ShredIt for Mac OS 7 Tutorials

In this tutorial, you’ll learn everything you’ll need to know about using ShredIt for Mac OS 7. Instructions are also available in the User’s Manual.

How to Install ShredIt for Mac OS 7

  1. Drag the ShredIt folder to wherever you keep application software.

How to shred disk free space

Use this procedure to clean the disk free space on a hard drive. Disk free space is the area on your hard drive containing de-allocated memory. This is where all the data you have previously deleted is stored, until it is overwritten by something else. To shred the data you have previously deleted, you need to shred disk free space. If you have a lot of disk free space or a slow hard drive, shredding free space can take a while.

If you shred the free space on a disk by mistake, don’t panic. Using this procedure will only shred your free space, not your data. We’ve made it easy to shred the free space of a disk and more difficult to shred the contents of a disk. This is intentional, so that you don’t accidentally shred the contents of a disk (i.e. your data).

  1. To erase the free space on a disk using ShredIt for Mac OS 7, drag the hard drive icon onto the ShredIt Icon and drop it.

How to shred files you’ve already deleted

To shred the data you have previously deleted, you need to shred disk free space.

How to clean an external hard drive

  1. Move everything from the external hard drive you want to keep to another location -all the data, all the applications and the preferences of all the applications you want to keep somewhere else. The easiest way to do this is to copy the entire contents of your entire hard drive to another hard drive.
  2. Move all the files on the external hard drive to the trash. Empty the trash.
  3. If you haven’t already done so, install ShredIt.
  4. Using ShredIt, shred the disk free space on the disk.

How to clean a Hard Drive

Before disposing of a computer or a hard drive, we recommend that you erase all the files you don’t want the next user to be able to recover.

Read all of these instructions before continuing. Using the Hard Drive Cleaner function of ShredIt will erase your data, (i.e. your files), making the hard drive clean by destroying your data so it can’t be recovered. Before you erase the hard drive, make a backup copy of any data or applications you want to use on another computer before you shred the contents of a disk, since the files cannot be recovered from the disk after it has been shredded.

There are three procedures, depending on whether your erasing the start up disk or not, and whether you are using the ShredIt floppy disk or the Shredit CD.

Method 1: How to erase a hard drive using the ShredIt CD or Floppy Disk

Use this procedure to erase your startup disk if you don’t have the Mac OS 7 startup disk, or to erase a hard drive that doesn’t have the operating system on it.

Requirements:

  • ShredIt for Mac OS 7

Instructions:

  1. Move all the data, all the applications and the preferences of all the applications you want to keep somewhere else. The easiest way to do this is to copy the entire contents of your entire hard drive to another hard drive.
  2. Move all the files on the hard drive EXCEPT THE OPERATING SYSTEM to the trash. Empty the trash.
  3. Make sure you have moved all files that contain your data to the trash. After deleting all the obvious files, (documents, spreadsheets), look for other personal data. Pay particular attention to cache files created while surfing the internet, pictures, video files you’ve downloaded, data created by financial software.
  4. Using ShredIt, shred the disk free space on the disk.
  5. Run this procedure for each non-startup disk on your OS 7 Mac.

 

Method 2: How to erase a hard drive if it’s your startup disk (the disk with the Operating System on it) using the ShredIt Floppy Disk

A startup disk is the disk on your computer that contains the Operating System. Typically, it is called “Macintosh HD” and may be the only disk on the system.

Requirements:

  • ShredIt for Mac OS 7
  • This procedure assumes that you have a Mac OS CD from which to re-install the Operating System and a copy of the ShredIt so that you can re-install it. Ensure you meet these requirements before continuing. This procedure is the easiest, but will leave your computer in a non-bootable state with only the Mac OS.

Instructions:

Move all the data, all the applications and the preferences of all the applications you want to keep somewhere else. The easiest way to do this is to copy the entire contents of your entire hard drive to another hard drive.

  1. Shut down your Mac.
  2. Restart the computer from the ShredIt floppy disk. To do this, power on your mac and immediately insert the floppy so the mac starts up off theShredIt floppy disk.
  3. Select the StartUp Disk by single-clicking it. From the “Special” menu, select “Erase Disk”. (Special>Erase Disk)
  4. When the Dialog pops up, click “Erase”.
  5. Double click the ShredIt for OS 7 Floppy to open it.
  6. Double click the “Shred All Freespace” icon

Method 3: How to erase a hard drive if it’s your startup disk (the disk with the Operating System on it) using the ShredIt CD

A startup disk is the disk on your computer that contains the Operating System. Typically, it is called “Macintosh HD” and may be the only disk on the system.

Requirements:

  • ShredIt for Mac OS 7
  • Mac OS 7 startup disk (CD or floppy disks) This procedure assumes that you have a Mac OS CD from which to re-install the Operating System and a copy of the ShredIt so that you can re-install it. Ensure you meet these requirements before continuing. This procedure will leave your computer in a bootable state with only the Mac OS.

Instructions:

  1. Move all the data, all the applications and the preferences of all the applications you want to keep somewhere else. The easiest way to do this is to copy the entire contents of your entire hard drive to another hard drive.
  2. Insert the Mac OS Install CD. This refers to a full Mac OS Install CD included with your computer, not to an update-only CD. (Make sure the Caps Lock key is not engaged).
  3. Install ShredIt from CD or floppy by dragging the ShredIt icon onto your hard disk icon.
  4. Drag the ShredIt icon from your hard disk to the desktop.
  5. Drag your hard disk icon onto the ShredIt icon to shred the free space

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