Question about Formatting Mac's

Alright, so I bought a MBP 5-6 weeks ago and loved it until the last week or two.

Well, I recently started getting programs taking a long, long time to load such as 25-30 bounces for simple progams that never used to take that long.

Then, I started getting Kernal messages (Saying I must restart in 4 languages).

So, I called up Apple and they went through the Disk Utility Procedures and it found some errors and yet my computer still gives me some Kernal errors.

So, the Apple guy recommend I do a Archieve/Install. He said if that doesn't work....do a complete format and erase everything. If that doesn't work, send it in and they will fix whatever part is broken.

Here is my question.

If I have to format my Mac, is it really as simple as putting in the Restore Disk and choosing to reinstall the CD? I know it has an option menu that allows me to erase/install or Archieve/Install....but if I choose to erase/install...will it literally install the computer to where it was when I got the Mac?

I guess I am used to Windows machines where things would be missing left and right on reinstallations of windows.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Will

Yep its as simple as that

If you Archive and Install from the CD, then you will wipe the hard drive, but ALL of your old files (music, movies, apps, etc.) will be moved to a folder onto your desktop. If you Erase and Install, your machine goes back to factory settings. I suggest you back up your important data to CD, DVD, or preferrably an external Hard Drive then Erase and Install. If you don't want your data to be recoverable, you can zero out your drive in a 0s, 7s, or 35s options, but zeroing out takes quite a while and a little bit of patience.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

I have nothing that I 100% had to keep so I whiped it out completely.

I think some of the things I downloaded are the reasons for the Kernel errors.

Update

I just got my Mac back and up and it really is running fantastic.

Only problem is that IPhoto's update will not download because

The digital signature for this package is incorrect. The package may have been tampered with or corrupted since being signed by “Apple”.

MacWill said:

Update

I just got my Mac back and up and it really is running fantastic.

Only problem is that IPhoto's update will not download because

The digital signature for this package is incorrect. The package may have been tampered with or corrupted since being signed by “Apple”.

Click to expand...

Have you done all of the OS X updates first? Sometimes the installers will give those error messages if the OS isn't up to the point required for it to be installed

I have...I even rebooted several times after that...

I did a google search and came up with people telling me to try and upate it single handidly with it and I tried that but still nothing.

put the install disc back in and 'repair programs'