clean install of OS X....

[idiwa]

I've just fitted a new 120GB Travelstar HDD ran the disk utility to format it and then ran OSX install. Now, really what I expected was some sort of standard install or custom....so I could avoid all the guff I did not want (international language support/ garage band etc). But its just installed everything off the two OS disks i got with the macbook. Have i made a cock up? or does the version of OS X that came with my MacBook just pile everything back on by default.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

"Restore disks" that came with the machine will, by default, return the machine to the factory condition, as in everything that was on there when it was new. Not sure if you can customize that install or not, but I know 4 sure that Retail disks allow you to choose "customize" in the installer screen, and selectively UNcheck anything you dont want installed.

But you can manually delete anything you dont want very easily by dragging them to the trash. Applications are in packages, so trashing them generally gets rid of everything that goes with them, and printer drivers are in the Library >> Printers folder.

Most people use a freeware utility called "Monolingual" to get rid of language support files......

get it here: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/13031

 

[mad jew]

I'm pretty sure there should have been an Options button somewhere in the install process. Even bundled versions of OSX can be customised.

 

[kalun]

Now, really what I expected was some sort of standard install or custom....so I could avoid all the guff I did not want (international language support/ garage band etc).

I don't mean to be mean but......I bought a mac for the FIRST time 1 week ago and I had absolutely no knowledge of OS X. In fact, I didn't even read the meun on how to use/install OS X. However, I did manage to reinstall a customize verison of OS X myself. THERE IS AN OPTION TO SELECT CUSTOM INSTALL DURING THE SETUP PROCESS. So please read the instructions carefully when installing and don't just keep clicking the "NEXT" button on the screen.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

I don't mean to be mean but......

then you should lay off the caps lock key, as typing sentences in all caps is generally considered shouting, which is mean/rude/offensive to most people on the net. So come down off your high horse & get real. 99% of the time you can make your point without shouting

And FYI, not everyone has an OEM copy of OS X to refer to every time a question comes up about OS X, some of us do buy & use retail copies too. And no one here claims to be a mac OS X expert either. We all share our experiences and knowledge to try & help each other out, so that we are all better off in the long run........

Therefore, please leave your holyer-than-thou attititude at the door, thank you

 

[mad jew]

I just reinstalled OSX on a refurbed iBook (using the bundled discs) about an hour ago. There was an Options button on about the third screen into the process. It was down the bottom and towards the left.

 

[SmurfBoxMasta]

I just reinstalled OSX on a refurbed iBook (using the bundled discs) about an hour ago. There was an Options button on about the third screen into the process. It was down the bottom and towards the left.

ok, so now we know 4 sure.......

thanks to mj for clearing that up

 

[FFTT]

A clean " Custom " install will shave off enough to drop your install down to about 10.1 GB.

You can then go into your Applications folder and delete other Applications you are sure you won't ever be using.

Garage Band Demo songs and iDVD Themes are real space wasters, along with all the
typical extra printer drivers and language translators, software demos etc.

You have to know what you are doing , but most Applications also have Preference
and Application Support Folders you can delete too, to save space.

Use Spotlight to find the associated files and folders.

I've read that one audio pro dropped his dedicated workstation down to under 5 GB's without losing anything really important for daily use.

 

[plinden]

I've done three separate installs of OS X (two to external HDs and one to my wife's MacBook) and on the first two, I did a customized install. But on the third one I missed the option and ended up installing everything. It's easy to do. It's not like there's a big in-yer-face CUSTOMIZE button.

I ended up manually removing GarageBand and the iWork demo, and removing languages with Monolingual, and recovered about 5GB.

 

[idiwa]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I've got appzapper so I could just manually go thru all the dross and get rid of it. But really I'd rather do another clean install and get it right this time I suppose the lesson to be learned is NOT to do an OS install when your totally knackard and looking at a 6AM start the next morning. (i think it was about 9.30 when i started putting the new HDD in).

Thanks again.