Apple 8600 appendix Initializing a hard disk

Initializing a hard disk

The hard disk inside your computer was initialized (formatted for use) at the factory, so you shouldn’t need to initialize it. You need to initialize a hard disk only if one of the following is true:

mYou purchase an uninitialized hard disk from another manufacturer.

mYour hard disk is damaged and can’t be repaired with Disk First Aid.

If a hard disk needs to be initialized, its icon does not appear on the desktop when you start up the computer using another disk.

You initialize your internal hard disk using a program called Drive Setup, which is on the system software CD-ROM disc that came with your computer.

WARNING Initializing a disk erases any information that may be on it. Before you initialize a damaged disk, try to repair it as described in “Repairing a Damaged Disk” earlier in this chapter.

1Start up your computer from the system software CD-ROM disc that came with your computer.

See “Starting Up From the System Software CD-ROM Disc” later in this chapter.

2Locate the Drive Setup icon and double-click it to open the Drive Setup program.

Diagnostic Techniques 189