Apple Mac OS X 10.2 - Manual (Page 4)

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Advice about installing Mac OS X
Restoring your computer's software
If you are restoring your computer's software and your computer came with Mac OS X
v10.2 or later, follow the instructions that came with your computer to restore the
software.
Erasing and formatting your disk
When you install Mac OS X, you can erase the destination disk. In the “Select a
Destination” pane of the Installer, click the Options button. Select Erase and Install and
then choose a format. In most cases, choose Mac OS Extended (HFS Plus). Be sure you
have backed up your files before you erase the disk.
To install Mac OS X on the same disk or disk partition as Mac OS 9, the disk must be in
Mac OS Extended format. If it isn’t, you need to erase the disk.
You can also divide your hard disk into several partitions before you install Mac OS X.
Choose Open Disk Utility from the Installer menu and click Partition. Partitioning the
disk erases the entire hard disk, so be sure to back up your files first.
Important Do not choose UNIX File System (UFS) as the format for the destination disk
unless you need to work with this format. If you choose UNIX File System, you must
install Mac OS 9 and your Mac OS 9 applications on a Mac OS Extended format disk to
use them with the Classic Environment.
Reinstalling Mac OS X
To reinstall Mac OS X, insert the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 CD and double-click the Install
Mac OS X icon. Select the destination disk and click Options, then select “Archive and
Install.” To save your existing users and groups, homes, and network settings, select
the checkbox.
The Installer saves your existing system files in a folder named Previous System. You
cannot start up your computer using the Previous System folder.