As earlier noted, everything about OS X (Lion) is opaque and depressing in the attempt to use it (particularly when even the Search function returns nonsensical and irrelevant information, such as how to search).
I’ll give myself another 24 hours to try to break out of this funk and see this thing as other than a punishment for trying to abandon my old iMac and OS 9.
In any case, I’ve taken steps to return the machine for a refund; Apple is sending me return shipping labels.
But before I do so, I’ll need to erase all (especially personal) information from the machine and have been told by Apple that the following is the appropriate procedure:
Reboot with command-R
Find Recovery HD
Open Disk Utility
Choose HD
Choose Erase
I need to know if this will completely clear everything I’ve put on the machine or that the machine has generated, both online and offline, without residue – ie, that no information can be recovered. So, if anyone out there can confirm that those instructions will do the trick, please let me know.
I realized a bit too late to post earlier that you've got some issues going that are causing you much frustration and grief...
- You're searching for things with Spotlight rather than typing your search phrases into "Help" (in your menu bar).
- You're not asking "Help" for advice about how to do things, thereby forcing yourself to rely on FTM for advice that may not be as in-depth or focused as Apple's might be.
- You're overlooking the fact that appropriately worded Google searches can yield reams of meaningful info. (Type your search phrase, followed by a single space, followed by site:apple.com.)
Further, your posts have frequently comprised two or three different issues plus a rant, and that has resulted in responses to several questions being wrapped around each other, which has further resulted in your failing to focus on many of those responses. I can point out at least three instances in this thread in which I've had to repeat the same URL, advice, suggestion two, three, maybe even four times before they've registered in your consciousness.
I urge you to keep going in this endeavor, but I also urge you to break up your posts into individual topics and, further, to post them in the forums in which they belong; you'll get more people reading your posts, have a better chance of getting meaningful responses to questions, and save some of your own sanity.
To you final question, though... The erase technique you got from Apple sounds correct (based on what I've read about Lion), but the tech neglected to tell you about multiple overwrite options: You can do a one, seven, or thirty five pass erase, depending on the sensitivity of your info, your degree of paranoia, and the amount of time you're willing to invest in the process.
Edit: A seven pass erase is military grade.
