Restore to factory settings?

[jayme_lynn]

I'm new to the forums here so first of all... "HI!"

Now down to business.

I have a PowerBook G4 that is about 3 1/2 years old - my first Mac ever, I got it for college. However, now that it has been so many years I feel like I want to restore it to factory settings, essentially I want to make it like I just opened it up from the box. It still runs fine, maybe a little slow. But mostly I think she's just bogged down from years of classes, music, applications, etc.

The problem? Like an idiot, I don't have my start-up disk anymore. I thought maybe I should purchase the upgrade to Leopard for after I wipe it, but I'm not sure how to even do that. Also, $130 is kind of pricey but if I have to purchase a new Tiger start-up disk (if that's even possible) the cost difference might be worth it.

So I guess what I'm asking for is advice about what is the best course to take.

Getting a new Tiger disk seems like it might be hard, but I don't know if my PowerBook is new enough to support Leopard. Would it be worth it to find a professional (mind you I live in a small Michigan town that doesn't even have a Best Buy, and the nearest Apple store is in Lansing)?

I apologize if I sound so much like a novice that it makes your head explode.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[VirtualTracy]

I'm new to the forums here so first of all... "HI!"

Hello jayme_lynn & welcome to macosx

I apologize if I sound so much like a novice that it makes your head explode.

For me, it's technology that sometimes makes me feel like my heads gonna explode

Depending on your needs and usage, your PB G4 still has a lot of life left in it ... if you erase the drive after backing up all your data, a fresh install of whichever OS version you pick, should result in restoring it to 'factory setting' so to speak ... you may even be able to upgrade the RAM cheaply ,too ....

Actually, erasing the drive may not be totally necessary with other install options like "Archive & Install" but it's really up to you, and if you really want to start from scratch then there's no harm done.

Here are the Computer Specs required to run Tiger:

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger system requirements

Any PowerBook G4 from about late 2002 with an 867 MHz and greater processor can run Leopard according to Apple. See here:

Mac OS X Leopard Technical Specifications

So just check whether or not your PB G4 meets those and if it's only 3.5 yrs old, then it should, and maybe consider if a RAM upgrade is in order.

Getting a new Tiger disk seems like it might be hard, but I don't know if my PowerBook is new enough to support Leopard.

You can pick up a Full Retail (Universal) Installation Disc for Tiger on auction sites like eBay etc for a reasonable price. Leopard is still new so it is still fairly expensive.

You just need to ensure that the disc you buy has the black label with a large white X on it, and isn't an upgrade as those types of installation require you already have the previous version installed. Don't buy any discs that have a gray label as they are model specific and won't be recognised on your PB G4.

Would it be worth it to find a professional (mind you I live in a small Michigan town that doesn't even have a Best Buy, and the nearest Apple store is in Lansing)?

That is an option of course, but there is no need IMHO. You can easily achieve what you want to do without spending any more money than you will when you buy the Full Retail Installation Disc.

Hope this helps

 

[jayme_lynn]

Thank you!

I will check out Tiger disk prices on ebay, and compare those with the new Leopard price.

How does one upgrade ram? Ive done it with a desk top Windows computer, but never a Mac notebook. Same concept really?

I probably won't go with a professional, but I may have a friend who's good with this sorta thing do it for me.

I appreciate the advice!

 

[VirtualTracy]

What PB G4 model do you have jayme_lynn? Go to the apple icon in the upper left and choose "About This Mac" and see what it says, it'll tell you how much RAM, what your processor is and which Mac OS X version you're using.

Then I can tell you more exact details about your RAM upgrade options.

 

[fryke]

Also keep in mind that a Tiger or Leopard retail disk does *not* contain iLife, iLife's a separate package in retail. You got iLife with your computer, i.e. it was on the restore disk(s). I still don't quite understand whether Apple has a replacement program for those disks. How about asking Apple support about it? A call certainly won't hurt too much.

 

[jayme_lynn]

What PB G4 model do you have jayme_lynn? Go to the apple icon in the upper left and choose "About This Mac" and see what it says, it'll tell you how much RAM, what your processor is and which Mac OS X version you're using.

Then I can tell you more exact details about your RAM upgrade options.

It says:

Mac OS X: Version 10.4.11
Processor: 1.5GHz PowerPC G4
Memory: 512 MB DDR SDRAM
Startup Disk: Macintosh HD

Hmmm... 512 isn't that much is it?

 

[jayme_lynn]

Also keep in mind that a Tiger or Leopard retail disk does *not* contain iLife, iLife's a separate package in retail. You got iLife with your computer, i.e. it was on the restore disk(s). I still don't quite understand whether Apple has a replacement program for those disks. How about asking Apple support about it? A call certainly won't hurt too much.

That seems silly that you get iLife when you buy a new computer but if you restore it you've lost it.

This might sound stupid, but what is contained in iLife anyway? I know iPhoto, but what else? To be honest I probably don't use those applications that much.

Is there away to back up those programs like on an external HD before I wipe her and then add them back on? Prolly not, huh?

My apple care is expired. I expired over the summer, isn't there a charge for service calls after its expired? I've never really had a problem with her so I've only called a couple of times.

 

[nixgeek]

That seems silly that you get iLife when you buy a new computer but if you restore it you've lost it.

This might sound stupid, but what is contained in iLife anyway? I know iPhoto, but what else? To be honest I probably don't use those applications that much.

Is there away to back up those programs like on an external HD before I wipe her and then add them back on? Prolly not, huh?

My apple care is expired. I expired over the summer, isn't there a charge for service calls after its expired? I've never really had a problem with her so I've only called a couple of times.

Well, usually the discs that come with the Macs come with the original operating system that shipped with that Mac, along with included software. Remember that when you pay for the Mac new, you are also paying for the bundled software within that price (this is one of the reasons I think that people perceive Macs to be "overpriced"). Losing the restore discs is basically considered a big loss because of the fact that it includes bundled software (like iLife and some other third-party applications to get you up and running with your Mac) as well as the operating system itself.

Apple isn't allowed to include that software with the retail version of OS X....just the operating system. You would have to purchase the current versions of iLife and the other software from their respective vendors. You don't see Microsoft including copies of Works or Office with their retail versions of Windows, do you?

As for iLife, it's a suite of applications that include iPhoto (of which you're aware), GarageBand (for creating music), iMovie (for producing your own movies), iDVD (for creating your own DVDs with movies made from iMovie), and iWeb (for creating your own beautiful websites), and MobileMe Gallery (for sharing your movies/pictures online with others, a la Flickr). More information on iLife at the following link:

http://www.apple.com/ilife/

 

[jayme_lynn]

Remember that when you pay for the Mac new, you are also paying for the bundled software within that price (this is one of the reasons I think that people perceive Macs to be "overpriced").

That's true. A lot of my friends say that "I'd love a Mac, but they are way to expensive. I could get a new Dell for like $600." But I remind them that it's essentially an empty shell who's only use is the Internet until you purchase other things, which brings it up significantly.

As for iLife, it's a suite of applications that include iPhoto (of which you're aware), GarageBand (for creating music), iMovie (for producing your own movies), iDVD (for creating your own DVDs with movies made from iMovie), and iWeb (for creating your own beautiful websites), and MobileMe Gallery (for sharing your movies/pictures online with others, a la Flickr). More information on iLife at the following link:

Yeah. I was right. I rarely use iLife at all. I've heard of and played around with all of them, but I don't acutally USE them to the extent that I would be lost with out them. I don't even use iPhoto that much. It's easier (at least to ME) to just save my pictures to folders (this is probably flawed logic, but hey... it's how I roll).

Thanks darlin'!