Password reset

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Hello! I recently picked up a titanium powerbookg4 at a yardsale for 400$ and it included Adobe Photoshop, and everything..which is useful because i will be going into computer graphics, and figured it would be a good starting -out commputer for my major instead of buying a brand new one..but anywho...

..when i was trying to uninstall some programs that i didn't need on the computer, it prompted for the admin password, which i didn't know. so i found this website that site that gave me info on how to do it.

2 questions:

1-When i use that method is it going to erase all of the programs or files that i already have on the computer?

2-if i use my cousin's osx instal disc, which is one of the earlier OSX versions (mines is 10.4 i think?), will it downgrade the version i already have to the one that's on the actual install disc that i use?

thank you very much..ANY reply would be greatly appreciated ;D
 
M

MacHeadCase

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Welcome to Mac-Forums, anonymiss808.

As a How To, you could check out Apple's Knowledge Base Article, Mac OS X: Changing or resetting an account password. The info might be a bit more complete but what you found is good too.

As for the re-install of OS X and keeping apps already installed from the previous owner, this will get complicated so hang on. Technically it's illegal to keep software that was installed on that PowerBook by the previous owner. To make it legal you should have bought Photoshop from him/her.

As for OS X, it's always best to buy a previously owned Mac with the disk set that came with it because if ever you need to re-install, like in your case, or you need to troubleshoot, you're left out in the cold. If I were you, I'd contact the person you bought the PowerBook from and ask for the disks that came with the PB: he/she can't use it on any other computer anyway, since these install disks are model-specific.
 
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Welcome to Mac-Forums, anonymiss808.

As a How To, you could check out Apple's Knowledge Base Article, Mac OS X: Changing or resetting an account password. The info might be a bit more complete but what you found is good too.

As for the re-install of OS X and keeping apps already installed from the previous owner, this will get complicated so hang on. Technically it's illegal to keep software that was installed on that PowerBook by the previous owner. To make it legal you should have bought Photoshop from him/her.

As for OS X, it's always best to buy a previously owned Mac with the disk set that came with it because if ever you need to re-install, like in your case, or you need to troubleshoot, you're left out in the cold. If I were you, I'd contact the person you bought the PowerBook from and ask for the disks that came with the PB: he/she can't use it on any other computer anyway, since these install disks are model-specific.

argh. well, the man i bought it from, he does computer networking for schools and told me about how the schools keep updating their systems, not needing the old stuff anymore, which is where he got this computer from. i used my best judgement, and he seems like a geniuine person, when i went to his home for the yardsale, he had a wife and child, and answered all of my questions very well.

now im panicing...am i in trouble? i would think that if he knows all of that software came with the computer that he sold me, that it technically means that i did buy photoshop from him, and that it was included in the price of the computer.

i think the orignial discs are probably with the school..i can ask the guy if he still has them, though...but i doubt it...so should i just shell out 130$ at the mac store for a brand new osx tiger disc for future problems/for reseting the password?

did i make a wrong move in purchacing this computer? i have to admit that i did make a rushed decision in purchancing it, and because of that, i never thought about the original discs that came with it.
 
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MacHeadCase

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Not necessarily a wrong move. Depending on the PowerBook model you got, you still only paid $400 for it.

And if you buy Mac OS X Tiger, you can keep it for life. Too bad about the PowerBook disks not being part of the deal though 'cause you would have had the installer for the iLife suite.

Of course, you can get a brand new MacBook with the software bundle that comes with it and warranty for $1099. So it depends on how you look at things, I would say.
 

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