To fix errors and improve the performance of your computer, you must periodically reinstall OS X. The reinstallation process takes only a few minutes and is a fairly straightforward process. If you have a backup of all important files, then there should be no problems during installation. See Step 1 for instructions on how to reinstall OS X 10.5 (Leopard) and 10.4 (Tiger).
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing for Installation
Step 1. Back up your data
Reinstalling OS X will erase all data on your computer. Therefore, you need to copy all important documents, photos, videos and other files to at least one third-party storage medium.
- You can burn your backup files to DVD, copy them to an external hard drive, or even upload them to online storage.
- Make sure to back up all the files you need. Once installed, you cannot recover files that were deleted during the installation process.
- During the installation process, you can export all your custom settings and files, but a fresh installation is recommended for best system performance.
Step 2. Start the installation process from a working computer
If you can boot OS X on your computer, you can start the installation process from the operating system itself. Insert the installation DVD into your computer and wait for the icon to appear on your desktop. Double click on the "Install Mac OS X" icon and then click Restart.
Step 3. Start the installation process from a non-working computer
If your computer won't load OS X, you can start the installation process by booting from the DVD. Restart your computer while holding down the Option key. The Download Manager will start, listing all possible download sources.
Once Boot Manager starts, insert the OS X installation DVD. After a moment, the DVD will appear in the list of download sources. Select it to restart your computer and boot from DVD
Part 2 of 3: Installing OS X
Step 1. Select your language and start the installation process
After your computer restarts, the installation process will begin. You will be prompted to select a language and then the Welcome window will appear. Click on the Continue button to start the installation.
Step 2. Select the type of installation
Click on the Options … button in the Select Install Path window. When installing OS X, you have two options: Archive and Install and Uninstall and Install. Select the appropriate process type and click on the OK button.
- Archive and Install creates a copy of the system files and then installs. If you choose this type, you can also save user data and network settings. This option is not recommended if you are experiencing problems with the currently installed version of OS X. This installation method requires you to manually reinstall all existing programs or they may not work properly.
- Uninstall and Install removes the entire contents of the disk and installs OS X from scratch. This deletes all data, so make sure to back up any important data. This is the preferred option as it solves most potential problems and improves system performance.
Step 3. Select the installation path
If you have multiple hard drives or disk partitions on your computer, you can choose where to install OS X. The amount of free disk space and the amount of space required to install OS X will be shown. Select the hard drive where you want to install OS X and click on Continue.
- Use the "Format Disk As" drop-down menu to select the "Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)" format option.
- Make sure you are not trying to install to a Recovery or Data Storage drive.
Step 4. Select the software you want to install
The installer will show you a list of all additional software packages that will be installed with OS X. If you don't have much hard disk space, you can discard the least important files by clicking the Customize… button.
- Expand the "Printer Drivers" section and uncheck the box next to the drivers you don't need.
- Expand the "Translation from other languages" section and uncheck the languages that you will not use.
Step 5. Start the installation process
Once you have selected additional programs, you can begin the process of installing the operating system. To start the installation, click the Install button.
The installation status indicator will allow you to determine how much time is left before the installation is complete. The installation process is completely automatic. After the installation is complete, your computer will restart
Part 3 of 3: Configuring OS X
Step 1. Customize your keyboard
The first thing you will be asked to do after restarting your computer is to set up your keyboard. Follow the onscreen instructions to discover and configure your keyboard.
Step 2. Set your home region and keyboard layout
After. Once the keyboard is detected, you will be prompted to select a region and keyboard layout. If you often take your computer when traveling, set your home region as the region.
Step 3. Decide if you want to transfer any data
Since you are installing from scratch, you have no data to import. You can later copy the previously saved backup files. Select "Don't send any information now" and click Continue.
Step 4. Enter your Apple ID
If you have an Apple ID, you can use that to sign in. This way you can sync your settings with your other Apple devices. For information on how to create an Apple ID, see the related article. Entering an Apple ID is optional.
You can also choose if you want to register your software with Apple. This can help you get official support
Step 5. Create an administrator account
An administrator account is an account that has the rights to change system settings and install software. If this is your computer, enter your name in the Name field and an alias in the Short name field. Often, users enter their name with a lowercase letter in the "Short name" field.
- The short name is used to create a home directory label.
- It will be very difficult to change the Short Name later, so make sure it suits you.
- The administrator account requires a password. You can add a password hint if you like.
Step 6. Start using OS X
When the Installation Assistant completes its work, you can start using the newly installed operating system. You will need to reinstall the programs that you previously used, and copy the previously saved backup files to the user directories.
Step 7. Install all available updates
After the OS X installation is complete, you should install all available updates as early as possible. This will help secure the system and increase performance. You will need to download updates from Apple, so your computer must have an Internet connection.
- To download the latest updates, go to the Apple menu and select "Software Update …". The program will check for available updates and show you a list of them. Select all the updates you want to install and click on the Install button. Updates will be downloaded from Apple servers and installed. After the installation is complete, you will need to restart your computer.
- Repeat the process. Some updates become available only when the previous ones are installed. Repeat the process of checking for and installing updates until the list of available updates is empty.
Advice
Always install all official Apple Software Updates after reinstalling your operating system
Warnings
- Always back up your files before any reinstallation of the system. Even if you perform Backup and Install, errors during the installation process may result in data loss.
- When performing Archive and Installation, use the installation CD with the same version of the operating system installed on your computer. For example: if your computer originally had Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger), but you upgraded to Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), then back up and install using the Leopard CD.