Is a password required to format or reinstall OSX with or without disks?

I'm worried about someone formatting or reinstalling my MacBook Air if it gets stolen so that I can't use iCloud to track it down. Is it possible to do any of this without my password? If so what safeguards can I use to prevent a format or reinstall without my permission?
Thanks

Using "Find My Mac", you can lock the system, rendering the system unusable without being unlocked at an Authorized Service Center, at which time it would be hoped that the center personnel follow procedure and contact the registered owner before unlocking.
However, locking the system has one bad side effect. It prevents the owner from using Find My Mac to perform a location sweep, as it depends on the thief to use the guest account to sign on the internet, which he won't be able to do if the system is locked.
I think the best bet is to decide how long you try and use the locating function, then resort to erasure and locking at some point. Yes, the info will be lost, but that is one whopper of a reason to have a good backup regemin.

Similar Messages

How to format and reinstall 10.6.8 without disk

How to re-format my HD and reinstall 10.6.8 without a disk?

Can't be done. You have to either call AppleCare if you lost the original discs, call the seller of the machine if it wasn't Apple and say the discs belong to the machine and have them call AppleCare if they lost the discs. If clone your hard drive with Superduper or Carbon Copy Cloner upon purchasing a Mac with 10.6 you can always restore the clone at anytime. And before considering upgrading, note 10.7 and above lack Rosetta:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2465
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3761
Macs newer than March 15, 2010 can't use the retail 10.6.3 installer, and must use the 10.6 installer that was pre bundled with them to install 10.6, if not a clone, and if pre bundled with some version of 10.6. Prebundled with 10.7 Macs can't install 10.6 unless their actual hardware refresh date preceded 10.7's July 20, 2011 release.

I had osx version 10.6.8 i reinstalled osx with the install disk now i have 10.6.3

i had osx 10.6.8 i reinstalled with the osx install disk and now i have 10.6.3 and some of my apps are not compatible any suggestions please and thank you

It is possible you had used the Combo or software update to move from 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 prior to the reinstall. Then when you reinstalled, the install disk took you to 10.6.3 and as MichelPM says, you will need to update again.
The appropriate combo updater is Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 It's a big update and can take 40 minutes or more.
But you will still have to software update to pick up the latest security and iTunes updates.
Don't forget to back up your files first.

Tried to open my old MacBook. Couldn't remember password. Followed suggestion to reinstall hardware. Now startup disk is stuck in computer and it won't turn on. I keep getting a message saying I need to restart the computer. Any ideas?

Tried to open my old MacBook. Couldn't remember password. Followed suggestion to reinstall hardware. Now startup disk is stuck in computer and it won't turn on. I keep getting a message saying I need to restart the computer. When I hold down power button, I get the same message over and over. Any ideas?

Hello m.goo, and a warm welcome to the forums!
To eject the Disc, hold the Mouse button down, (or what passes for it on a Laptop), while powering up, if you also hold the Option key down at the same time it should eject & give you a chance to insert your install disc & wait for it to shw as a Boot option.
"Try Disk Utility
1. Insert the Tiger Mac OS X Install disc , then restart the computer while holding the C key.
2. When your computer finishes starting up from the disc, choose Disk Utility from the Installer menu. (In Mac OS X 10.4 or later, *you must select your language first.)*
*Important: Do not click Continue in the first screen of the Installer. If you do, you must restart from the disc again to access Disk Utility.*
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click the disclosure triangle to the left of the hard drive icon to display the names of your hard disk volumes and partitions.
5. Select your Mac OS X volume.
6. Click Repair. Disk Utility checks and repairs the disk."
Then Safe Boot , (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it finishes.
If it appears to be time for An Archive & Install, which gives you a new OS, but can preserve all your files, APPs, pics, music, settings, etc., as long as you have plenty of free disk space...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120
Be sure to use Preserve Users & Settings.
To check if AppleCare applies, AppleCare Products Overview...
http://www.apple.com/support/applecare/overview/

Reinstall OSX with update

Need to reinstall OSX. Have 2007 iMac at 10.5.8. Have install disks for 10.4.10 and an update disk for Leopard. Do I need to get a leopard install disk or can I reinstall 10.4 and update to Leopard?

You should still have the grey "Software Restore" Discs that came with the new computer. Disc #1 is also the one to restore your system eg. to OS 10.1 which can be updated to 10.2 (Jaguar) with your update disk and then to the final 10.2.8 by a download from Apple support resp. the automatic Software Update. That last version is the minimum requirement for many apps and is nearly as good as OS 10.3 (Panther).
Good luck!
Berndt

How to format & clean reinstall OSX Yosemite?

