Format drive? & Determine OS X version?

12-08-2005, 04:14 AM

I've just bought a G4 powerbook off a friend, for the hell of it literally!

I've been a PC user for many a year and owned an iBook earlier in 2004 which I held onto for a matter of two months (just couldnt get used to it!)..

Thought I would try my hand again and bought this little toy just to play with, cheap too! Never the less, my friend (the idiot he is) does not remember his password, nor does he remember where his original system disks are thus not being able to tell me exactly what version of OS X is installed on the powerbook.

So my dilema is that I now own a powerbook for which I can not boot past the log on screen since I simply do not know the password..

I know nothing about macs or how to navigate my way around, other than some of the pieces of info found here...

Is there anyway through a command prompt to format the disk and then re-install OS X?

Another friend from work has OS X 10.4 installation disk to which she gave me though it wont boot from the CD-ROM. From what I have read this would be the case if you dont have the right version...

So in addition to being able to format the hard drive is there any simple way to tell what version of OS X I am running..

...I could always give this powerbook back but its damn sexy! 17" woo

If anyone can provide some useful text or work arounds, because I am clueless when it comes to a Mac

hayne · 12-08-2005, 08:27 AM

I don't know of an easy way to determine the version of OS X just from the login screen.
But it doesn't really matter what version is installed - you can reset the password if you boot from the Install CD/DVD. You should have gotten this from your friend when you bought the machine.
The problem you had with those other disks was likely that they were for a different model of Mac - not that they were a different version of OS X.
You need a retail version of the OS X Install CD - not one that came with a machine, unless it was the exact machine model you have.

Maybe best to buy a copy of an older OS version (e.g. Panther) on eBay.

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12-08-2005, 04:14 AM	#1
rizem Guest Posts: n/a	I've just bought a G4 powerbook off a friend, for the hell of it literally! I've been a PC user for many a year and owned an iBook earlier in 2004 which I held onto for a matter of two months (just couldnt get used to it!).. Thought I would try my hand again and bought this little toy just to play with, cheap too! Never the less, my friend (the idiot he is) does not remember his password, nor does he remember where his original system disks are thus not being able to tell me exactly what version of OS X is installed on the powerbook. So my dilema is that I now own a powerbook for which I can not boot past the log on screen since I simply do not know the password.. I know nothing about macs or how to navigate my way around, other than some of the pieces of info found here... Is there anyway through a command prompt to format the disk and then re-install OS X? Another friend from work has OS X 10.4 installation disk to which she gave me though it wont boot from the CD-ROM. From what I have read this would be the case if you dont have the right version... So in addition to being able to format the hard drive is there any simple way to tell what version of OS X I am running.. ...I could always give this powerbook back but its damn sexy! 17" woo If anyone can provide some useful text or work arounds, because I am clueless when it comes to a Mac

12-08-2005, 08:27 AM	#2
hayne Site Admin Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Montreal Posts: 31,941	I don't know of an easy way to determine the version of OS X just from the login screen. But it doesn't really matter what version is installed - you can reset the password if you boot from the Install CD/DVD. You should have gotten this from your friend when you bought the machine. The problem you had with those other disks was likely that they were for a different model of Mac - not that they were a different version of OS X. You need a retail version of the OS X Install CD - not one that came with a machine, unless it was the exact machine model you have. Maybe best to buy a copy of an older OS version (e.g. Panther) on eBay.