# Software Install and Restore...possible to do it without erasing the hard drive?



## Hersh03 (Dec 17, 2004)

I have a 17" flat panel iMac running Mac OS 10.2.8

Because my cd drive is not working, I thought it would be best to do a software install/restore because I'm pretty sure it's not a hardware problem. After reading up on the install/restore DVD, it seems like there may be a way to run it without wiping out the whole hard drive and without completely returning the computer to factory settings. Am I wrong?


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## emoxley (Jan 6, 2004)

Have you tried tossing the preferences for your cd rom?
If your cd drive isn't working, how are you gonna re-install?
I'm more familiar with OS 9 than OSX, but it probably still does this............. You can do a clean install, which will put a new system folder on your HD, which is all the important OS pieces ( prefs, extensions, drivers, etc....). You put your restore disc in the drive, boot up from cd, and start installation. There should be an option to do a clean install. Just follow directions from then on.

If this is different with OSX, someone should chime in, and let us know what's different.
Good luck!


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## Nytemagik (May 3, 2005)

emoxley said:


> Have you tried tossing the preferences for your cd rom?
> If your cd drive isn't working, how are you gonna re-install?
> I'm more familiar with OS 9 than OSX, but it probably still does this............. You can do a clean install, which will put a new system folder on your HD, which is all the important OS pieces ( prefs, extensions, drivers, etc....). You put your restore disc in the drive, boot up from cd, and start installation. There should be an option to do a clean install. Just follow directions from then on.
> 
> ...


If the CD/DVD isn't working, you have a problem.

If it does work, try an Archive and Install type install.
This should make a new system folder but archive and then restore all the user settings and data.
Some apps will still have to be reinstalled.

But I'd have that CD looked at.

John


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## Hersh03 (Dec 17, 2004)

I can do a software install and restore because the disc is a DVD, and my DVD player is working fine.

doesn't a clean install wipe out the hard drive?

someone told me before to trash the preferences for the CD-ROM...but I didn't know where to find exactly what he was talking about. is there a folder that I can just drag to the trash, or what?


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## Nytemagik (May 3, 2005)

OK, I misunderstood, because most systems have only 1 optical drive, either an older CD only or a CD-R/DVD-R type. So you are saying you have 1 optical drive and it is a DVD reader?? Then what is not working. That model didn't have 2 drives. 
Now if it will read DVD's and not CD's, then yes, the preferences are the next logical step.
Go to <Home>=>Library=>preferences folder and look for anything and everything that had the term CD and/or DVD in it. 
I am not sure exactly which plist it will be cause there are lots of them.
Preferences will be rebuilt as soon as you need them to default settings, so you'll lose nothing except possible any tweaks or custom settings you might have done. Doesn't sound like you have done that.

Yes, rebuilding would wipe out everything, but that is the ultimate fix for most things software. Sometimes it's just easier to back up your home directory and blow it away and rebuild. I tend to screw with my system a lot, learning new things etc, and I keep an archived copy of my home directory about monthly in case I need to do that. I also have a second drive that houses all the important stuff which is never touched by system settings.

BTW, if after all this, the drive will still not read a CD < and btw, your model should be a CD burner as well >, it still could be a hardware problem and just plain broke.

Hard to say without seeing it.

Good luck

John


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## emoxley (Jan 6, 2004)

Don't know about OSX, but with the older OS', a "clean install" would just install a new system folder, with all the system "MUST HAVES", and not touch anything else.
If you chose "Initialize and Install", it would wipe out everything on the HD, and put it back to the way it was when you took it out of the box.

Nytemagik........... does "clean install" mean something different with OSX?


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