SL Clean Install on a late 2007 MB

[Surely]

I'm planning on doing a clean install on my late 2007 MacBook. I used this MB until I got my new MBP, so it already has SL on it (from when I upgraded to SL). I am giving the MB to my mother, so I want to set it up as a new computer for her. I want the OS to be completely fresh, as if the MB has never been used before.

Obviously, I will not need to transfer over any files/docs/music/etc. I just want the MB to be loaded with what a MB typically has on it out-of-the-box.

The MB came with Leopard (10.5) System Install Discs (obviously), which I still have.

I will be doing the clean install from the $29 Snow Leopard Upgrade disc that I bought.

From what I understand, the SL clean install should go like this:

1. Insert SL disc and reboot MB
2. Select language and continue
3. Select Disk Utility, select disk, and select Erase Disk
4. Close Disk Utility
5. Back in the SL Install window, select 'Install'
6. Wait for SL to be installed (approx. 45 minutes)

Are those the correct steps?

My main question is this: Once I finish the clean install of Snow Leopard, will all of the standard Apple applications be there? I'm talking about iLife and anything else that typically comes with a Mac. Or, will I have to insert the System Install Discs that came with the MB and install iLife from there?


Alternatively, should I do the fresh install using the Install Discs that the MB came with, and then upgrade to SL?

 

[cjmillsnun]

I'm planning on doing a clean install on my late 2007 MacBook. I used this MB until I got my new MBP, so it already has SL on it (from when I upgraded to SL). I am giving the MB to my mother, so I want to set it up as a new computer for her. I want the OS to be completely fresh, as if the MB has never been used before.

Obviously, I will not need to transfer over any files/docs/music/etc. I just want the MB to be loaded with what a MB typically has on it out-of-the-box.

The MB came with Leopard (10.5) System Install Discs (obviously), which I still have.

I will be doing the clean install from the $29 Snow Leopard Upgrade disc that I bought.

From what I understand, the SL clean install should go like this:

1. Insert SL disc and reboot MB
2. Select language and continue
3. Select Disk Utility, select disk, and select Erase Disk
4. Close Disk Utility
5. Back in the SL Install window, select 'Install'
6. Wait for SL to be installed (approx. 45 minutes)

Are those the correct steps?

My main question is this: Once I finish the clean install of Snow Leopard, will all of the standard Apple applications be there? I'm talking about iLife and anything else that typically comes with a Mac. Or, will I have to insert the System Install Discs that came with the MB and install iLife from there?


Alternatively, should I do the fresh install using the Install Discs that the MB came with, and then upgrade to SL?

Your steps are 100% correct.

To answer your question, iLife will not be installed, however photobooth, Safari, iChat etc would. iLife is found on your applications DVD that came with your mac.

 

[EndlessMac]

From what I understand, the SL clean install should go like this:

1. Insert SL disc and reboot MB
2. Select language and continue
3. Select Disk Utility, select disk, and select Erase Disk
4. Close Disk Utility
5. Back in the SL Install window, select 'Install'
6. Wait for SL to be installed (approx. 45 minutes)

Are those the correct steps?

It's been awhile since I've reinstalled the OS so I may not remember correctly but I don't think you need to first erase the disk. The clean install should do that for you. I believe the extra erasing step in Disk Utility is for people who want to sell their computers and want to do a secure erasing of their hard drive before reinstalling the OS. Unless you think your Mom will hack into your hard drive to find data about you then you probably are safe.

My main question is this: Once I finish the clean install of Snow Leopard, will all of the standard Apple applications be there? I'm talking about iLife and anything else that typically comes with a Mac. Or, will I have to insert the System Install Discs that came with the MB and install iLife from there?

Alternatively, should I do the fresh install using the Install Discs that the MB came with, and then upgrade to SL?

The OS disc whether it's the one that comes with the computer or the full retail version only has the OS on it and any applications included with the OS. Every Mac computer should come with two discs. One disc for the OS and one for the applications so yes you will have to install the applications yourself.

I would assume the applications disc should work in SL but if it doesn't then do what you suggested and install the OS from the install discs first and then upgrade. Doing the SL way would be the quickest though.

