I want to reinstall OSX on old mac-mini (incl. chrome/flash player etc)

[fern1515]

Hi guys,

I am almost a mac noob and need some help (hopefully from start to completion if that is not too much to ask).

My girlfriend has given me this old mac mini to use for a while but I am running into so many issues in addition to being effectively a beginner on macs.

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Issues background -

For example, trying to watch videos online says I need to update flash player but using the standard flash player update says that the system does not support it so I had to hunt back through archives to find the one to use and after finally locating what I think I needed - it still didn't install properly.

Also, when ever I try to follow a tutorial on how to do something like set the home page in safari I cannot find a tut where any of the screen shots match what I can see on my version. And attempts updating safari are also proving futile.

Same story with pretty much everything. It must be so far out of date it is not being supported properly any more.

But I am also aware that it picked up a nasty virus back when she used it at uni where most of the people in her class ended up getting their external hard drives or usb sticks wiped. Then it happened to me the other day on here. Working away happily, ejected memory stick, plugged into laptop - everything gone - wiped. Two different drives.

Some other things go wrong too. Like dragging items onto the desktop they sometimes disappear in a puff of smoke (actual animated puff of smoke goes up and then the file is gone, not in trash, not anywhere). And just recently it seemed all I had to do was click on a file (single left click) and it just vanished. Rebooted and started to work normal again. (But never located the vanished files.

Can't get into hotmail because I am told something like "your browser needs updating"

-so really it's a bit useless as it stands... (oh and really slow on tasks)

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So I hope someone can help talk me through the process but also before I start I have a few questions.

I don't understand the way Mac works in terms of updates. By that I mean there is Mac OSX, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion etc, all with different numbers after them...
The current version I am on is... Mac OS X 10.4.11

What is the best I can hope for from reinstall and updating?
What I mean is, say I tried to install google chrome as a browser I would be unable to do so as minimum system requirement for chrome is OS X 10.5 or later. Is that something I can achieve, and how?

Can you update from my current version to Lion for example? And how much do updates cost if I can pay to upgrade?

Finally, how can I locate all the old files she might want saving. There are picture folders in the iphoto section which I can pop on a memory stick but is there anywhere else I need to be careful not to delete before backing up? Like the equivalent of a Documents folder on a Windows machine?

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Thanks for reading, I hope somebody can take my hand and guide me through soon!

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

I don't understand the way Mac works in terms of updates. By that I mean there is Mac OSX, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion etc, all with different numbers after them...
The current version I am on is... Mac OS X 10.4.11

When a major new OS release comes out it is called 10.4 ... then the developers set about fixing all the bugs and release patches and these are incremental ... 10.4.1, 10.4.2 etc ... up until the next new OS release which in the case of 10.4, it was Leopard 10.5. Then the patching starts again. I'm running 10.7 which is Lion and the incremental patch releases are up to 10.7.4. You have to pay for each new major OS release but the incremental patch updates are free and sourced from apple.com or through Software Update (also found under the  in the upper left menubar).

What is the best I can hope for from reinstall and updating?
What I mean is, say I tried to install google chrome as a browser I would be unable to do so as minimum system requirement for chrome is OS X 10.5 or later. Is that something I can achieve, and how?

Firstly I wouldn't condone the use of Google Chrome. Use it if you must but to me, Safari & Firefox are good. Google Chrome is to invasive in my humble opinion. You might find it useful to read through this discussion over at Apple Support Communities

Browser needed for 10.4.11

Can you update from my current version to Lion for example? And how much do updates cost if I can pay to upgrade?

I suggest you download Mactracker to find out what your Mac Mini is capable of upgrading to ...

Mactracker Archive

Once you download and install/launch it ... you can select Mac Mini from the menu in the left side and then in the main window, double-click any Mac Mini to see a new window with all sorts of info including which Mac OS version each Mac Mini is capable of going up to. Sometimes you need a Firmware Update first, before updating and this info is also included. Mactracker might inform you of a more recent version available for download ... don't allow it because when I recently did allow this on a Mac running Tiger 10.4.11 like yours, I ended up overwriting the Tiger compatible version with one which wasn't Tiger friendly!! Luckily I had kept the original installer (.dmg) so it was simple to just uninstall the newer version and reinstall the Tiger friendly version, BUT it would have be decent for Mactracker to alert me that the newer version I was about to download, was for Leopard!

Also, in the upper left corner of your Mac's screen, look for an apple () icon in the menu and the first item in the menu should be 'About This Mac' or something similar ... click that and a new window will open which will tell you some basic info like how much RAM is installed ... click on the "more info" button and the window that launches will tell you the full specs of your Mac Mini.

