Microsoft KB Archive/127033

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How to Do a Clean Installation of System 7.5 and Above

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Q127033

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The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Office for the Macintosh, versions 4.2, 4.2.1
 * Microsoft Office versions 4.2, 4.2.1 Macintosh Edition
 * Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0
 * Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a
 * Microsoft PowerPoint for Macintosh, version 4.0

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SUMMARY
If you are troubleshooting problems on a Macintosh, you may want to do a clean installation of the System software.

Doing a clean installation of the system software creates a "clean" copy of your System Folder. Creating a clean copy means that you do not have to move or hide the various files in your System Folder. If you are running System Software 7.5 and above, you can use System Installer program to create a new System Folder. (Your old System Folder will be saved as "Previous System Folder.")

System Software 7.5.x and 7.6

 * 1) Start your computer from the existing System folder on the hard drive.
 * 2) Insert either the Install Disk 1 or the System CD, and double-click the Installer program.
 * 3) In the Welcome screen, click Continue.
 * 4) If you are installing System 7.5 or System 7.5.2, press COMMAND+SHIFT+K in the System Installation dialog box. Click "Install New System Folder", then click OK.

If you are installing System 7.6, click Options in the Install System Software dialog box. Click "Install New System Folder", then click OK.
 * 1) In the next dialog box, click Install New System Folder, then click OK.

You should now be back in the System Software Installation dialog box.
 * 1) Click the drop-down arrow next to Easy Install, and select Custom Install.
 * 2) From the Features To Be Installed list, select System Software.

To speed up the troubleshooting process, you will probably want to do a minimal installation of the System software, which will install the minimum number of files necessary to start your Macintosh.
 * 1) Click the small triangle next to System Software and clear (remove the Xs from) all the check boxes EXCEPT for the Minimal System For The Macintosh Only check box.

NOTE: If you are working with a Power Macintosh with 16 MB of RAM or less, you may also want to install Memory (under Control Panels).

NOTE: If you have a CD-ROM, you should also click the triangle next to Multimedia Software and select the CD-ROM item to install the extension for accessing your CD-ROM drive.
 * 1) Click Clean Install.

The installation program then proceeds, starting with "Install Disk 1" and continues with "Install Disk 2" and "Install Disk 4," and then finally "Install Disk 1" again.

When you get a screen that talks about Power Talk and QuickDraw GX, click the Continue button.

If everything went successfully, you will be asked to Restart your computer.

Your original System Folder will be renamed "Previous System Folder." Do NOT delete it just yet. Your new System Folder will contain the following items:

Apple Menu Items folder

Control Panels folder

Extensions folder

Finder file

Fonts folder

Preferences folder

Startup Items folder

System suitcase The Apple Menu Items folder will contain just one item, an alias to Control Panels folder. The Preferences folder will also contain just one item, the Finder Preferences file (if you select the Multimedia option, then your Extensions folder will contain the Apple CD-ROM extension). All other new folders in the new System folder will be empty.

System Software 8.0

 * 1) Start your computer from the existing System folder on the hard drive.
 * 2) Insert either the Install Disk 1 or the System CD, and double-click the Installer program.
 * 3) In the Welcome screen, click Continue.
 * 4) Select the "Perform Clean Installation" check box in the Select Destination dialog box, then click Select.
 * 5) In the Important Information dialog box, click Continue.
 * 6) In the Software License Agreement dialog box, click Continue. Click Agree in the dialog box that appears.
 * 7) Click Customize in the Install Software dialog box.
 * 8) In the "Custom Installation and Removal" dialog box, clear all of the check boxes except for the "Mac OS 8" check box, then click Start.
 * 9) Click Continue in the "Welcome to MacOS 8" dialog box.
 * 10) Click the drop-down arrow next to Easy Install, and select Custom Install.
 * 11) Click "System Software for this computer".

NOTE: If you are working with a Power Macintosh with 16 MB of RAM or less, you may also want to install Memory (under Control Panels).

NOTE: If you have a CD-ROM, you should also click the triangle next to Multimedia Software and select the CD-ROM item to install the extension for accessing your CD-ROM drive.
 * 1) Click Clean Install.

The installation of the System Software proceeds to run. If everything installs successfully, you will be asked to Restart your computer.

Your original System Folder will be renamed "Previous System Folder." Do NOT delete it just yet. Your new System Folder will contain the following items:

Apple Menu Items folder

Application Support folder

Control Panels folder

Control Strip Modules folder

Extensions folder

Finder file

Fonts folder

Launcher Items folder

MacTCP DNR file

Preferences folder

Scrapbook File file

Scripting Additions folder

Shutdown Items folder

Startup Items folder

System suitcase

Text Encodings folder

Steps to Reverse the Above Process
If you successfully installed a clean System folder by following the steps 1-9 above, but need to go back to the original System folder, do the following:

  Restart your computer from either your Disk Tools disk or your System CD.

NOTE: If you have difficulty forcing your machine to start from the CD-ROM drive, refer to the articles listed below for instructions on how to control boot drives.

For additional information about booting from CD-ROM, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: "Q120099 Booting a Power Macintosh from the System CD" "Q99948 Booting Macintosh Centris and Performa Machines" Move the new System Folder on the Hard Drive into the trash, and empty the trash. Change the name of the folder called "Previous System Folder" to System Folder. Open the newly renamed System Folder, and then close it.

This step allows your computer to recognize this new System Folder. Restart your computer.

You should now be starting from your original System Folder on your hard disk drive.

NOTE: If your computer cannot find a System Folder on the hard drive after you restart the computer (a disk icon appears showing with a question mark), you probably did not open and close the System folder, as outlined in Step 4. You will have to insert either the Disk Tools disk or your System CD and then repeat steps 4 and 5.