Clean erase

**mwerth** · August 2nd, 2008, 08:40 AM

Hi

I have a rather unusual ( in this forum) question; how do i completely erase OS X Leopard from my iMac and install Vista Home Premium?.......yes i know!.....sorry, but the Leopard and i will never become friends.....

Two months ago i purchased an iMac 24" from B&H in New York; but they forgot to send the Install Disk 1 with my computer. According to Apple, the disk should be in the box, when you buy a computer with OS X....something B&H know nothing about..........To my knowledge the disk is necessary, when you want to run "Bootcamp" and maybe when you want to erase the complete system? I can get the disk directly from Apple, but it will take time (i'm sitting in the northen Greenland).

Now i've decided to install only Vista; which i know, and it suits my demands.....is it possible? may i have to download a program? or is there a much more simple way, which i've overlooked, to do this? Mac's always praised for their logic and intuitive way to do things; but i may say i'm not convinced...........

Regards and thanks in advance Mogens Werth, Thule Air Base

**ElDiabloConCaca** · August 2nd, 2008, 09:29 AM

It's not possible without the assistance of Mac OS X and BootCamp.

I would contact B&H and insist that they complete your order with the Mac OS X install disk they didn't include.

**mwerth** · August 2nd, 2008, 09:45 AM

Hi

Thanks for the quick reply ELDiabloConCaca.........Yes you are probably right about B&H......a little bit disappointed over that kind of customerservice......:-(

Thanks again Mogens Werth

**DeltaMac** · August 2nd, 2008, 10:06 AM

And - the Windows drivers for the Apple hardware are on (wait for it!) - Disk #1 of the OS X restore DVDs. So, you won't be able to easily complete the Windows installation without it, or the help from BootCamp that creates the Windows-bootable partition.

One suggestion is to leave OS X in place, and use Boot Camp to create a Windows partition using most of the hard drive, say about 75-80% capacity. Leave OS X alone, until you realize that there is some good there!

Just a question - what about OS X leaves you puzzled? There's plenty of help with OS X on this site, and other similar support sites....

**mwerth** · August 2nd, 2008, 12:20 PM

Hi
#4
Thanks for your answers........i realize that i need the requested disk. I think i will follow your advice about Bootcamp.....and as you say, maybe i will return for goodies.

To your question: quite frankly, an awfull lot; i've been a PC-user for 10 years, and maybe it's just lazyness from me, but for me it's to much work, turning my habbits and the way i work on a computer.......and back home in Denmark i have a PC with Vista, which is working perfectly, so why switch?

Some of the things i'm having trouble with: my Logitech diNovo Edge keyboard, Thecus Nano 2,5" external harddrive, i don't like Safari, the way searching on the computer works, iPhoto takes eternally to open, or to import photos....etc.

Regards Mogens Werth, Greenland and Denmark

**DeltaMac** · August 2nd, 2008, 12:59 PM

You are not required to use Safari; another web browser, such as FireFox, is certainly OK on the Mac.
Ditto for iPhoto - you can choose to ignore all the Apple software if you wish. Iphoto performance has always been a little sluggish, and can easily be aided with a couple of simple settings changes.

I also should say that I think both of those are quite good, and Safari complies with the modern browser standards, something that Internet Explorer is still striving for...

I read your question "why switch?" , yes, why indeed!
Why did you get a Mac, when you could have more easily bought another PC. Did you not realize that the Mac OS is significantly different (and, IMHO, remains a step - or many steps - ahead of Windows? Such as stability, and little to fear from viruses, etc.)

If you find that you really prefer to stay with Windows, then do it!
And, you can, of course, install Windows on your new Mac through the included Boot Camp utility, or use one of the virtualization solutions, such as Parallels Desktop, or VMWare Fusion. So, you can work both sides!

**mwerth** · August 3rd, 2008, 09:52 AM

#6

Where on Earth did you find a computer with an external apperance as the iMac?. I haven't found it for sure...or maybe i would have bought that brand....you see?

In my opinion it's by far the nicest computer when it's turned off...:-).....and with a more than decent picture-quality turned on......."just" need to get rid of that dammed leopard!!...........

Regards Mogens Werth

**nixgeek** · August 3rd, 2008, 09:56 AM

You won't be able to just run Windows on it. You're going to have to run OS X on it as that's the OS that's meant to run on that system. If you want Windows on it, you have to use Boot Camp and just select to have it boot to Windows by default. Apple's not there to make money for Microsoft only. Apple's there to give you the experience its known for, which is Mac OS X on a Mac. Sure it lets you runs Windows, but no way in hell that Steve Jobs is going to let you SOLELY run Windows without Mac OS X having its place on your hard drive. Yes, it's a gorgeous system, but by all practical means it would have been much cheaper for you to find some really beautiful PCs out there (and they are out there, even if they do copy Apple's designs). But ultimately, it's your money and your decision....just don't expect Apple to have the same sentiment for your preferred OS.