Troubleshooting

Just as with any task in life, you need the right tools for the job. The following items represent everything you should have on hand for a Mac emergency. If you own the system-installer CD that shipped with your Mac, you already have three out of the four tools you'll need to resolve problems.

Troubleshooters' Toolbox

Fill your toolbox with the following:

  • You'll need a CD containing the system software for starting up your Mac in case the hard disk fails. Most Apple computers ship with a wallet that contains CDs of all the programs installed on your Mac before it ships. Specifically, you'll use two CDs for troubleshooting—software restore and system install. You can start up your Mac from either of these CDs. For most situations ...

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