 

[Surely]

Nice. Thanks a lot guys.

@ cjmillsnun: Yeah, I figured that I'd have to use the Install disc for iLife. Thanks for confirming!

@ EndlessMac: No, I don't think that my Mom will hack into anything (there isn't anything on the MB that I wouldn't want her to see), but I'd really like her to have the experience of starting with as fresh of a machine as a hand-me-down can be. As I've upgraded my Macs over the years (iBook G3 to iBook G4, to MacBook, to MacBook Pro), I've always given her the machine I was replacing, but I've simply deleted my data file by file. As it looks, the extra step will just make the process slightly longer. I take extremely good care of my Macs, so she's getting a machine that looks brand new.

 

[Surely]

UPDATE:

I did the clean install this morning following my above steps, and it went well. I then did a software update, and then inserted the MB System Discs to install iLife. Then, I had to run a couple of software updates.

It took some time, but it was painless and easy.

The only thing to add is that in the first step, when I inserted the Snow Leopard disc and did the restart, I held down the Option key during the restart.

Thanks again guys

 

[Qin Zhi]

Surely:

Hi there! When you did a clean install of SL using the version being sold on retail, did it come with all the necessary drivers for your unit (2007 MB)? Meaning, at no point were you prompted to insert the 10.5 restore disc for in order to install the appropriate display, audio, etc. drivers?

I'm asking because while I'm using the 2009 MBP 13" which came with SL, a friend of mine owns a 2008 (?) aluminum MB which came with Leopard only, and she want to upgrade her OS to SL by buying the retail version of SL at the Apple Store, and I'll be helping her perform the upgrade, and I just would like to know if all I'll be needing would be (1) the SL upgrade disc and (2) the original applications disk that came with unit (for iLife, etc.).

Thanks!

 

[Surely]

Surely:

Hi there! When you did a clean install of SL using the version being sold on retail, did it come with all the necessary drivers for your unit (2007 MB)? Meaning, at no point were you prompted to insert the 10.5 restore disc for in order to install the appropriate display, audio, etc. drivers?

I'm asking because while I'm using the 2009 MBP 13" which came with SL, a friend of mine owns a 2008 (?) aluminum MB which came with Leopard only, and she want to upgrade her OS to SL by buying the retail version of SL at the Apple Store, and I'll be helping her perform the upgrade, and I just would like to know if all I'll be needing would be (1) the SL upgrade disc and (2) the original applications disk that came with unit (for iLife, etc.).

Thanks!

Drivers?

I think this is pretty clear:

I did the clean install this morning following my above steps, and it went well. I then did a software update, and then inserted the MB System Discs to install iLife.

So yes, you would need to insert the system install disc to install iLife.


Just in case this is your real angle: you cannot use your system discs on her machine. It will not work.

 

[EndlessMac]

Hi there! When you did a clean install of SL using the version being sold on retail, did it come with all the necessary drivers for your unit (2007 MB)? Meaning, at no point were you prompted to insert the 10.5 restore disc for in order to install the appropriate display, audio, etc. drivers?

You are thinking about Windows. With Mac OS X you just have to install the OS and you are done with the OS part of the update. The next step is to install your applications.

 

[Qin Zhi]

Thank you so much, guys! Yup, I must admit I'm still a mac newbie. All my computers prior to my 1 month old mbp ran on Windows and obviously I barely have any experience reinstalling one.

About two weeks ago, I messed-up my mbp, thus I did a clean install using the restore disc that came with the unit. I haven't tried upgrading the os of a mac yet. But I'm assuming that it will only work for my unit because the label on the DVD says that it's for the "MacBook Pro 13"", and I'm assuming that the drivers that come with it are specific to that unit only, since I know that the specifications of my MBP and that of my friend's (aluminum MacBook, not mbp) somehow differ.

But thanks for your quick reply, guys! We'll just probably buy the upgrade sold at the Apple Store, the price is soo negligible anyway (even if compared to the cheapest version of Windows--hahaha).