My MacBook Pro has the iWorm. Deleted the folders suspected of iWorm (JavaW) and restored host file. Thinking of formatting and clean install of Yosemite back.
I suspect I got the iWorm from pirated Adobe software, and others.
I've checked my backup in Time Machine and I suspect all of it has the same thing going on with the iWorm.
Nothing much that is important in my computer other than music, some school projects and photos. Can I just copy what I deem important and then reformat and reinstall Yosemite? And if I do all that, do I have to re-register back my data about the MacBook, like registering my MacBook's serial key etc?
Thanks

Niel wrote:
1. Yes.
2. No.
(125796)
No to what, the part about re-registering?
ChrisRoz wrote:
Follow the instructions in the links below.
http://osxdaily.com/2014/10/16/make-os-x-yosemite-boot-install-drive/
http://osxdaily.com/2014/10/18/clean-install-os-x-yosemite/
Is there another way besides using a thumb drive? Not having one currently.
Can I just erase the hard drive via Disk Utility or reset back to factory settings, and then download Yosemite through App Store and install again?

Grey Screen, won't boot from usb. Only have a PC to create a boot USB. How can I reinstall OSX with a .dmg file?

I recently recieved a macbook that I was told was broken. She didn't know what was wrong with it, but she told me I could keep it if I wanted to get it working again. Its http://support.apple.com/kb/sp579 this model. I got the laptop to power on, but the apple logo and the spinning wheel under it kept spinning forever. So with me and my "Amazing" knowledge of Macs, I thought it would be best to reformat the drive on my PC via sata cable to FAT32 (which I was told is a format that mac devices can read/write on) and install OSX from usb. So I have a .dmg file and used TransMac to format the usb and make the usb drive bootable with the .dmg.
I formatted the drive to FAT32 and plugged it into my macbook and I get a folder and a question mark blinking on the screen. After looking at some forums online, I found that the error occurs when you don't have the correct filesystem to boot or something along those lines. So I try rebooting the computer while holding C, to boot from an external device (such as USB). Nothing. Again the folder and question mark blink on the screen. I look at some other boot option keys and try all of them. Shift for recovery mode, D for apple hardware test, Control, option, P, and R for resetting NVRAM and PRAM. Everything! The only things that differ slightly are when I press Option for startup manager, N for NetBoot and Option+N for internet default boot image. When I press N and Option+N, I get a blinking globe for about 5-10 seconds and then the folder and ? blink again. When I hold Option for the startup manager, I get a white screen and my curser, which I can move around the screen, but there is nothing to click on, its just white.
Currently I have a USB flash drive plugged into the macbook with a .dmg OSX installer on it via TransMac and for some reason, my macbook doesn't want to try to load it. Either I have the wrong file format for the installer, or my macbook is having problems. I read that the hard drive may be the problem, except I can use it on my PC so I know that it works fine.
If anyone has any information about how to fix this, or any ideas. Please let me know! I would very much like to get this macbook going again.

