# mac os x help



## cosminc2 (Apr 7, 2012)

Hello. I have just recived a macbook pro 15" today and i encountered some problems. I have been using windows all my life and now on apple i can say i'm quite a newbie. So one of my problems is that the laptop had an account called "Joe". The laptop had some passwords set on it and i managed to get into admin account and to modify some passwords. Although i reset the password to "joe " with cmd r at startup, amd then in user accounts i could modify it and i put in a new password and a new name. I couldn't login the account anymore i was stuck on login screen and had to go to administrator account and delete "joe". In my surprise after restart my mac didn't logon to admin or another normal account i made , but "Joe" was up and running again after i deleted it. I fiddled with the login options, set my new account or admin account as automatic login but no luck it just propts up to "joe" every time. If i delete "joe" it comes up from the dead wtf. 
Also another thing i encountered was that i set " display login window as :name and password " but all i ever see is a circle with a lion icon and "Joe " underneath it. Also if i tried to change wallpaper in the account i created there nothing happend , but in Joe everything worked normally. Oh btw my system version is 10.7.2 lion 
Also another annoying thing is i keept getting a program tune& play screensaver with a mac presentation on "Joe". I couldn't find the app to uninstall it and in " desktop and screen saver" i set screensaver to never so it isn't from there. 
When i go to disk utility i see my main 500 gb toshiba , from toshiba underneath it " Machintosh hd", underneath it "superdrive" and then there is a horisontal line and thing wich is described as : apple sparse disk image wich has a weird name and under it is Joe this being attributed to the weird named image.
I can erase Joe from disk utility but not the weird named image. Also the image says it is about 107 gb.
I am affraid to erase Joe because maybe i ll break something and the laptop becomes a vegetable.
I would like to get rid of joe and make my default login account let's say "x" , or at least get rid of that annoying tune&play screensaver.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

Did you get the original OS X DVD with the laptop?


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## cosminc2 (Apr 7, 2012)

unfortunately no. I will get on monday/tuesday because he forgot to bring it and is sending it via mail.
Although i tried starting with all pressed and did a reinstall over wifi but that partition or what it is is still there.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

cosminc2 said:


> unfortunately no. I will get on monday/tuesday because he forgot to bring it and is sending it via mail.
> Although i tried starting with all pressed and did a reinstall over wifi but that partition or what it is is still there.


My advice would be to wait until then and then do a clean install after a full HD erase.


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## cosminc2 (Apr 7, 2012)

please could you tell me if i loose any software that is installed on this mac? i mean will i loose boot camp or the ilife package, or photo booth or handrbake , idvd or the utilities folder. If you know a list of items that come with mac os x lion or is all this software i mentioned installed by default i wold be thankful


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

cosminc2 said:


> please could you tell me if i loose any software that is installed on this mac? i mean will i loose boot camp or the ilife package, or photo booth or handrbake , idvd or the utilities folder. If you know a list of items that come with mac os x lion or is all this software i mentioned installed by default i wold be thankful


Yes you will lose software if you do a complete HD erase.

The computer likely originally came with the iLife DVD. If you aren't getting that DVD also, you would have to purchase them 
from the Mac App Store. (about $14.99 each but don't believe iDVD is made anymore)

Photo Booth, iPhoto, Boot camp, and Handbrake are all free and can be reinstalled. I don't know what's specifically in your Utilities folder, but OS X installs many apps there like Disk Utility.

P.S. Installing Bootcamp requires a copy of Windows.

If you're asking about keeping other commercial applications and/or the copy of Windows that is already installed in Boot Camp, you'd have to fix the several issues instead of erasing and starting over. Unless you were given the original DVDs and serials for those too, you're asking how to keep illegal/stolen software.


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## cosminc2 (Apr 7, 2012)

My mac doesn't have windows installed in dual boot, i mean i found in my utilities folder an app called boot camp assistant and when i started it it said it would guide me through installing windows . I am not talking about pirated software ... Also can you tell me where i could get those programs which u say are free because i searched their name in app store and there were no results.


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

cosminc2 said:


> My mac doesn't have windows installed in dual boot, i mean i found in my utilities folder an app called boot camp assistant and when i started it it said it would guide me through installing windows . I am not talking about pirated software ... Also can you tell me where i could get those programs which u say are free because i searched their name in app store and there were no results.


Photo Booth and Bootcamp come with Mac OS X.

iPhoto: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/iphoto/id408981381?mt=12 (Looks like $14.99 now)
iMovie: http://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/imovie/id408981434?mt=12
Handbrake: http://handbrake.fr/

The above Mac App store links go the Canadian store, but should be in your country's store also.


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## throdne (May 14, 2006)

Hello,

If i were you I would do a clean install. There might be a lot of setting and configuration that you may not like, or files that you will never need. If you are running a newer version of OS X you can do a clean install without a CD, turn off the laptop. press the power button, then press and hold "Command+R" if it works you will now be in OS X Recovery. open Disk Utility, and do a zero-pass erase (it will take some time, but useful). then after the erase close Disk Utility and follow the steps for a clean installation of OS X. 

Hope this helps,
Throdne


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## Headrush (Feb 9, 2005)

throdne said:


> do a zero-pass erase (it will take some time, but useful).


I wouldn't waste time with that.
This is more a security feature for previous data, which isn't his anyways.


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## throdne (May 14, 2006)

Agreed, if I was just reinstalling my OS, I wouldn't do it. But since it's someone else's computer, I think it's necessary. Lets say down the road he has to use a recovery software, I wouldn't want a list of files that do not pertain to me or files I have no idea what for.


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