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General discussion

help reformating a old mac

Sep 10, 2006 9:39AM PDT

my dad recently got an older mac and he asked me to reformat it but being a windows boy and all i have to idea what to do. i think i have the Power Macintosh 8600, and it runs mac os 8.1

Discussion is locked

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Reformat a Mac drive
Sep 10, 2006 10:11AM PDT

The tools to reformat (initialize) a Mac HD are contained in the utilities folder.
Under OS 8.1 you will probably have to search for it. Hold down the Apple Key, (key next to the spacebar on the left)(also has an apple on it) and press the "F" key. In the resulting window put the name of the file you are looking for. In this case, Disk Tools.

Reformatting the drive will remove all the data from it, including the system, and to do that, you will have to be booted from an external drive.
This would probably be the CD that came with the machine. A copy of Disk Tools is on the CD.

I doubt Windows would let you reformat the drive you are booted from either.

This machine is not much good for too much, given its age and speed, and will NOT run the current OS from Apple, OS X. The highest OS for this machine is posted as OS 9.0 but "might" run OS 9.2, the last OS before OS X.
OS 8.1 is not the best OS for this machine but if it is all you have.....
Once reformatted, it will need an OS installed to be of any use

If you need more, holler

P

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(NT) what is this CD you speak of...?
Sep 10, 2006 10:23AM PDT

i dont have the cd that came with the machine. do i have to make one or something?

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CD
Sep 10, 2006 9:54PM PDT

If you reformat that drive, you will have to put an OS onto it or the machine will not work. (Same as Windows)
BTW, the app that formats the Drive is called Drive Setup.

To put an OS onto that machine, you need a Mac OS installation disk. (Same as Windows)

Each Mac came with an OS installation disk or a Restore disk. The Restore disk, when run, would take the machine back to the state it was in when the box was first opened. All the free software would be there.
An OS installation disk is exactly that. It will install the Mac OS onto the HD but will not provide any free software.

Without that disk, you cannot do what you are trying to do. You can still purchase OS 8.1 from Apple but your best bet would be to look for OS 9.0 on eBay.

P

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Here's some advice ....
Sep 15, 2006 10:44AM PDT
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Like your links
Sep 15, 2006 2:12PM PDT

To places like WE LOVE MACS. Good outfit to do business with by the way.

-Kevin

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Do you need to reformat?
Sep 17, 2006 7:21AM PDT

I agree with others about how to reformat your Dad's Mac, but I wondered what it is that he/you want to do with it that requires reformatting. That is, it may be OK for his purposes as it is--or may be for now. I do advise getting an install CD for the Mac, though, whether you reformat it or not.

Would you like to tell us what he wants to do with it? What is on the drive that would make you want to change it? Upgrade it? By the way, I know that everyone will snicker at this, but I'm still using OS 9.2.2, and with a few minor exceptions, it does whatever I need it to do. (Don't all jeer at me at once, my highly esteemed, thoroughly upgraded co-list members. Sometimes, the latest thing doesn't work for everyone, and sometimes, it isn't even necessary.)

If you are seriously considering an upgrade of the OS, just keep in mind that you might also have to buy newer versions of the other software that is now on the Mac if what is on there isn't compatible with higher versions of the Mac OS. (As mrmacfixit has already said, ''Just like Windows.'') I'd be surprised, too, if he didn't have to buy memory for it. Quite often, all that requires a fair outlay of money. If your dad can be content, for now, with what he has on his new-old Mac, it might be well for him to stick with what he's got.

On the one hand, if your father is not content with his OS 8 and he's prepared to spend what is necessary to upgrade the OS and other software, and to add as much memory as possible, you could try 9 (or X, if the machine will sustain it). One caveat: It is sometimes difficult to find a lot of software for a Mac with an OS older than the more recent ones unless you know where to look, are willing to shop around and can spend the money to get it. Too bad you didn't get CDs for everything that is on that Mac!

Sorry to be something of a wet blanket. I just wanted you to know all this so you can make an informed decision. Best wishes to you and your father. I hope he enjoys his Mac. Maybe you'll come over to the Mac side, too, one day.

jenny

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Do you need to reformat?
Sep 17, 2006 7:25AM PDT

I agree with others about how to reformat your Dad's Mac, but I wondered what it is that he/you want to do with it that requires reformatting. That is, it may be OK for his purposes as it is--or may be for now. I do advise getting an install CD for the Mac, though, whether you reformat it or not.

Would you like to tell us what he wants to do with it? What is on the drive that would make you want to change it? Upgrade it? By the way, I know that everyone will snicker at this, but I'm still using OS 9.2.2, and with a few minor exceptions, it does whatever I need it to do. (Don't all jeer at me at once, my highly esteemed, thoroughly upgraded co-list members. Sometimes, the latest thing doesn't work for everyone, and sometimes, it isn't even necessary.)

On the one hand, if your father is not content with his OS 8, you could try 9 (or X, if the machine will sustain it). If you are going to have to buy a CD for a reinstall, you might as well go as high as you're able, I guess.

On the other hand, just keep in mind that you might also have to buy newer versions of the other software that is now on the Mac if what is on there isn't compatible with higher versions of the Mac OS. (As mrmacfixit has already said, ''Just like Windows.'') Quite often, that requires an outlay of money--even quite a lot of money. If your dad can be content, for now, with what he has on his new-old Mac, it might be well for him to stick with what he's got.

One further thing: It is sometimes difficult to find software for an older Mac OS unless you know where to look, are willing to shop around and can spend the money to get it. Too bad you didn't get CDs for what is on that Mac!

Sorry to be something of a wet blanket. I just wanted you to know all this so you can make an informed decision. Best wishes to you and your father. I hope he enjoys his Mac. Maybe you'll come over to the Mac side, too, one day.

jenny

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Did you duplicate your post, JennyWren1420?
Sep 17, 2006 9:02AM PDT

If you did, I can delete it.

Just let me know

P