 

[EndlessMac]

About two weeks ago, I messed-up my mbp, thus I did a clean install using the restore disc that came with the unit. I haven't tried upgrading the os of a mac yet. But I'm assuming that it will only work for my unit because the label on the DVD says that it's for the "MacBook Pro 13"", and I'm assuming that the drivers that come with it are specific to that unit only, since I know that the specifications of my MBP and that of my friend's (aluminum MacBook, not mbp) somehow differ.

But thanks for your quick reply, guys! We'll just probably buy the upgrade sold at the Apple Store, the price is soo negligible anyway (even if compared to the cheapest version of Windows--hahaha).

As a general rule to keep in mind, if it's a retail copy of Mac OS and not the one that comes with your computer then you should be able to install it on any Mac computer. You don't really need to worry about drivers like you do on Windows. Just keep in mind that SL will only install on Intel Macs and not PowerPC Macs. This is not a problem for you and your friends because you two have recent Macs which are all Intel. It's just something to keep in mind if you help out a friend with an older Mac.

 

[Qin Zhi]

EndlessMac:

Thanks for your reply!

I have another question, and this may seem too simple for experienced mac users like you. Before I reinstall her mac, I would need to back-up all her important files, and she has not made any time machine back-up since she purchased her computer. By "important files" i mean:

1. Her documents, photos, music, etc.; and
2. Files or databases automatically created by applications to store email, browser bookmarks and links, calendar entries, address book entries, instant messaging archives, and the like.

Obviously, I have no problem with the files belonging to the first type because she only saves them in folders such as "Documents", "Music", etc. under her own user folder.

But regarding those files of the second type, do most (if not all) mac applications store those types of files all under the user's folder as well, such as the "Library" folder? In other words, just to be safe, would I need to make a backup of any other folder located outside her own user folder before totally wipe her hard disc clean? There are no other user accounts configured in the unit except that of hers.

This is what we plan to do:

1. Copy her entire user folder (and other important files/folders) to a new 500gb external hard disc;
2. Perform a clean installation of snow leopard, formatting the hard disc in the process;
3. Download all updates;
4. Copy all backed-up files from the external hard disc to a temporary folder in her mac ;
5. Format her external hard disc and configure it for time machine backup;
6. Perform an initial time machine back-up; and finally,
7. Begin the painstaking process of gradually moving her files from the temporary folder to their corresponding folders under her new user folder after having installed their corresponding applications. I'll just perform a "match the folder/file" approach; that is, after installing a program, say YM, I will check the new user folder, say under the Library, if it created a folder for it and examines the files it contains. If it did, I'll just transfer those from the temporary folder that matches them (after having backed up the original ones, so as not to mess them up).

I just want to know know I'm doing it right, or if you guys might have better suggestions. Thanks again for all the trouble. You guys are great!

 

[EndlessMac]

You are making things harder for yourself. What I would do is just do a Time Machine backup of her computer now on the external hard drive before installing SL. Just make sure to have Time Machine backup everything and then check to see if the Time Machine backup is good before installing SL.

I believe SL does an upgrade as default and if you want to do a clean install you have to actually select that option. When you are installing SL just make sure to pay attention to whether you are doing an upgrade or a clean erase install, etc but like I said I believe upgrade is the default action if you choose nothing else. In the past Mac OS had the options for either upgrade, archive and install, or erase and install. An upgrade is the easiest because it will keep basically everything and install the new OS on top of what you have now. That is what you want if you want to keep things easy.

If you do a erase and install then you are wiping the hard drive completely clean. I believe you can then restore what you had in Leopard from your Time Machine backup. I haven't tried this myself. Either way if you have a Time Machine backup then you can always go back to what your friend had in case you have problems.

 

[Qin Zhi]

EndlessMac:

Okay, thanks--I'll try that first, that is, I'll first do a Time Machine backup, and then upgrade to Snow Leopard, and if everything's working smoothly, then no problem. At any rate, I can always resort to Plan B (wiping the hard drive clean and performing a clean SL install) when her unit gets so messed up.

Pardon me if it seems that I complicate what should be a very simple task--I'm an ex-windows user. Hahaha!

Thanks again!