starting over with a macbook -- help!

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miss_ing


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hi! i'm new to this forum and new to the world of mac...hey hey!! :)

today i converted from pc to mac and received a new 2 ghz core 2 duo macbook. actually, it isn't new, infact 2 weeks old and this is where i have the problem. the previous owner has obviously gone through the set up wizard and registered an administrator acct. i've been into 'accounts' and edited his details out and put mine in, added my own password but there is no option for me to change the 'short name' to my own, from his, and i'm also seeing his name pop up here and there as i'm navigating about and trying to find my feet. how do i start over and rid this comp of him? so that i am the sole administrator? he installed some software on the comp before selling it and i would like to keep that if possible as i don't have the back up discs.

thanks for any help!

ing

(mac newbie)
 
M

MacHeadCase

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Or if you really want to get a fresh new computer, you can insert the install disks, wipe the hard drive and reinstall everything. Just insert the Install DVD 1 in the optical drive, restart holding down the C key and choose from the menu Erase and Install. You will be guided along the installation process so no trouble there. Just make sure you don't stop the install along the way.

BTW, welcome to Mac-Forums, miss_ing!

Let us know how you got your problem solved, ok? :girl:
 
M

MacHeadCase

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Ok let me get this right... You bought the Mac refurbished? How come you didn't get the install disks?

So this wasn't from Apple obviously... Quite a surprise since, when the word refurbished is used, it means Apple sold it.

Get the install disks from the guy: it's a very bad idea to buy a Mac without it's install disks. They contain vital troubleshooting software on them. If ever something goes wrong, you'll have to buy a full version of Mac OS X. And even then you won't have the re-install for the iLife suite and all the rest that comes with a Mac.
 
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miss_ing


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MacHeadCase said:
Ok let me get this right... You bought the Mac refurbished? How come you didn't get the install disks?

So this wasn't from Apple obviously... Quite a surprise since, when the word refurbished is used, it means Apple sold it.

Get the install disks from the guy: it's a very bad idea to buy a Mac without it's install disks. They contain vital troubleshooting software on them. If ever something goes wrong, you'll have to buy a full version of Mac OS X. And even then you won't have the re-install for the iLife suite and all the rest that comes with a Mac.
Click to expand...


no, no..sorry....i have the install discs 1 and 2..but not the discs for the £200software he left on there (Adobe Photoshop CS 2, ThinkFree office 3 (A mac type office app with Word, Powerpoint and Excel apparently), and Roxio CD / DVD Toast 7Titanium. will they all be lost if i restore?
 
M

MacHeadCase

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Yes they will because you will erase everything.

But it is illegal anyway to leave software like that on the hard drive of a computer someone sells unless the previous owner sells you his licences.
 
M

MacHeadCase

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And it is kinda touchy 'cause the guy can de-authorize your machine whenever he feels like it, if ever he needs to reinstall the Adobe software on his own machine, you dig?

Anyway just a heads-up...
 
D3v1L80Y

D3v1L80Y


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MacHeadCase said:
Yes they will because you will erase everything.

But it is illegal anyway to leave software like that on the hard drive of a computer someone sells unless the previous owner sells you his licences.
Click to expand...
Yes, this is true. And I hate to say it, but you really got taken for a ride.
When someone sells a notebook computer with "pre-installed" software on it, and jacks up the cost of it for that reason and then doesn't include the original discs and license... you really lose.

Chances are in that scenario, the seller never paid for that software in the first place and pirated it himself. He probably doesn't even own original discs for that software. Then he goes and has the gall to charge more for it and inflates the price when he includes it on a system he is selling. You end up paying for stolen software and all that money goes into the original thief's pocket.

Never, never, never, never, never buy a system that doesn't include the original discs for ALL of the software included on and with the system at the time of sale.

It makes no difference what kind of 'deal' you are getting on the price... you WILL lose out in the end.
 
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miss_ing


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D3v1L80Y said:
Yes, this is true. And I hate to say it, but you really got taken for a ride.
When someone sells a notebook computer with "pre-installed" software on it, and jacks up the cost of it for that reason and then doesn't include the original discs and license... you really lose.

Chances are in that scenario, the seller never paid for that software in the first place and pirated it himself. He probably doesn't even own original discs for that software. Then he goes and has the gall to charge more for it and inflates the price when he includes it on a system he is selling. You end up paying for stolen software and all that money goes into the original thief's pocket.

Never, never, never, never, never buy a system that doesn't include the original discs for ALL of the software included on and with the system at the time of sale.

It makes no difference what kind of 'deal' you are getting on the price... you WILL lose out in the end.
Click to expand...

i didn't actually buy it becaues of the additional software...i don't even know what some of it is. £680 was the total price paid for this two week old comp and seemed reasonable even for the standard 2ghz, 1gb, 80gb HD without the software he left on there. think i'll go with the system restore...when i pluck up the courage to do it.

ing
 
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MacHeadCase

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How does £680 compare to a brand new 2ghz MacBook? Sorry, I have no idea of the prices in your country...
 
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miss_ing


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MacHeadCase said:
Wow! That's pretty close to a regular purchase...
Click to expand...

this macbook retails at £879 in the apple store. it's 2 weeks old and now i've done the system restore, it's just as if i have a new comp :). so now what do i do with it? lol ..getting it online with aol is my next mission.
 
DistantHoller

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.... and welcome to the forum! Congratulations on a great notebook!
 
eric

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miss_ing said:
no, no..sorry....i have the install discs 1 and 2..but not the discs for the £200software he left on there (Adobe Photoshop CS 2, ThinkFree office 3 (A mac type office app with Word, Powerpoint and Excel apparently), and Roxio CD / DVD Toast 7Titanium. will they all be lost if i restore?
Click to expand...

there are free replacements for much of this, though you may not have all the functionality...

office programs: neooffice

photoshop: seashore, gimp, or chocoflop.

CD burning: iTunes and Finder, right on your mac right now.


you may also want to consider some of these:

onyx - excellent maintenance tool, great for cache maintenance and tweaking preferences. free!

mainmenu (simpler alternative to onyx)

renamer4mac - great mass file renamer program. easier to use than automator for renaming multiple files.

delocalizer - will free up a couple gigs of space by removing extra language support if you don't need it (i recovered about 2.8Gb by removing all support except us and uk english and spanish).

Xee - nice, easy to use picture viewer, will remind many switchers of the windows picture and fax viewer.

adium - great chat program (similar to functionality of trillian for windows).

flip4mac - mindows media plug in for quicktime. use instead of downloading windows media player for Mac.

vlc - media player/quicktime alternative, may play some files QT has problems with. has playlist support.


there you go, lots and lots of software for free.
welcome to the forums!
 

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