Installing onto a Clean Slate

When installing Snow Leopard, what if you want to start over from scratch? Both the Tiger and Leopard installation tools included an Erase and Install option that wiped the hard disk clean before installing a fresh version of Mac OS X. That approach let you start with a clean slate and then selectively add your earlier data (from a backup, of course). Snow Leopard doesn't offer Erase and Install, but you can still do it: Start up from the Snow Leopard install disc and use Disk Utility to wipe your hard disk before installing Mac OS X 10.6. Note that iLife is not included on the Snow Leopard disc, so you'll need to install that app separately (from the iLife disc or the Applications Install DVD that came with your computer). Also, if you take this route, make sure that you first deauthorize iTunes and deactivate any software, such as the Adobe Creative Suite, that requires online authentication.

Excerpted from The Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Pocket Guide by Jeff Carlson

< Prev		Next >

"I've used several other tech companies and none have come close to The Mac Guys. The thing I like best about The Mac Guys is that they do so much more than just fix your computer. They will also show you how to fix it yourself and make recommendations on which software or hardware might help you out, then tell you the best place to buy it."

Rick Bosak, Art Director
White Bear Lake, Minnesota