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How to Fix “Erase Assistant is Not Supported on This Mac” Error [Solved]

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Written By Tej Pratap Shukla
Anuraag Singh
Approved By Anuraag Singh  
Published On September 11th, 2024
Reading Time 5 Minutes Reading

Summary: If you have come across this error “Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac”. It means that you are planning to erase your Mac or give it to the new user. So, this would be irritating, but understanding why it is happening and how to fix this in order to save time. So, in this guide we will explore what erase assistant is, why it is available to certain MacOS versions, and how to troubleshoot this error manually.

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What is an Erase Assistant?

Erase Assistant is a tool which is introduced in MacOS Monterey and later versions. It is used to securely wipe your Mac data like personal, professional, all types of sensitive data while keeping the operating system intact. This makes your work easy to give your device to new users or resale, as this will reset your Mac without the need of reinstalling your OS again.

Why is Erase Assistant Not Supported on My Mac?

This would be the problem mac users come across and get stuck into. So, after doing research I found that the erase assistant is supported only on the mac running on macOS Monterey or later versions due to system changes that will eventually enhance your security and simplify the reset process. Like older macOS versions or hardware may not support these features compared to the latest versions. So, this results in facing “Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac” error. This could be due to the following parameters:

  • Hardware Limitations
  • Compatibility Issues with older macOS versions.
  • Outdated firmware which does not support these features.

How to Check If Your Mac Supports Erase Assistant or Not?

To check if your Mac supports erase assistant or not, you need to check the following points:

  1. macOS Versions: Go to the Apple Menu > “About This Mac”. If you are using macOS Monterey or later versions. Then your mac should support Erase Assistant.
  2. Hardware: Erase Assistant is available on Macs with Apple Silicon (M1,M2) or Intel Macs with T2 chip. If you want to know how to check for the T2 chip, then go to Apple menu > “About This Mac” > “System Report” > “Controller” or “iBridge” depending upon your macOS version.

So, if your mac does not support these criteria, it won’t support Erase Assistant.

How to Fix “Erase Assistant is not Supported on This Mac” Error – Using Manual Methods

If your Mac system could not support Erase Assistant, still you can wipe your mac data or reset it using this manual approach given below:

1. Reinstall macOS

  • Firstly, you have to restart your Mac and press and hold command + R to enter Recovery mode.
  • Next, open Disk Utility in your system and erase your startup disk (“Macintosh HD”).
  • Now, go back to the recovery screen and choose Reinstall macOS, and rest follow the instructions given on the screen.

2. Use Target Disk Mode (For Intel Macs)

  • Connect the two macs with a Thunderbolt cable.
  • Then, restart the Mac which you want to erase and hold “T” to enter Target Disk Mode.
  • Now, use the other Mac to erase and to format the drive.

3. Reset NVRAM and SMC (for Intel Macs)

Resetting NVRAM or SMC can sometimes resolve compatibility issues and fix the “Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac” error. Go through these steps:

  • If you want to reset SMC, you need to restart your Mac by pressing Command + P + R for 20 seconds.
  • For SMC reset, follow Apple’s given instructions depending upon your Mac model.

4. Use an External Bootable macOS Installer

  • You need to create a bootable USB installer for MacOS Monterey or later versions.
  • Then restart your Mac and press & hold the Option key to choose the USB drive to boot them.
  • Use the installer to erase your startup disk and reinstall your macOS system.
  • Now, Open Disk Utility to erase your startup disk (“Macintosh HD”).

5. Contact Apple Support

  • If the error persists and none of these methods work, contact Apple support or visit an Apple Store for hardware troubleshooting.

If you don’t want to get into this and want an instant solution for this error. For this, continue reading the article as we will give you the automated tool to fix this error.

“Erase Assistant is not Supported on This Mac” Error – Instant Fix

Getting this issue can be disturbing especially when you want to securely wipe all your data. It usually happens when your in-built tool does not work. So, to save your time and get your error fixed, you can go with SysTools Data Erasure Software which is an effective approach to this problem in order to wipe your mac data. Having an user-friendly interface, it’s easy to select the data which you want to wipe. You don’t have to deal with the complex processes and just follow straightforward instructions to erase your data permanently with minimal time.

 
Features of This Expert Tool

  • It cleans caches, logs, temporary files, and applications, ensuring complete data erasure.
  • It removes all data residue (data remanence) or classified data spills.
  • It complies with more than 20+ global standards such as NIST 800-88 standards, DoD 5220.22-M.
  • Wipe all your data from multiple storage devices such as HDD, SSD etc.

Conclusion

In this article, we have shown you the manual steps to check and fix “Erase Assistant is not supported on this Mac” error. If manual methods fail, use an automated tool to securely erase all data from your Mac and prevent data recovery. It resolves your compatibility issues and upgrades your data security.

  author

By Tej Pratap Shukla

A versatile technocrat, always in the search for new and interesting areas related to technology. Works on multiple technical problems faced by users frequently. Provides the user-friendly solutions to deal with numerous technical issues.