OS X 10.2 iMac - Need to Reformat without Disks

R

ryanmckeon

Registered
I have a 450 MHz, 20 GB, 256 Mb ram, OS X 10.2 iMac that I am trying to get connected to a cable modem. The problem stems from the fact that I cannot change the settings in internet connect because the person who originally set it up locked it and I do not have the password. If I can solve this problem without reformating that would be great... however, I do not know how to pull this off.

I thought it might be easiest to reformat the hard drive and reinstall OS X, however there is a catch here too... I do not have the boot disks that came with the iMac, I have the boot disks for an older version OS X 10.03 (for an ibook). If I was to try and reformat the iMac with these disks so that I can change the internet connection info am I going to kill this computer?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Ryan
 
Can't you contact the previous owner to get the password? This is the easier and most direct way of solving your problem.

You can install 10.03 onto the computer, but you'd have to first format the computer, which will erase everything, before you could do this.

Just contact the previous owner and get the password...easy.
 
Thanks for the ideas... it is one of those complicated situations, I am helping someone who got the computer from a friend... the friend has apparently forgotten the password and long since lost the disks... hence the questions online.

Thanks for the help, I will try and reformat with the 10.03 disks.

Ryan
 
Mac OS X 10.0.3 discs that say iBook will not work with a newer iMac or with any other Mac than what those discs shipped with. The discs that come initially are always hardware specific.
 
You may have to buy the system disks again. Look on Ebay for original Mac OS 10.2 system disks (and make sure you buy a full system version - in a box like sold in shops - and not just the system disks form an other Mac. The system that comes for a specific machine does not include the drivers for other machines.
 
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