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How Can You Initialize the Internal HDD of an iMac?

I wanted to wipe my iMac and do a fresh Mac OS install. However the internal HDD (1 TB) got uninitialized during the process. I now boot my iMac from an external drive. Attempting to format the internal HDD but gave a failed error - Erase process has failed and the internal drive goes off the list of Disk Utility sidebar. It reappears after a restart. Is there a way to initialize the drive successfully?

Best Answered by

Connie Yang

Answered on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Modern Mac models all use SSD. From your description, I know that your iMac is an old one. How did you format your internal HDD?

You need to select the entire HDD in Disk Utility, click Erase, and then fill in the information boxes, including the disk name, format, and scheme. Finally, click Erase. Initializing the internal HDD will take a relatively long time. During the process, don't let your iMac power off or the screen down.

If you still can't initialize the HDD, run First Aid to check it first and then try again.

I suggest you recover data on your HDD under this circumstance to avoid data loss. You can use iBoysoft Mac Recovery Mode to rescue your files from your unbootable iMac without creating a bootable USB installer.