Got my sister and iBook G3 for Christmas, Need help with cleaning it up.

Well, my sister has been wanting a laptop for a long time and I managed to find her and old iBook. It's an orange clamshell. My problem is I want to wipe everything left from the previous owner but keep a couple programs and OS X. Problem with doing that though is I don't have any CDs for it. I just have what came on the hard drive. I am relatively knowledgeable when it comes to computers but I have never really worked with a mac before. Is what I want to do doable or is there something else I can do that is cheep. I got the iBook for next to nothing so spending a bit of money isn't a problem. If anyone can help or point me in the right direction I would really appreciate it. It is running OS X 10.2.8. The only programs that are necessary for me to keep are MS Word and Excel. The other ones would be nice though.

If the application are in the applications folder. Then just create a new user and then remove the old user. Be sure to make the new user an adminstrator account. Also make sure there is nothing in the old user folder that you want.

Wow, that is incredibly simple. So are the applications considered in the aps folder if they are there when I click the Applications buttons under the finder window?

Yes, that is a short cut to the application folder.

Thanks for the help.

You can probably get the reinstall disks relatively inexspensive from Apple. Call 1-800-275-2273. Whenever I buy a new *used* mac that doesn't have the disks I order the reinstallation disks from apple. Prices vary by computer and os that was installed from the start.

I was thinking Apple might have something like that. I will have to look into that. Although I am probably going to skip it because I am short on money.

Well, wow. I was going to ask if it would be possible to transfer the install to another hard drive and then put that one in the iBook but I just looked at how to change the hard drive in one of these and that is not happening any time soon.

I just called apple to order disks for my powermac g3 b/w. It was 25$ and 4.95$ shipping.

Really? well that is plenty cheep enough. Now the only question I have is will I be able to get Microsoft office with that for cheep?

x_25 said:

Really? well that is plenty cheep enough. Now the only question I have is will I be able to get Microsoft office with that for cheep?

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You could just copy Office to an external, then wipe the machine and drag and drop it back in.

Vodevil said:

You could just copy Office to an external, then wipe the machine and drag and drop it back in.

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That works? Guess Mac is a little less strict than Windows. Thanks, I'll have to do that when I upgrade the Hard drive.

x_25 said:

That works? Guess Mac is a little less strict than Windows. Thanks, I'll have to do that when I upgrade the Hard drive.

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I think that's assuming it's on the hard drive already.


You'd have to purchase a copy at full price.

Or alternatively - use NeoOffice for free legally.

alaceo said:

I think that's assuming it's on the hard drive already.


You'd have to purchase a copy at full price.

Or alternatively - use NeoOffice for free legally.

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It is already installed on the laptop.

Getting the restore disks is essential: you get the bundled software and OS installers and you also have diagnostic tools for the iBook adn as you saw previously from miles's post they're pretty cheap.

I don't think that for the Micro$oft Office Suite it's a mere copy over and drag back to the hd otherwise a lot of people would have a free Office suite on their Macs. There will be tons of missing bits, some visible and some invisible and they will prevent the apps from working.

If you didn't get the install disks along with the iBook, either contact the person you bought the iBook from, buy Office for Mac or use OpenOffice or NeoOffice which are free.

The seller was supposed to wipe all the software off of the hard drive if he/she wasn't going to include the installation disks otherwise it's illegal to do so.

MacHeadCase said:

I don't think that for the Micro$oft Office Suite it's a mere copy over and drag back to the hd otherwise a lot of people would have a free Office suite on their Macs. There will be tons of missing bits, some visible and some invisible and they will prevent the apps from working.

Click to expand...

Well, I know it works for most apps... You make a good point though, it is Microsoft so maybe not. I don't know, I don't use any of their products on my Mac.

It ususally works with most freeware or donationware for sure. But Micro$oft being what it is... ;D

And I don't use their uhm apps either!