Problem with reformatting a 2006 iMac
 

I'm helping a friend revitalize an older iMac. Trouble is he doesn't remember the password and we've been locked out a few times trying various possibilities.

I've tried erase the drive with Disk Utility, but the drive is greyed out, not selectable.

it also won't let me erase/install with a new iMac install disk selected as the start-up.


Any ideas? I want to erase the drive and do a fresh install with a copy of Snow Leopard.

You can reset the password from the installer disk.

Boot from CD, go thru the couple of steps until you see the menu items pop up along the top.

From there you can select reset password.

But that should not prevent a clean wipe install when booted from the CD.

When you boot with CD in hold the C key to force it to start from the installer disc.

Scott

EDIT: You sure it's an Intel box and not a late PPC chipped box? Snow Leopard does not support PPC chipset.

Thanks Scott. Yep, there's the problem right there. It's too old.

I have an older version of OSX, bought a family pack for the office. Thank you!

It will take Leopard just fine.

And quite a few different Linux distributions