How to format my MacBook

RoyalOak wrote:
I want to format my computer and would like to know how to proceed without using CD's or other media devices.

That's not possible. You will need your Mac OS X install disk in order to do this.

Hi Thosmas... Sorry to interupt... but how if i have the cd??? just shut down and on it while pulling down the c button???

Before you sell it, you should do a security erase on the hard drive, writing zero's on it. I would choose the write zero's multiple times option, which takes awhile, but ensures any personal information is toast. Then do an erase and reinstall Leopard. When it restarts hold down the mouse button to eject the DVD. When Mac Setup Assistant runs quit the process.

Yes, put the Mac OS X install disk in and restart your computer. When you hear the startup chime, hold down 'c'.

Thx dude.:)

Here are the instructions, straight from Apple:


http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=DiskUtility/10.5/en/duh1011.html

RoyalOak wrote:
I have a MAC OS X CD from my new Mac Book Air that I want to use to format my older Mac Book Pro. It seems this does not work for some reason since the MB Pro tells me it can't be installed with OS X. Is this correct? I can't find my old CD...

Formatting a disk & installing the OS on it are two different things. In general, you can use a model-specific (grey) installer disc to install the OS only on Macs of the same model it came with. Since the MacBook Air & MacBook Pro are two different models, their system discs are not interchangeable & you cannot use the disc for one to install the OS on the other.

However, you can use the copy of Disk Utility included on any OS installer disc while started up from that disc, as long as the Mac can start up from the OS version the installer disc contains. (IOW, if some Mac requires 10.5.6 or later but the disc installs 10.5.4, the disc can't boot that Mac.) To use the disc's copy of Disk Utility, start up from the disc just as you would if you were going to install the OS, but after the select language window, when the menu bar appears at the top of the screen, do not proceed with the installation. Instead, go to the "Utilities" menu & select Disk Utility from it. It will launch, replacing the installer window.

Once Disk Utility is running, you can use it to run any function it offers, like to format your normal startup (or any other) hard drive attached to that Mac, to repair its file system, to erase it, etc.

But you still won't be able to install the OS unless the disc is either the system disc that comes with that exact Mac model or is a retail disk with a new enough version of the OS on it to startup that Mac.