The current OS (Mountain Lion) is a download only from the App Store and is roughly $30. Lion, the prior OS was the same. Download only .. Older versions can be sourced on eBay and can be pricey and you have to watch out as some sellers are offloading OS Install Discs that plainly won't work on anything other than the Mac they originally shipped with. So, you need to ask here first before paying as someone here could help you avoid being taken advantage of.

Finally, how can I locate all the old files she might want saving. There are picture folders in the iphoto section which I can pop on a memory stick but is there anywhere else I need to be careful not to delete before backing up? Like the equivalent of a Documents folder on a Windows machine?

Depending on how many User Accounts, each has their own Pictures/Documents/Movies/Music folders. If there is a Macintosh HD icon ... just double-click on it and in the Finder Window that opens, you should see the relevant folders. In Finder, you can also use the keyboard shortcut of Shift Command () H to open your Home Directory. Shift Command () A opens your Applications Folder and Shift Command () U opens the Utilities folder which is found in the Applications folder.


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I need to update flash player but using the standard flash player update says that the system does not support it so I had to hunt back through archives to find the one to use and after finally locating what I think I needed - it still didn't install properly.

What web browser are you using? Click it's name in the menu bar and select "About" to find the version. We can take it from there when you post back, with specific instructions. I seem to recall there is some issue with lack of support for 10.4.11 with regards to flash but the link above regarding Browsers for 10.4.11 covers this, I think.

... set the home page in safari I cannot find a tut where any of the screen shots match what I can see on my version. And attempts updating safari are also proving futile.

When Safari is open, press Command () , (comma) to bring up the Safari Prefs and under the General Tab there is a button to click to set the Home Page to the current one. Select that to set it to whichever page you currently have open or close the Prefs and go to a page you wish to set and then follow the steps again.

But I am also aware that it picked up a nasty virus back when she used it at uni where most of the people in her class ended up getting their external hard drives or usb sticks wiped. Then it happened to me the other day on here. Working away happily, ejected memory stick, plugged into laptop - everything gone - wiped. Two different drives..

Viruses are a major problem with Microsoft Computers but not so with Macs though you can still spread a virus via email even though your Mac won't be affected. Other than this I don't really know what to say.

Some other things go wrong too. Like dragging items onto the desktop they sometimes disappear in a puff of smoke (actual animated puff of smoke goes up and then the file is gone, not in trash, not anywhere). And just recently it seemed all I had to do was click on a file (single left click) and it just vanished. Rebooted and started to work normal again. (But never located the vanished files..

When an item disappears in a 'puff' it means you are removing an alias ... you can drag the original file back to restore the alias, either in the Finder Window sidebar or your Dock. So, the puff is just the alias being deleted and not the original file.

Can't get into hotmail because I am told something like "your browser needs updating"

Could be the same Flash plugin issue I touched on before .... you can configure Mail.app to fetch hotmail email though if you need to ... that would mean you wouldn't need to log into the actual website anymore and if you did you could do it on another supported browser on another computer, maybe?

Hope I haven't blinded you with too much tech talk Any further questions, feel free to ask away!

 

[fern1515]

Guys,

Thanks for the comments so far, I will start looking further into what I can upgrade into and see what else I can figure out. Then I will come back to you for further thoughts if I may. Cheers.

I will also look at the Chrome discussion too!

 

[fern1515]

Special thanks to Spawn by the way for the super detailed response.

A couple of things to point out though...

For example Apple key and comma opens a small window when in Safari. The window is called "Advanced" and the options from top to bottom are:
"Never us fonts smaller than..."
"Press tab to highlight each item on a webpage"
"Style sheet: None selected (other)"
"Proxies: Change settings"

and that is all...

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Hotmail,
I have recently discovered that hotmail no longer works with my version of Safari 3.0.4. I read about it in another thread on this site. But I am also unable to update Safari as OSX 10.4.11 is not supported by by the net Safari update.

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Are you saying that you can buy the new OS for as little as $30? My girlfriends current iMac needs updating but she still hasn't got around to it. Hers should be able to handle a decent upgrade I reckon.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

The window you mention that opens in Safari when you press Apple key & comma is the Preferences window ... the tab you have activated in the prefs window is Advanced ... there are several other tabs to select and explore. Click on the "General" tab to see where to set the preferred Home Page for Safari.

That keyboard combo is set System wide for bringing up the Prefs window for any app that's currently launched and selected in the forefront.



Click for large view - Uploaded with Skitch

Are you saying that you can buy the new OS for as little as $30? My girlfriends current iMac needs updating but she still hasn't got around to it. Hers should be able to handle a decent upgrade I reckon.

That depends of which Mac Mini you have ....