Intel Duo Core 2 Mac Help/Reset/Running Slow

[hansmoleman]

Hi,

I've been given an old Mac that was unwanted (it was used by a graphic design agency) that seems to work fine except that it is unbearably slow. I'd quite like to see if I can use it for music recording.

Firstly, I can't get it on to the internet. I click my router and type in the password correctly and it just doesn't connect and asks me for the password again. It won't let me change the security type and I think this is the problem.

Second, I would like to factory reset it but I can't seem to work out how. There seems to be a lot of restarting involved and it takes literally about 20 minutes to boot.

Its running 10.6.3 - I can't get it to update without the internet. I have tried installing 10.6.4 by a USB and it seems to work fine until its start updating and it is then telling me it's failed and to contact the software developer (APPLE?!)

Can anyone help me setting it up? I don't need the latest software etc. it was a £2000 machine in 2009/10 so if I could use it like it is 2010 that would be awesome.

Any help would be much appreciated, I'm a PC user so I find it all quite confusing!

Many thanks, Aaron

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

I would advise you to get your hands on the Snow Leopard Install Discs (10.6) from Apple, they're dirt cheap, here is the link:

Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard

It's the Aussie Apple Store, if you're elsewhere you'd need to change store, bottom right of page "Change Country".

Once you receive the discs boot from the disc & erase & reformat the hard drive Mac OS X Extended using Disc Utility then install Snow Leopard.

Then you'll have a clean machine to use … this is what I'd do, erase the previous owner then start fresh.

 

[honestone]

Spawn_Dooley is absolutely correct! I actually have that DVD, but I don't use it anymore (I am running Yosemite (OS 10.10.2) on both of my Macs). If you were near Seattle, I could sell it to you.

Make sure you follow the steps that Spawn_Dooley stated, and in the order stated. Once you do that, re-boot your machine, and then upgrade to OS 10.6.8, the last version of Snow Leopard. You can get that from here:

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1400?locale=en_US

Also, if you will use Safari as your browser, you should get the last version for Snow Leopard. Again, you can get that from here:

http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/15675/apple-safari

The one for OS 10.6.8 is listed under "Related Links". You want version 5.1.10 for OS 10.6.8.

Once you have completed all that, you need to follow a procedure for 1) doing periodic disk maintenance/repair, and 2) doing backups. Both tasks are critical to keep your machine running in "tip top
shape". That is especially critical in your case, as you'll be using an older (and less and less supported) OS, and also the same will be true for a number of the applications you will be using. We can give you ideas on how to do that after you complete the steps above to get to OS 10.6.8, at least.