18 Macworld • February 2022MACOS TIPS & TRICKS
Select a volume in the
volume group within
the container before
clicking Erase (top) and
the Erase Volume Group
options appears as a
choice (bottom).start-up volume
appears in the
Finder as a single
entity; behind the
scenes, they’re
two: ‘Volume
Name’ and
‘Volume Name
– Data’.
If you’re trying
to erase your
start-up volume
completely –
say, to sell it to
someone or as
a trade-in – you
can make use
of an easily
overlooked
option in Disk Utility labelled Erase
Volume Group. Select a volume in the
volume group within the container
before clicking Erase (top) and the
Erase Volume Group options appears
as a choice (bottom).
To erase your start-up volume
group, follow these steps:- Boot your Mac into recoveryOS. On
an Intel Mac, restart or start up while
holding Command-R; with an M1, shut
down the Mac, then hold down the
power button until ‘Loading start-up
options’ appears.
2. Navigate to macOS Recovery,
which may involve selecting a user
account and entering its password to
unlock the start-up volume.
3. Click Disk Utility at the bottom of
macOS Recovery’s screen.
4. Select either of the two volumes
in the container for the system (see
above screenshot).
5. Click Erase.
6. Note that while the main volume is
filled in and its name can be changed,
and there’s a prominent Cancel/
Erase set of buttons, look to the
lower-left corner for the Erase Volume