Will a clean install of OS X reset every thing?

[Good User]

several years ago there was a windows app called screen bright that was used to change the graphic cards gamma ramp and it had a warning that said "It might void your monitor's warranty", and its changes were permanent, even after a clean install of windows the changes remained. Yesterday I installed an app called supercal for mac, and I think it has changed some hardware settings like screen bright although the developers deny. I can clearly remember that in gradient test(http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/gradient.php) my screen showed a smooth gradient and now it has clear bands on it, and returning the display profile to color lcd won't make it like before. I am not an expert, so I have this question, Is this possible to change the settings of graphic card or other hardware in OS X?

 

[FrozenDarkness]

several years ago there was a windows app called screen bright that was used to change the graphic cards gamma ramp and it had a warning that said "It might void your monitor's warranty", and its changes were permanent, even after a clean install of windows the changes remained. Yesterday I installed an app called supercal for mac, and I think it has changed some hardware settings like screen bright although the developers deny. I can clearly remember that in gradient test(http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/gradient.php) my screen showed a smooth gradient and now it has clear bands on it, and returning the display profile to color lcd won't make it like before. I am not an expert, so I have this question, Is this possible to change the settings of graphic card or other hardware in OS X?

i find it hard that a clean install of software won't change everything to default, even in your windows computers. what's likely is that the software may have actually affected the hardware somewhat. maybe it actually broke your screen, although I find that hard to believe as well.

 

[simonsi]

i find it hard that a clean install of software won't change everything to default, even in your windows computers. what's likely is that the software may have actually affected the hardware somewhat. maybe it actually broke your screen, although I find that hard to believe as well.

Possible that some careless programming has overwritten a default file/setting somewhere and the install process isn't, for whatever reason, overwriting it back with the original data.

Those developers may be able to address it by a proper "uninstall" procedure that does overwrite such a file again, but his time with the proper original data. Generally hardware can't be damaged by software, especially where low voltages and no mechanical movement is involved.

 

[FrozenDarkness]

I mean, all we're talking about is what's on the hard drive. it's possible that whatever you did rewrote the bios, but that's most likely not possible from within an operating system.

 

[Good User]

I just tested ScreenBright.exe in my pc. This sofware changes something in the hardware. Either graphic card or monitor.(or maybe some other hardware.) If you don't beleive me download it from the internet and check it yourself it's a 340 kb .exe file that doesn't need installation.

 

[Rbk23]

I don't think it would have changed anything. Mine is still pretty much smooth, and the same as it was before I installed Supercal. I am exchanging my Macbook, so I will do some before and after analysis of the LCD profile.

 

[alexrmc92]

several years ago there was a windows app called screen bright that was used to change the graphic cards gamma ramp and it had a warning that said "It might void your monitor's warranty", and its changes were permanent, even after a clean install of windows the changes remained. Yesterday I installed an app called supercal for mac, and I think it has changed some hardware settings like screen bright although the developers deny. I can clearly remember that in gradient test(http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/gradient.php) my screen showed a smooth gradient and now it has clear bands on it, and returning the display profile to color lcd won't make it like before. I am not an expert, so I have this question, Is this possible to change the settings of graphic card or other hardware in OS X?

It may change some NVRAM settings, do a NVRAM reset then clean install OS X from a USB drive. Make sure to fully format your main hard drive before reinstalling. Back up any files you may need, because they will be gone when OS X boots back up.

 

[Good User]

It may change some NVRAM settings, do a NVRAM reset then clean install OS X from a USB drive. Make sure to fully format your main hard drive before reinstalling. Back up any files you may need, because they will be gone when OS X boots back up.

I did it, It showed a smooth gradient in low brightness and not in high brightness, and I didn't notice that, SuperCal just creates a colour profile and nothing else. It's safe to use.

 

[MCAsan]

A clean install usually means you reformat the drive and reinstall the OS And apps from the App Store. Unless you restore from a backup...all is new.