Help buying a mac....

[Mikeit]

I'm hoping he has the original OS leopard CD.....can you do a new install with out it? I think it's called time machine?

[VRW]

Hi, just let me remind you that you will need OS Snow Leopard (10.6.) for LE8!
And you may need to update it from 10.6.0 to a fully updated 10.6.8 to run LE8.0.5
successfully (which is the latest and most stable LE8 version).

If he doesn´t deliver it with an original Snow Leopard CD you can get it here for
20 bucks.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC...6-snow-leopard

But it´s really worth to have this OS CD as it´s even easier to
make a clean reinstall of the system by that as by Internet Recovery
(like with the newer Macs) and you will for sure have to do it sometime.

Time Machine is the build in recovery/backup application on a mac.
But you will have to have a working system first before you can use Time Machine.

It´s like that:
1. you make a fresh install of your Mac OS from the CD, do the full update path to a completely updated 10.6.8
2. then you connect an external drive (don´t have to be a good or fast one, just a simple USB2 drive, one with at least 150GB for example)
3. you start Time Machine from your Mac´s application folder, choose this external drive as your Backup drive and start to make a first,
basic backup from your OS drive/system.
You may be aware of that the first backup of a system may take quite a
long time to be finished! So most of the time everything is ok also if you think it got stucked anyway.
The following backups are faster as it only adds the new stuff then instead of doing it again from scratch.

Btw it´s not a bad idea to backup only a clean, fully updated OS before having installed any other software as you can use this then
instead of your OS CD for recovery and you will not have to do all the updates and settings again as it is in your backup already.
However it is important to have the original OS CD because sh.. always can happen as there e.g. your external backup drive dies,
get deleted accidentally or there is simply no access to the data on this drive anymore of whatever reason...
With newer versions of Mac OS you may get it back via Internet Recovery,
with 10.6. that doesn´t work. To reinstall OS 10.6. you only can use the OS CD or a backup.

4. now you may go on installing e.g. the iLok drivers (only if you have some plugs that need an iLok, PTLE8 doesn´t need it itself!),
Pro Tools LE8.0.5 and everything what´s included with Pro Tools.
After that open the Time Machine application again and make a 2nd backup which now includes the freshly installed OS+a clean, new Pro Tools LE.
5. finally install your 3rd party plugs and softwares and make a 3rd final backup via Time Machine onto your external drive.

What you then may have are 3 backups which you can revert to whatever has to be reinstalled:
1. the original, clean Mac OS 10.6.8....if you want to use another version of Pro Tools or another DAW once
2. the Mac OS 10.6.8 inclusive the fresh installed Pro Tools...if just your Pro Tools got messed up (driver issues, whatever) or you can´t get rid of any 3rd party software you don´t like anymore.
3. the whole music recording system...if you just want to have back the original, clean version of your well working complete system (after having tried too many things, demos, plugs whatever).

I hope this is kinda help.
Whishing you the best and lots of fun with your new gear,

VRW


MacMini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MacOS 10.9.1, Apogee Quartet, Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10, Pro Tools 11.1.2, Logic 10.0.6, Waves, MCDSP,
Duende Native, Softube, HOFA, IK Multimedia etc

[Mikeit]

I just got my iMac today !!!! WOW, 24" screen is massive! it's running a fresh install of Mavericks flawlessly. I know I have a lot of learning to do.... super excited can't wait to get it all running, Thanks everyone again for all the info

[SpinningDisk]

Don't forget to eat and sleep😜

📀

[VRW]

Hey, congratulations!
As you say, 24" makes so much sense !!! Bigger is better, isn´t it?
Anyway.
I really really don´t wanna dimish your enthusiasm, sorry for that, but I want
to remind you just one more time that, as cool as it is to have a new Mavericks,
you will get in trouble trying to get your PTLE8 work on it!
It is not meant for functioning with this newer versions of Mac OS!
I just wanted you to know it once again.

However I wish you the very best and very much fun with your new "beauty",

cheers, VRW



MacMini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MacOS 10.9.1, Apogee Quartet, Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10, Pro Tools 11.1.2, Logic 10.0.6, Waves, MCDSP,
Duende Native, Softube, HOFA, IK Multimedia etc

[Mikeit]

Originally Posted by VRW

Hey, congratulations!
As you say, 24" makes so much sense !!! Bigger is better, isn´t it?
Anyway.
I really really don´t wanna dimish your enthusiasm, sorry for that, but I want
to remind you just one more time that, as cool as it is to have a new Mavericks,
you will get in trouble trying to get your PTLE8 work on it!
It is not meant for functioning with this newer versions of Mac OS!
I just wanted you to know it once again.

However I wish you the very best and very much fun with your new "beauty",

cheers, VRW



MacMini i7Quad, 16GB Ram, MacOS 10.9.1, Apogee Quartet, Genelec Active, Yamaha NS10, Pro Tools 11.1.2, Logic 10.0.6, Waves, MCDSP,
Duende Native, Softube, HOFA, IK Multimedia etc

Ya, I guess I have to buy a copy of snow leopard, an external HD, and another firewire cable.... until I get those things, I'm just familiarizing with all the functions of a mac.

[Mikeit]

Hey VRW, I managed to get the original OS X 10.5 Leopard from the guy I bought it from, my problem is now my mac won't boot from the DVD..... I get a grey screen with a box in the middle of it saying I need to turn off my computer, I can hear the disc spinning on startup, and being read, then a grey screen rolls down, I verified the disc and it said it was fine, a couple of very light scratches, minimal. I also made a disc image and copied it on to an external drive, the disc opens up with the install options, it's only when I have to reboot after selecting the install package, this is even after wiping the HD, any thoughts before I make an appointment with an apple genius?

[SpinningDisk]

Hey Mikeit. Before you bring to the Apple. Don't! They don't know as much as they should. Did you wipe your hard? Do you still have original disk that came with computer? Is that the original disk that came with the computer or is that Leopard he went and bought afterwards?

[Mikeit]

Originally Posted by SpinningDisk

Hey Mikeit. Before you bring to the Apple. Don't! They don't know as much as they should. Did you wipe your hard? Do you still have original disk that came with computer? Is that the original disk that came with the computer or is that Leopard he went and bought afterwards?

Yes I wiped the HD twice, the disc he gave me is kinda purple ish black with a black X on it

[SpinningDisk]

Originally Posted by Mikeit

Yes I wiped the HD twice, the disc he gave me is kinda purple ish black with a black X on it

Still not sure the disk he gave is an original. Mine is green on my old iMac. I would call him and make sure he still doesn't have original disk. I'm trying to get you the original disk so you can load up the original OS. Then from there we can figure out why your iMac screen is grey.
When booting up did you hold down the c( think it's the c key)?