How would I format this SSD?

[kylerit]

My grandfather passed a couple months ago, and so I was ended up with his macbook. My grandmother couldn't remember his password but said he never used it more than a couple times after first getting it. 

 

I'm not super attached to digging through anyone's stuff when they probably never intending me to do so anyway. So, I'm honestly just looking to format the SSD, throw a fresh copy of Sierra(?? no idea what OS Macs use these days), and have myself a nice usable laptop. 

 

What adapter, device. etc. could I buy to connect to my Windows desktop and format the drive? Also if someone could simply tell me what connection standard the SSD is using? 

 

Thanks!

[Oshino Shinobu]

It uses an Apple proprietary connector. I'm not aware of an adaptor that allows it to work on a non-Apple machine. The file system is pretty certain to be proprietary as well, so I'd expect that you'd need to format it with an Apple computer in order to be able to re-use it. 

[Princess Luna]

It looks like a normal sata m.2 to me, just connect it to your system and format it... nothing too complex.

 

[Princess Luna]

1 minute ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

It uses an Apple proprietary connector.

Wait for real? aw what a bummer... I find it amazing Apple would develop a proprietary standard to something like storage... they really do milk people don't they.

[Tan3l6]

Thats Mac SSD interface.But there should be adapters available. 

Though easier to find M.2 to Mac adapter than Mac to M.2 adapter.

[Oshino Shinobu]

Just now, Princess Luna said:

Wait for real? aw what a bummer... I find it amazing Apple would develop a proprietary standard to something like storage... they really do milk people don't they.

I mean... They're soldering the storage to the motherboard now days. Hell, they even removed the port that used to allow you to recover data from a bricked board with the soldered storage so you're truly screwed now. 

[Zando_]

1 minute ago, Princess Luna said:

Wait for real? aw what a bummer... I find it amazing Apple would develop a proprietary standard to something like storage... they really do milk people don't they.

They were one of the first OEMs to put PCIe SSDs in their laptops IIRC, M.2 NVMe drives weren't widespread at the time as far as I know. Would it even have been an option to use a standard keyed drive? 
 

Just now, Oshino Shinobu said:

I mean... They're soldering the storage to the motherboard now days. Hell, they even removed the port that used to allow you to recover data from a bricked board with the soldered storage so you're truly screwed now. 

BuT wE GoTtA MaKe iT tHiNnEr (which actually makes it worse to use btw because on the base level 13" MBPs the fan ramps up to 4000+ rpm to stay at/below 97C under full load, whereas my mid-2012 13" spins at a casual 2000-3000rpm for the same temps, and isn't even audible)
 

3 minutes ago, Tan3l6 said:

Nope, thats Mac SSD interface.

But there should be adapters available. 

^^^ Also if you actually have the mac, I forget how you do a clean install but it can be done. I think you can format the main drive from recovery mode or something, I haven't done a clean install in a while though. 

If you need a replacement drive, OWC offers direct replacements that aren't too stupidly expensive.