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URGENT - MacBook Return and back to PowerBook Help QUICK

Y

Yaja123

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 19, 2005
164
0
tomorrow is the last day that i can return my new macbook - 14 day return period. with the announcements today im going to return it tomorrow after a clean install etc. just came back from apple store and they confirmed i can do this.

what i want to know is how can i get quick up and running back on my Powerbook G4 1.5Ghz (which i have to take off ebay!)?

i have a superduper backup of my macbook (3!!) and im guessing i cant just restore onto a powerbook because the apple updates are processor specific, true?

anyone know a very quick way of getting my apps and whole 'Home" folder with everything in it onto my powerbook and working without issues.

ive spent the best part of 2 weeks setting my macbook up to perfection - damn apple! but im so happy i can get the latest hardware.... and at a cheaper price! and now im going to max out the hard drive and ram!!! :) and going to shift from white to black... what was i thinking?! then im going to keep this baby forever!....
 
Yaja123 said:
i have a superduper backup of my macbook (3!!) and im guessing i cant just restore onto a powerbook because the apple updates are processor specific, true?
Click to expand...

Yes and no..

You could SuperDuper it back, but the OS install & many apps are for an Intel based Mac, it's not going to run on your PPC Mac.
 
are you getting another macbook? if so, why do you need to hurry on powerbook?

the best way of installing the apps are to install them again, IMO

and the documents and music, just copy over

you have to install the updates for PPC version from apple's website or software update
 
maybe you can get the new Macbook, transfer all your stuff, then return your old macbook? Hell you could even do it in the apple store.
 
THis is very easy and I have donei t successfully before on many occasion. Make a copy of your hard drive onto an external firewire drive if possible. Then when you start up the new machine set it to do the migration and when it says to plug in the other computer via firewire you plug in the external drive. It will do the migration.

Kevin
 
i was hoping an apple manager would sign my receipt and allow me to keep my macbook until the new macbooks come in but they said they couldnt do it - apple policy. so the only option i have is to return it tomorrow, get a full refund and then order from the apple website.

it says three days to ship but that can change as we all know. in the mean time i need a fully functional setup computer to work on. id cleaned the powerbook ready for sale.

if i have to install individually its going to be a longish night!!! oh well, it has to be done. there is no way im keeping the macbook with this kind of upgrade available for virtually free.

going to buy black with 2gb ram / 120gb hard .... muhahahahahah!

just a bumber with this hassle. i was thinking today that i was completely free of 'computer work' - i had everything perfect. i was actually going to get down to some real work then i clicked the apple website button!! :)
 
or you don't need to make it completely functional if it's for temp and you perhaps plan to sell it later... jsut copy over the stuff you need, unless you need EVERYTHING on there which i somehow doubt
 
true bearbo.... but im not sure my would brain switch off / sleep unless everything was perfect. im going install just the essentials and see how i sleep tonight! :D
 
how to best 'clean' a machine for return / sale?

im going delete all the non personal files - music etc then im going to file vault the system so everything personal gets mega encrypted then im going to perform a clean install over this.

is this the best way of leaving the computer free of personal files?

in the unlikely event of my someone at apple being interested in recovering my files from my returned macbook the file vault encrypted files would be unviewable right?... true?

im know this is alittle extreme and im not a very important person - i have very little to hide - but i still would feel more at ease doing this.

any better way?
 
can i just copy my HOME folder over to my powerbook or will the libray be uncompatible?

could i do a SuperDuper 'user file' only restore?
 
Yaja123 said:
im going delete all the non personal files - music etc then im going to file vault the system so everything personal gets mega encrypted then im going to perform a clean install over this.

is this the best way of leaving the computer free of personal files?

in the unlikely event of my someone at apple being interested in recovering my files from my returned macbook the file vault encrypted files would be unviewable right?... true?

im know this is alittle extreme and im not a very important person - i have very little to hide - but i still would feel more at ease doing this.

any better way?
Click to expand...

That would work, but I think it's overkill. You can format the disk and write zeros over the whole thing using Disk Utility from the Restore CD before you reinstall OS X. That should be good enough.
 
Yaja123 said:
im going delete all the non personal files - music etc then im going to file vault the system so everything personal gets mega encrypted then im going to perform a clean install over this.

is this the best way of leaving the computer free of personal files?

in the unlikely event of my someone at apple being interested in recovering my files from my returned macbook the file vault encrypted files would be unviewable right?... true?

im know this is alittle extreme and im not a very important person - i have very little to hide - but i still would feel more at ease doing this.

any better way?
Click to expand...

i would just delete all files, you really dont need to file vault anything...

if you are REALLY worried, format the harddrive for 10 times probably would do, but that'll take a while
 
Unless you're carrying classified documents on your hard drive, a 7-pass erasure is all you need. File-vaulting is completely unnecessary.
 
yellow said:
Unless you're carrying classified documents on your hard drive, a 7-pass erasure is all you need. File-vaulting is completely unnecessary.
Click to expand...

even 7-pass is gonna take a LONG time, isn't it?
 
so when i do a reinstall (later tonight) it will give me the option to secure erase before reinstalling? or are you saying delete all the files securely then do a disk util of erase all free space? 7 pass.

OPs?

and its a him
 
OP = Original Poster

As for what you do, it depends on your level of paranoia and time commitment. Undoubtedly secure erasing and then doing a 7-pass erase would take an extraordinary amount of time.

I'm not sure if Erase & Install offers the Security Options button, I've not had to do it in quite some time. When you boot from the installer DVD, just choose Disk Utility from the Utilities (?) pull-down menu and erase the drive from there. Then proceed as normal with the install.
 
if my memory serves me right.. the last time i tried 7pass, it took me more than just overnight
 
im just going to do a basic zero pass. i have nothing other than one keychain. i keep all my personal docs in a disk image which is encrypted anyway.

thanks for all your help

and what about just copying my home folder over?
 
i wouldn't do that because i'm not sure what preferences files are in the macbook and how compatible is it, i dont want that to cause problem.. not that i'm sure it will
 
order the new black macbook - just upgraded the ram to 2gb

i also just secured deleted the files i want private then did a zero pass on the free space. im now doing a normal re install. i cant be bothered to wait to format the whole drive with zero's.....

so hopefully i return within the next couple of hours... then the ordeal is over.

and the delivery date for the new macbook is 24 nov so ive done a full setup of the powebook. im good to go.

thanks for everyones help.
 
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