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Installing system software

Your Macintosh came with all the necessary system software installed on its internal hard disk, so you
don’t need to install system software on that disk unless you encounter software problems.

When should you install system software?

m You have a new hard disk or a newly initialized hard disk that does not yet contain system software.

Follow the instructions in “Performing a Normal (‘Easy’) Installation of System Software” later in 
this section.

m You want to upgrade to a more recent version of system software. Follow the instructions that came

with your system software upgrade.

What kind of installation should you do?

There are three kinds of system software installation. 

m A normal (“easy”) installation automatically installs all the Mac OS system software appropriate for

your model of Macintosh. 

m A “clean” installation installs all the Mac OS system software appropriate for your model of

Macintosh, just as in a normal installation, but it also includes a procedure for checking all the files
in your System Folder for possible problems or conflicts. 

m A custom installation lets you select a specific combination of system software files or install or

update one or more specific files.

Important  

If you’re having a problem with your system software, you may not need to reinstall

system software. If you see an icon with a question mark in the middle of the screen when you try to
start up your computer, follow the instructions in “Testing Your Hard Disk” earlier in this chapter to test
your startup hard disk and repair any damage. If repairing the disk doesn’t help, follow the instructions
in “Performing a Normal (‘Easy’) Installation of System Software,” next, to reinstall system software on
the hard disk.

Techniques 

for Diagnosing

and Solving

Problems

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