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Mac OS Clean
Installation Guide
By Ron Wilder, Help & How-To
Learn how to upgrade your Mac OS
When you perform a normal system installation, the software modifies and updates the
current folder containing the operating system. On the other hand, performing a clean
install creates an entirely new system folder. It's important to note that a clean install
doesn't replace the old system folder. Instead it disables it by renaming the folder
Previous System Folder. If the installer did replace the system folder, you'd loose any
third-party fonts or program additions (like extensions, control panels).
To perform a clean install, click on the Options button and activate the Perform Clean
Installation check box. Then click the OK button and proceed as normal
Compatibility Issues
It's a given that as technology changes, companies will be forced to make the decisions as
to whether to go forward and risk compatibility issues, or to grow stagnant. So don't let
the number of issues listed below lead you to think that the new release is buggy. It's
just that Apple's made certain sacrifices in compatibility to advance the OS. Besides, as
you read on, you'll notice that most of the incompatibilities are minor or are being
corrected by third party vendors as we speak.
The following is the list of some of the major issues that Apple engineers and late-beta
testers have identified.
400K floppy disks If you have any of these rascals laying around you better transfer the
data onto the hard drive before you install the upgrade. Mac OS 8.5 doesn't support the
MFS disk format of the 400K disks and nor are there plans to support it in the future.
Finder and utility software Certain third-party applications that add features like change
the way the menus work or how a file 's stored may not work. While most of the developers
of these applications are busy updating the products you may be left with a file you can't
open until they make the new release available.
QuickDraw GX Don't expect to be able to print anything using QuickDraw GX after you
install the OS update. Changes made to the version of QuickDraw in the system will leave
applications that use the typographical technology unable to print.
Accelerated NuBus Mac If you boosted your 6100, 7100, 8100, or 9150 PowerMac with a
third-party accelerator the install application for Mac OS 8.5 will probably fail to
install the system since it can't recognize your computer as a PowerMac.
Certain 5000 and 6000 series computers If you have a PowerMac 5200, 5300, 6200, or 6300
series computer you should first run the 5xxx/6xxx Tester utility before you attempt to
install the upgrade. Apple's identified that these computers have a hardware problem that
causes the computer to intermittently freeze. If the utility identifies a problem with
your computer you should contact your local Apple reseller for details on fixing the
machine. Otherwise, you can install the OS.
Virex and Norton's Anti-Virus It appears that these two applications, and possibly all
other anti-virus software makes it impossible to copy to network servers or print
documents. To solve the problem, remove the anti-virus extensions until a new version of
the utility is available.
Virtual PC You'll need to upgrade to version 2.1 or later to run the application with Mac
OS 8.5.
Iomega driver Version 6.0.1 of the Iomega Jaz and Zip driver won't work if you have
virtual memory activated. To rectify the problem, upgrade to version 6.0.2.
AppleShare IP 6.0 This utility isn't compatible with the upgrade. Check the Apple Support
page for news of a compatible version.
Can't Upgrade Your Disk Driver?
Each hard drive, regardless of the manufacturer, has a small section of low level drive
support code at the beginning of the disk. It's here the disk gets disk support
instructions to pass along to the computer.
Since Apple drives uses a slightly different set of instructions than third-party vendors,
it's important that you update the driver using utilities provided by the manufacturer of
the drive. Otherwise you could experience problems with drive, including loss of data.
In most cases you can use the Apple System Profiler (found in the Apple menu) to locate
the manufacturer and the brand of the hard drive. Otherwise, simply pop the case off your
Mac and do a little investigating.
Armed with the brand and model, simply go to the manufacturer's Web site and check on the
driver information. Listed below are the names and Web locations of some of the major hard
drive manufacturers.
Not Sure About Your Memory?
To find out about the amount of DRAM (or short-term memory) available to you, choose About
This Computer from the Apple menu. In this window you'll see an item labeled Built-in
Memory. If you have less than 16 MB, it's time to fork over some bucks to your friendly
chip salesman.
To determine the amount of storage space you have on your computer click on the icon for
the computer's hard drive. Then, choose Get Info command from the File menu. In the window
that appears, you see a category for size. Remember, to play it safe you'll need at least
170 MB.
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