The correct format for Mac OS X is not FAT-32.
As the computer shipped with an install-restore disc DVD set that could be used to start the computer as an emergency disc and use the Utilities on the Installer, without running the Installer itself, to format, attempt repair, and perform a few different system installs or reinstalls, this is where the correct format would come from.
Was there documentation to confirm the build year and model information, such as to refer you to the product page link you posted above?
If accurate, that MacBook shipped with this custom grey
install-restore DVD version of Snow Leopard:
Original OS
Mac OS X 10.6.1 (10A2047)
Maximum OS
Latest release of OS X
AirDrop
Supported
Hardware Test
AHT 3A181
And to be able to restore the basic OS X to that level, official replacement discs for that computer should be ordered from AppleCare; to facilitiate obtaining correct ones, you should find the product serial number. There likely would be a fee involved. The replacement disc set may have a different number than the one in the information box above, but would match the hardware series by Apple standards. And a replacement disc may not have the original extra applications that shipped with the computer when new. Those original discs are part of the retail computer, an essential part number, like the power adapter, and should be included with the computer even after an OS X upgrade, since they allow basic access without using the internet.
The remainder of the Snow Leopard 10.6(.8) would be a download Software Update Combo v 10.6.8, either direct from Apple servers or through the computer's running Software Update. Once the computer is up to date in Snow Leopard, 10.6.8, then one could visit the Mac App Store, App Store, and iTunes Store; from the Mac App Store, and you could check/get the latest upgrade to Mac OS X, 10.9.2. An Apple ID is required to access.
The computer may not support Mavericks 10.9.2, or may be able to, but could use an upgrade of RAM capacity.
If your model and build year series info is correct:
Maximum Memory
8.0 GB (Actual) 4.0 GB (Apple)
Memory Slots
2 - 204-pin PC3-8500 (1066MHz) DDR3 SO-DIMM
For more information see the database download http://mactracker.ca
and also compare specs with macbook models at everymac.com.
The newer OS X systems that can use a Recovery HD partition on the hard disk drive, can start from there to repair their hard disk drive, and reformat the section where the Mac OS X runs, and reinstall that. Since there is no likelihood of that still being on the drive once it was FAT-32 reformatted, it will not be present to assist in attempts to reformat the drive; if the computer had been upgraded past Snow Leopard 10.6, to a later system that would have used the recovery partition, or the later internet recovery system. That goes to Apple Servers to use OS X Utilities and reinstall the system, helpful for computers without optical drives or system media. Your MacBook with 10.6.8 installed, then had to access the Mac App Store, to get 10.7.5, 10.8.5, or 10.9.x
Identify your Mac lookup by model number or serial number:
https://www.powerbookmedic.com/identify-mac-serial.php
Anyway, the hardware in the computer may need some inspection, troubleshooting, and maybe repair; but the original DVD install-restore disc has an Apple Hardware Test on it, for that series build model macbook. That could help in troubleshooting some aspects of the computer. Could be the hard disk drive failed; or if someone tried to upgrade the RAM, the system may not have worked correctly. Hard to say how it was messed up, at this stage. There are several possible causes.
Hopefully you can get the correct disc set from AppleCare.
You can call Support number, or use Contact Support page.
Good luck & happy computing!

Any time I open a photo program the application freezes. I want to reinstall OSX from the original disk and then restore my machine from time machine Will a restore from time machine only restore my Apps and data

Tried to post a question about restoring my i mac from time machine, but this new format makes no sense to me. I want to restore my i mac from time machine after I reinstall the OS from the original disk. Will a time machine restore only restore the applications and data or will it restore the current state of the OS. My machine will not let me open any photo applications (aperture, I photo, NX 2) I have to force quit them every time I try to get some work done.

06-sep-2012 0:14
Me compre un ipod classic de 160gb cada vez que trato de ponerle musica de mi disco duro externo solo copia hasta 1500 canciones y luego me congela el Itune y no lo puedo cerrar, me pide que restaure el ipod como de fabrica, lo hago y nada. Trato de cerrar el programa de itune y no me deja, trato de apagar el computador y no lo puedo apagar, he buscado para ver si tiene errores el disco del Ipod y me dice que esta bien. Lo he restaurado como 8 veces y le he puesto musica y videos pero siempre me borra todo. He aplastado Menu y Seleccion para entrar al sistemade diagnostic o del ipod y le pongo el test manual donde entro al IO y me dice q todo esta bien. Le he dado ya varios Format directamente desde el Windows 7 y nada tampoco, siempre me borra todo desde que pasan mas de 1300 canciones y me congeal todo el equipo. Ya no se que pensar de esta compania Apple porque no da ninguna solucion ha este tema.
I bought a 160gb iPod classic every time I try to put music on my external hard drive only copy up to 1500 songs and then freezes Itune me and I can not close, asks me to restore the ipod as factory, and do nothing . I try to close the program and itune will not let me, I try to turn off the computer and I can not shut, I looked to see if the iPod disk errors and says it's okay. I restored it about 8 times and I've put music and videos but I always delete everything. I crushed and Selection Menu to enter diagnostic sistemade or ipod and I put the manual test where I enter the IO and q tells me everything is fine. I have already given several Format directly from the Windows 7 and anything either, I always delete everything from passing over 1300 songs and I congeal whole team. No longer have to think of this company because Apple gives no solution has this issue.
iPod classic, Windows 7, ME BORRA TODO Y SE CONGELA

How to reinstall OSX with keyboard only or get mouse to work

I am incredibly frustrated....
I provide support for about 15 Macs and I have never experienced this. I turned on an Intel iMac and could not get the mouse clicks to register. The right click would work, but not the left. This was the case for 5 different mice including the apple corded one.
I tried resetting the PRAM NV, etc....nothing
When booting and holding option, my choices come up and I am able to left click to choose the drive and arrow button. This is the ONLY time my LEFT mouse clicks work. