Apple replacing HD

[crockers]

I can take my iMac into Apple and they will replace my 1TB HD free. I have to take in my snow leopard discs.

I run Time machine constantly in the background so things are fully backed up.
Obviously this will come back with a cleaned HD - but I have personal data on my HD.

If I disconnect my Time machine and delete everything off the HD can this be done securely. I have a lot of personal letters, spreadsheets etc on it with banking details etc.

When I get the machine back with a new HD can I just reconnect time machine and reinstall everything - programs et al or do I need to reload all programs and new OSXs I have had in the past - I am now on Lion.

Im wondering if it's worth all the bother - but they say the HD I have has had failures in the past and this is a free service.

Thanks

 

[bolide]

Best way by far to do this is to boot the Mac from an external drive and use Carbon Copy Cloner to make an image of the internal drive to the external

When the machine comes back with the new drive fitted, boot it off the external again and clone the image back to the internal drive, erasing it

After that the internal drive will be exactly as it was before

To make the external drive bootable, attach it, put the install DVD in the Mac and run the OS installer to put a system on the external drive. Then you have an emergency system you can use at any time

Nick Froome

 

[proser]

I would fire up the machine ( without your time machine drive connected) with your original install media and then you should be able to reformat the internal HD - this will gt rid of your data.

Before you do this I would create a bootable USB drive with OSX on it ( plenty of guide on the web), then when you get you machine back boot it off the USB and there will be an option to restore from time machine backup , therefore no need to reinstall apps etc.

 

[crockers]

Many thanks guys. Will do.

 

[nigel cross]

I have had mine done, its as easy as eating an ice cream if you have been backing your MAC up with time machine.
Turn it on and it will ask you if you have a time machine backup to restore from.
Type yes and it will go and find it. Agree when it finds it and away you go.
Go and have a cup of tea and cake and come back in 1-- 1 1/2 hrs depending on the size of the backup and its done.

 

[219]

I think the OP is concerned about his personal data remaining on the old HD which Apple are going to keep .

The answer is , having backed everything up onto an external Time Machine drive ( from which he can restore later ) , to boot from the OSX disc and , using Disc Utility , to choose one of the secure erase methods : select the drive to be erased , choose the erase tab within Disc Utility , then under security options choose at least seven pass erase if not 35 pass erase . It will take a long time but will securely erase your data .

 

[nigel cross]

P.S. you don't have to take in your system disks, they will do a hardware/software check on it when you take it in and put on the same software level.