04-12-2011, 04:08 PM

Hey all, this is my first post here. Here at work we picked up a used mac pro for some editing with FCP. We already have three Mac Pro which we bought new. This new/used we bought has some weird OS issues. Its a dual quad 2.93 xeon with dual nvidia GT120 and an AJA Kona 3 card. It is running 10.5.8. For example say I open "System Preferences", the window will open but it will be blank. I can grab the top of the window with the mouse and shake it and then all of the icons will appear. Now if I click on "Network", the screen for it looks like a monitor with a sync issue, everything is scrambled, until I minimize it. When I maximize the screen again everything looks fine. If I click on an item on the "Network" to modify the IP address, the blinking cursor does not show up. I can type a new address in with nothing showing up. If I minimize the screen and then maximize it, what I typed is there. I am not very knowledgeable when it comes MAC OS's. I cannot figure this one out. I have run the update application and everything is updated.

Thanks

04-12-2011, 04:23 PM

Did you receive the original install media with the machine when you purchased it? With all of those odd ball problems occurring you may be looking at a reinstall of OS X. And for that you're going to need the original Leopard install DVD set. By the way, anytime you pick up a used machine it's always a good idea to wipe it and do a clean install.

We have several of our members who are more familiar with the Mac Pro series and should be along later on to perhaps provide some better answers.

04-12-2011, 04:33 PM

Unfortunately I did not receive all of the software with this machine. I have some of the installed stuff like FCP and Adobe CS4, but not the OS disk. The other machine's I have have disk but they are running 10.6 and I can't get those disks to work with this machine. I really don't want to format this machine if at all possible. I will end up lossing a lot of programs, I do not have disks for.

Thanks

04-12-2011, 07:44 PM

I hate to tell you this (and you should already know it) but if you don't have the original disks and install serial numbers for those programs, you are not legally licensed to have them on the machine anyway.

04-13-2011, 09:19 AM

Originally Posted by chscag

if you don't have the original disks and install serial numbers for those programs, you are not legally licensed to have them on the machine anyway.

I'm probably misinterpreting the legal logic of this, but; surely, shouldn't it be that, as the computer is Sold-as-Seen - with all the software pre-installed - the legal burden should be upon the seller to not use the disks & serial numbers to install the software on another machine?

It's them who'll be committing the crime of installing the software on another machine, while the buyer of the second-hand Mac will have the original machine the software was licensed for.

I'm sure I've got that wrong somewhere, but could you explain why, just so I'll know for future reference.

And I've waffled there, my basic question really is: Is it legal to buy a second-hand Mac with pre-installed software so long as the disks & SNs are supplied, or are installs a one-sale only item, making it technically illegal to resell install disks/SNs even bundled with the machine they were used on?

I'm planning on buying a second-hand Mac myself, so this kind of legal small-print detail is pretty important!

04-13-2011, 10:36 AM

I'm not a lawyer, but so far as I can see, whoever has the discs/boxes/receipts/etc can "prove" that he has a legal license. Unless you have something like that, you can't prove that you have a legal license to anything. You might as well have gotten your copy and/or serial numbers from a pirate. (And if the original "owner" is not willing to sell the original discs, then there's a good chance that he or she actually did get their copies and serial numbers through piracy.)

I don't think there's anything illegal about just buying a used Mac that happens to have the previous owner's stuff on it. But then what? If you somehow got investigated, you'd have something on your computer that you couldn't prove you had any right to. Good luck playing the "it was just there when I bought it" card in front of a judge.

Again, I'm not a lawyer, and remember that this is free advice from a guy on the Internet.

04-13-2011, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by technologist

I'm not a lawyer, but so far as I can see, whoever has the discs/boxes/receipts/etc can "prove" that he has a legal license. Unless you have something like that, you can't prove that you have a legal license to anything. You might as well have gotten your copy and/or serial numbers from a pirate. (And if the original "owner" is not willing to sell the original discs, then there's a good chance that he or she actually did get their copies and serial numbers through piracy.)

I don't think there's anything illegal about just buying a used Mac that happens to have the previous owner's stuff on it. But then what? If you somehow got investigated, you'd have something on your computer that you couldn't prove you had any right to. Good luck playing the "it was just there when I bought it" card in front of a judge.

Again, I'm not a lawyer, and remember that this is free advice from a guy on the Internet.

Exactly. It's called a "license" for a reason. You don't own the software itself, you own a license to use it. It's roughly akin to being pulled over and being asked to show your driver's license, which proves that you have permission from the government to operate a vehicle on public roads. Just because you bought the car from someone who did have a license, doesn't mean that you do.

04-13-2011, 06:39 PM

Wow guys. The computer was bought at an auction from a production company that went under. All software licences transfered to the winner of the auction, me. This got a little off topic quick.

I just purchased a 10.6 dvd and am going to be doing an upgrade, hopefully this will solve the issue I'm having with the OS. Its really weird because all non OS applications run perfectly on this machine.

04-13-2011, 09:44 PM

I really don't want to format this machine if at all possible. I will end up lossing a lot of programs, I do not have disks for.

Wow guys. The computer was bought at an auction from a production company that went under. All software licences transfered to the winner of the auction, me. This got a little off topic quick.

Well, according to your first post which I quoted above you stated you would lose programs you do not have the disks for.

Then you say in the second reply that all software licenses were transferred to you. If you don't have the original disks and serial numbers nothing was transferred to you.

We're not trying to give you a hard time about this but you do need to know what is legal and what is not. In any event, the Snow Leopard upgrade disk should work without removing any programs you have on the machine.