How to Format a Disk for Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard is the nickname for version 10.6 of the Mac OS X operating system. You can install the operating system to virtually any hard drive as long as you follow a few important steps. This process is useful when you have replaced your previous hard drive with a new one. It is also useful when you wish to do a clean install of the operating system in order to erase all the previous files on the hard drive.
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Instructions
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Connect an external hard drive and back up any important files from the hard drive before formatting the drive if necessary. All files on the hard drive will be deleted during formatting.
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2
Insert the Snow Leopard installation disc into the disc drive, and shut down your Mac by clicking the "Apple" icon at the top left of the screen. Choose "Shut Down."
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Press the power button on your Mac to start it up, and press and hold the "Option" key once you hear the startup tone. Hold the key until you see a prompt asking which volume you would like to boot. Choose the Snow Leopard installation disc. This will boot into the disc's utilities.
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Click "Options" at the top of the screen and select "Disk Utility." This opens the Disk Utility screen.
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Click the heading for the hard drive you wish to format in the left column to select it, then click the "Partition" tab.
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Enter a name for the partition and choose "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" in the "Format" box. Adjust the size of the partition if necessary. Click "Apply" to save the changes and create the partition. Wait while the drive is formatted.
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Close the Disk Utility window and continue installing Snow Leopard if you wish. The drive is now formatted.
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Tips & Warnings
If there is already a partition on the drive, you may wish to delete it and create a new one to ensure your old files are properly deleted.
Formatting a hard drive deletes all of the files stored on the drive. Make sure you have a backup before proceeding.
