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How to Set Up a Macintosh

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(5 Ratings)

These are the steps for setting up most Macintosh computers. Make the necessary adjustments if you have a built-in monitor or USB peripherals. You should be able to set up a Macintosh in about 10 minutes.

Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  1. Step 1

    Make sure your desk or table is near an electric outlet and a phone jack.

  2. Step 2

    Carefully remove equipment from the packing cartons.

  3. Step 3

    Make sure you have everything that should have come in the boxes, including power cords for each piece of equipment. Each box should include a packing list.

  4. Step 4

    Position the equipment on your desk. If the computer is a mini-tower, it can go on the floor as long as it has space behind it for ventilation.

  5. Step 5

    Plug the mouse into the keyboard. Match the icon on the mouse plug to an icon on the keyboard. This ADB plug will only go in one way; turn it 90 degrees if you have trouble.

  6. Step 6

    Plug the keyboard into the small, round ADB port on the back of the computer. (This should be marked with the same icon as your mouse plug.)

  7. Step 7

    Connect a printer according to the manufacturer's instructions. (Printers might be connected to a number of different ports.)

  8. Step 8

    Connect any other devices, such as speakers, a microphone or an external modem. Let the icons on the back of the computer guide you, but use the port specified by the device manufacturer.

  9. Step 9

    Connect a modem to a phone jack using the supplied phone cable. Plug the phone cable into the surge suppressor if it has a phone cable connector, then plug the second cable into wall jack.

  10. Step 10

    Connect power cords to each piece of equipment.

  11. Step 11

    If you have an external Zip drive, connect it to the SCSI or USB port, depending on what type of drive it is.

  12. Step 12

    Connect the monitor to the computer. The monitor port is unique; find the corresponding size and shape. Use a monitor adapter if necessary. (If you bought a non-Apple monitor this might be necessary.)

  13. Step 13

    Tighten the hand-screws on the monitor plug.

  14. Step 14

    Plug each piece of equipment into a surge suppressor.

  15. Step 15

    Turn on the surge suppressor.

  16. Step 16

    Turn on the monitor.

  17. Step 17

    Turn on all other powered devices connected to computer.

  18. Step 18

    Turn on the computer last.

Tips & Warnings
  • All the ports on a Macintosh are identified with icons; all Apple cables are marked with corresponding icons. You can't go wrong if you match the cable icon to the port icon.
  • Avoid the installing system on a heavily used electrical circuit.
  • Leave room for ventilation around vents on computer and monitor.
  • Keep computer system away from magnetic fields, such as unshielded speakers or microwave ovens.
  • Make sure equipment is dry and at room temperature before installation.

Comments  

Anonymous

Anonymous said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 1 - Make sure that the floppy symbol is active.
2 - Press Apple + E.

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