Video:How to Perform a Clean Install of Snow Leopard OS X 10.6

Transcript:How to Perform a Clean Install of Snow Leopard OS X 10.6

Hi, I'm Nick and today for About.com, I'm going to show you how to perform a clean install of Snow Leopard on your Mac computer.

Purchase Snow Leopard OS

First, you need to grab yourself a copy of Snow Leopard from a Mac retailer. Make sure your computer is on and then insert the CD into the drive. After a few seconds, it should be recognised and a pop up window will open. If not, simply open the CD folder manually using your mouse. From here, click 'Install Mac OS'. If you simply want to perform an update of your older OS, click continue and install following the on-screen instructions. However, if you want to perform a clean install, you need to click on 'Utilities' and then 'Restart'. Your computer will now boot from the CD rather than from the hard disk, offering you options that weren't available before. It can take a while to start up, so be patient!

Erase Old OS

Once your computer has rebooted, you'll be taken back to the install screen. Instead of clicking 'Continue', move your mouse over to the tabs at the top left of the screen and click 'Utilities' and 'Disk Utility…'. Once disk utility has opened, choose your computer's hard disk (usually titled "Macintosh HD") and click on the 'Erase' tab. Enter the name you want your hard disk to be known as and then click 'Erase…'. Remember, this will completely wipe your computer of it's data, so make sure any information you want to keep is safely backed-up.

Install Snow Leopard OS

Now that your old OS has been removed, you can install Snow Leopard! Don't forget, you can customise your install in case there are specific elements you do or do not want to install. Once you're ready, click 'Install' - the process should take approximately 1 hour. Once the install has completed, restart your machine and you'll be treated to a welcoming video to prepare you for life with your new operating system. Don't forget to pop out the Snow Leopard CD and keep it safe when you're fininshed, and enjoy your new machine!

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