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xAbre1200 · Dec 9, 2006, 02:53 AM

Does anyone here know how I would be able to reset an iMac G3 back to its original factory settings?
Thanks

xAbre1200 · Dec 9, 2006, 05:39 AM

Help please?

CharlesS · Dec 9, 2006, 05:43 AM

Exactly what settings are you trying to reset? The settings could be found in the preference files, the PRAM, or somewhere else, depending on what they are. Or are you wanting to reformat the drive and revert everything to the way it was when it came from the factory (i.e. erasing all documents, third-party apps, etc).

xAbre1200 · Dec 9, 2006, 06:23 AM

Yes, erasing everything. I have OS CD's right also.

JKT · 07:01 AM

If you have the original CDs for the machine, insert the System Restore CD, erase the hard drive (write all zeros if you want to remove sensitive information... it'll take a while) using the Drive Setup Utility (I think that is what it was called in OS8/9 which is presumably the OS it came with?). Install the OS and original applications using the system restore feature. Make sure you use the System Restore CD and not the System Install CD.

CharlesS · Dec 9, 2006, 06:52 AM

If your OS disc is OS X, Just boot from the OS discs, choose Disk Utility from the menu, select your hard drive and hit the Erase button. Then, quit Disk Utility and install the OS.

If your OS disc is OS 9 or earlier, boot from the disc, find the app on it called "Drive Setup", and use that to initialize the drive. Then, install the OS.

Regardless of which OS you use, there will be an option in Disk Utility or Drive Setup called "Zero all data". If the reason you are reformatting is because you are going to sell your machine or give it away, you may want to use this option to securely erase everything on the drive so that your private information will not be recoverable by people you don't necessarily want seeing it.

Alternatively, if your iMac came with a Software Restore disc, you could boot from that and use it to revert the hard drive to its initial state (with all the original bundled software). This would probably put some version of OS 8 on the drive, though.

xAbre1200 · Dec 9, 2006, 09:19 PM

I dont have the orignal disks. I received 4 or so disks from a friend which said OS X ..... the latest OS. So when I inserted them, it just upgraded to that OS.

xAbre1200 · Jan 4, 2007, 10:11 PM

Ok, so I go into disk utility and right click my HD and select erase. A window pops up but all of the buttons are in that gray shade where you cant click anything. I try everything I can but I still cant erase my HD. So I go back again and left click my HD and go to the TAB that says erase but I still cannot click anything. PLEASE HELP!!

ibook_steve · Jan 4, 2007, 10:22 PM

You're running Disk Utility from the install CD, not booted from the hard drive, correct? You can't format a hard drive you are currently running from.

Steve

xAbre1200 · Jan 4, 2007, 11:53 PM

Yes, I was running disk utility from the HD. But I do not own the install CD i think. But my friend did burn me a copy of OS X Tiger 10.4 in 4 cd's. I inserted the first CD into the CD drive and shut down my computer. But when I booted up with the OS X 10.4 cd in its CD drive, it would just boot up the OS normally and when my desktop is fully loaded, it would open up the CD contents for me.

Since im not sure the cd's I own are the install cd's...... what should I do?

MichiganRich · Jan 5, 2007, 12:10 AM

You should purchase a copy of OSX, which would allow you to do this incredibly simple thing with incredible ease. Begging for help doing it the illegal way makes you pathetic. If you insist on doing it with burned copies of lord what knows what installer, figure it out yourself like every other hacker in the world.

Will C · Jan 6, 2007, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by xAbre1200

Yes, I was running disk utility from the HD. But I do not own the install CD i think. But my friend did burn me a copy of OS X Tiger 10.4 in 4 cd's. I inserted the first CD into the CD drive and shut down my computer. But when I booted up with the OS X 10.4 cd in its CD drive, it would just boot up the OS normally and when my desktop is fully loaded, it would open up the CD contents for me.

Since im not sure the cd's I own are the install cd's...... what should I do?

Are you hoilding down the 'C' key on restart to get it to boot up from the CD?

kcmac · Jan 7, 2007, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by MichiganRich

You should purchase a copy of OSX, which would allow you to do this incredibly simple thing with incredible ease. Begging for help doing it the illegal way makes you pathetic. If you insist on doing it with burned copies of lord what knows what installer, figure it out yourself like every other hacker in the world.

Ouch....but true!