Consult this chapter if you have problems
with your computer that require you to
reinstall the computer’s software.
7 Reinstalling Your Computer’s Software
System software is the set of programs and other files that your computer uses to start itself up, keep track of your files, and run application programs. System software is kept in the System Folder. When you turn on your computer, it looks for a startup disk, which is any disk that contains the system software, though usually it is the hard disk inside your computer. You could also set up another hard disk, floppy disk, or compact disc (CD) as a startup disk.
When should you reinstall 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.
Install system software if you have a new hard disk or a newly initialized hard disk that doesn’t contain system software, or if you want to upgrade to a more recent version of system software on a hard disk. Follow the instructions in this chapter.
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