easily be fixed by updating your Mac to its latest supported firmware. You can look for the latest update for macOS from the App Store. Alternatively, you can also click on the Apple logo from the top, go to System Preferences > Software Update and check for updates from here.
Method 3: Erase Selected Volumes Instead
Sometimes, users get the erase process has failed error on Mac while formatting the entire disk. Therefore, you can consider formatting selected volumes of the disk instead. In this way, you can check whether the issue is with a selected volume or not.
Step 1. Firstly, go to your Mac's Finder > Applications > Utility and launch the Disk Utility application on your system.
Step 2. Once the Disk Utility application is launched, go to the top-left corner of the interface. From the dropdown menu, you can choose to view all volumes or external devices.
Disk Utility Erase Scheme
Step 3. Now, just select a volume from the sidebar (instead of the entire disk) and click on the 'Erase' button on the toolbar to format it.
Similarly, you can try to erase the entire disk as well to further diagnose the problem. In this way, you can be sure whether the problem is with the entire disk or selected volumes.
Method 4: Adjust the Security Levels for Formatting an External Device
If you are getting the Disk Utility to erase the process has failed error while formatting an external device, then you should follow this drill. Ideally, if the security level for the USB drive or the external hard disk is too high, then the Disk Utility might not be able to successfully format it. To adjust its security level and fix the erase process has failed on Mac, follow these steps:
Step 1. Firstly, launch the Disk Utility application on your Mac and make sure the external device is connected to it.
Step 2. Now, select the external device from the sidebar and click on the 'Erase' button. As the following pop-up would be launched, go to its Security Options.
Why Can T I Erase Disk Utility Vehicle
Step 3. From here, you can just adjust the security level for formatting the external device. I would recommend keeping the security level on the lower side to avoid getting the erase process has failed error on Mac.
Part 3: A Complete Process to Erase Hard Drive on Mac
By following the above-listed techniques, you would be able to overcome the Disk Utility erase process has failed issue. Though, if you don't want to encounter it in the first place, then make sure you take all the right steps to erase a hard drive on Mac. If you don't make any mistake and there are no issues with your system, then you will not encounter the Mac Disk Utility erase process has failed issue.
There can be different reasons for formatting a hard drive or an external device on Mac. Some of them can be as follows:
- You might wish to troubleshoot an issue by formatting the hard disk.
- There can be an issue with your external device and formatting it can fix it.
- You might want to change the file system or the partition style of your Mac's drive.
- If malware has corrupted your Mac, then you easily fix it by formatting the disk.
- If you are reselling your Mac, then you might wish to format it to protect your data.
It doesn't matter what your reason for formatting a hard drive or external device is – the process is extremely easy. I have already provided a smart solution to format a disk via Terminal above that you can follow. Although to format the disk via Mac's graphic user interface, the following steps can be taken.
Step 1: Launch the Disk Utility application
As you know, Disk Utility is responsible to run formatting and erasing operations on the disk. Therefore, you can just go to Finder > Applications > Utility and launch the Disk Utility application from here.
Step 2: Select a Disk or Device to format
Now, you can view a list of all the available disks and the connected devices on the sidebar of the Disk Utility application. If you want, you can go to the dropdown menu from the top-left corner to view all volumes and devices. From here, you can just select a disk, volume, or even an external device that you wish to format.
Step 3: Erase the selected disk
After selecting the internal drive or the external device of your choice, just go to the Disk Utility toolbar on the right and click on the 'Erase' button.
This will launch a pop-up window so that you can make the needed changes to format the drive. For instance, you can give it a new name, change its file system, or even its partitioning scheme. After making the appropriate changes, just click on the 'Erase' button and wait for a while as the selected drive would be erased.
Part 4: Tips for Erasing a Disk Without Losing Data
Needless to say, when we format a disk, all the saved data in it is automatically erased. Therefore, if you don't want to lose your important files in the process, then consider taking a backup of your data in advance. For instance, you can manually copy your data and save it in another location (like another volume or an external hard disk). Apart from that, you can also use Time Machine to take an entire backup of your drive that you can later restore.
Though, if you have not taken a prior backup and have formatted your disk, then using a data recovery tool would be an ideal solution. You can take the assistance of Wondershare Recoverit, which is an extremely reliable data recovery application, supporting all the major macOS versions. By following a simple click-through process, you can get back your lost photos, videos, music, documents, and kinds of data. The application has one of the highest data recovery rates and can be used in the following way:
Step 1: Pick a source to scan
Firstly, launch the Recoverit Data Recovery application on your Mac by visiting its Finder > Applications. Now, from its home, you can just select a location to scan. It can be any drive, volume, or even an external device. You can also select a particular folder to scan too.
Step 2: Start the data extraction process
After selecting a source, simply commence the data recovery process that would scan the selected location. You can wait for the process to be over, view the scanning results, and even halt the process in between.
The application also provides different filters for you to search for the files that you have lost. You can filter the searched results by file size, type, last modified date, and so on.
Why Can T I Erase Disk Utility
Step 3: Restore your deleted files
After completing the process, the application will automatically list the extracted content under different categories. You can now preview your photos, videos, music, documents, etc. here and select the files you wish to get back. In the end, just click on the 'Recover' button and go to a secure location to restore your deleted data.
I'm sure that after reading this guide, you would be able to fix the Disk Utility Erase Process has failed issue on your Mac. As you can see, I have listed different tried-and-tested solutions for the 'Erase Process has Failed' error on Mac that you can implement. Besides that, I have also provided a step by step solution to successfully erase a hard drive (or an external device). Though, if you have ended up erasing your data by mistake, then just use Recoverit Data Recovery. Recommended by experts, it will let you get back all kinds of data from different sources on your Mac without any hassle.
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