Hello, just found this forum

Hi All, just found this forum, and already seeking help.., desperately !!
i have had this iMac for over 3 years up graded to Snow Leopard a year or so ago, had a hard drive fail under warranty, the tech loaded all my soft ware that came with the computer, plus Snow Leopard every thing loaded up except for iPhoto, it was on the original set up, can i get it back by reloading the original two disks ?

You can get it back by reinstalling Snow Leopard or by extracting it from your original disk with a utility called "Pacifist".

thank you for your reply, are there any precautions i need to take when reinstalling the original disks or just pop them in and go for it ?

thank you.

You should ALWAYS have a backup, but if you reinstall without reformatting (erasing) should be no issues.

back again, i reinstalled the original disks last night, and now i find that i have lost everything i had previously, i thought i had a full back up on my WD external HD, i also thought i had it backed up using Time Machine, but this morning all my Bookmarks and Downloads are gone.

can they still be recovered ? if so, HOW?

Backed up to where? If the same volume you just reinstalled on, then your stuff is most likely gone.

as mentioned previously..,i "thought i had a full back up on my WD external HD, i also thought i had it backed up using Time Machine,"

this is my first ever Mac, i also am not a rocket scientist when it comes to computers, i am from the old school where we had manuals that come with the computer, we could actually open paper pages with print on them and read detailed trouble shooting guides.., i am just being funny, but it reminds me of a city boy who would never eat eggs when he learned they come out of a chickens behind.

any way, on my WD back up i clicked the "Backup" button, it said "completed backup" (?) or something similar, does that "backup" or copy everything i had on my main HD at that time, e.g., History, Downloads, Bookmarks etc.

as for "Time Machine", i originally had it set to "Automatic", when i wanted to restore, i clicked on that button, and it asks for the disk, i did not install a disk, didn't know i had to,.., ya see, i don't know much, that is why i am here for, to learn, and hopefully there are some good teachers to help me learn. right now i think i am flying in an open cockpit airplane with frosted goggles.

apparently there is no hope for my disaster, of re-installing the Mac disks ??