Reinstalling the OS

Hi Bruce,

You can't "upgrade" from 10.2 to 10.3, nor 10.3 to 10.4, you can "update 10.2.x to 10.2.8, 10.3.x to 10.3.9, 10.4.x to 10.4.11. you have to purchase Major Upgrades.

I doubt any MacBook runs 10.2.anything though.

MacBook Tiger Discs are all Gray Machine Specific Discs, the Black Retail Tiger Discs will not work on IntelMacs.

At the Apple Icon at top left>About this Mac.

Then click on More Info>Hardware and report this upto *but not including the Serial#*...

Hardware Overview:

Machine Name: Power Mac G5 Quad
Machine Model: PowerMac11,2
CPU Type: PowerPC G5 (1.1)
Number Of CPUs: 4
CPU Speed: 2.5 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 1 MB
Memory: 10 GB
Bus Speed: 1.25 GHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.2.7f1

OK, we don't call that a MacBook, that's the Intel ones, this is a PowerBook.

You have 10.4.11 on it now, but what do you want on it, it could go as high as 10.5.8?

Did you get the Install Discs for the PowerBook?

Check these links for Tiger (applies to Leopard too now):

[Texas Mac Man: Sources for Tiger|http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2427702]

[ali brown: Sources for Tiger|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=8814687]

Ideally with a new used computer you wipe the whole drive and start fresh with a clean install on a totally empty drive. The other way is just to re-install the operating system on top of the currently existing files (either Archive & install if the same OS version or Upgrade installation if a new OS version). The second method, of course, leaves any non-OS files intact, including the ones you want and the ones you don't want. It's one or the other I'm afraid. Yes, you can go in and hand-pick settings files and trash them but that's a lot more work and you have to make sure you know what you're disposing. One way to get partway there is to make a new account for yourself. Make sure it has administrator status, log into that account and then use it to delete the old account. That will get rid of a lot of the personal files, but I am not sure if it might also affect some software. Sometimes big software packages install things in the accounts used to set them up. The idea is if you do accidentally delete something you just re-install it from the installer disc which of course you have if you actually own the software. 😉 You may even find some software has been installed completely in that account and is not in the common Applications folder. Even if you drag them out you may still miss pieces. Fortunately one thing about deleting an account is the files are actually put in a deleted users folder on the computer just in case you left something important in the account, but you still need to know what it is you may be missing.

[Adding a new user account to your computer|http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.4/en/mh168.html]

b-bever wrote:
In short, what steps should I take to delete all old personal data, without losing any of the software?

You should delete all of the software. If you don't have the original install discs for them, then they are unlicensed (aka pirated).

If that doesn't convince you, consider that with a used Mac, there's no telling what kind of hacks, security holes, pirated software, or other junk might have been left on it by any previous users. Even if it was a friend that you trust, he might have gone mucking in the Terminal at one point and inadvertently opened up a security hole. Wiping it clean and reinstalling it is really the only prudent thing to do. Keep yourself safe!

Great news, thanks! 🙂