[bsmy84]

I helped out a friend on an extremely tight budget by finding and winning an allegedly well-cared-for eMac (1.25 GHz G4, 80 gig HD, 512 MB RAM) on eBay: her first computer! It came preloaded with 10.4 and a somewhat scratched up 10.4 system disk ... which in hindsight I wish the seller hadn't done: installed 10.4, that is, and instead let me do it. I wish it had come with its original disks, too. How can people not keep track of basics like that? What can ya do, though?

Anyway, I have it set-up to receive and send email using MAIL and, obviously, access to the Internet. However, I cannot throw files away because I don't have the necessary permissions to do so. I cannot move, relocate icons on the desktop for the same reason. I can take a screen shot (shift-command-4, or shift-command-3) with the camera shutter sound, but no image appears on the desktop ... nowhere to be found. Finally, I cannot download anything from the Internet, e.g., Apple software updates or Flip4Mac. I don't remember being given a reason for not being able to download anything. It seems to try very hard, but it just can't do it.

I used Disk Utility to check and repair permissions, but that didn't help. I did an archival reinstallation, but that didn't help, either. I don't know what else to do other than wipe the hard drive and reinstall the system from scratch, then input the settings again to access the Internet and do email using MAIL. After that I want to get the whole thing updated, naturally, and download Flip4Mac...

Before going forward with anything, I have a new 1 gig memory module which I'm planning to install first. That will bring the total installed memory up to 1.5 gigs which OWC said works fine with this eMac.

Also, I figure this eMac has everything it needs to run Leopard/10.5, yes? If so, I might just go ahead and install that from scratch and forget about 10.4.

Does anyone have another approach that I should try before I wipe the disk and reinstall from scratch ... any thoughts or suggestions?

[dougster]

-Hi,

It seems you don't have much of an option but to install Leopard since the OSX 10.4.x disk is scratched. Unless I missed something. If you load the eMac with the extra memory you should be fine. Of course you'd be limited with the 80GB HD. But you should be running much better with a new OS. Folks on eBay should point out up front the install disk is toast...

[surtur]

Did you try creating a new user to see if the same problems occurred?
System Preferences/System/Accounts
If you have 10.5 then it doesn't matter if the 10.4 disk is too scratched to work.

The newer the OS the more resources it will need so you may find a slower(?) with 10.5 but they may not even notice.
Leopards tech specs PowerPC G4 (867MHz or faster) http://www.apple.com/macosx/techspecs/

According to Apple it can support 1Gb but some Macs support more. If OWC said it would then it very well might. http://support.apple.com/specs/#emac

With 10.5 they will have a up-to-date OS and if they decide to upgrade the Mac in the future they'll be acquainted with the OS.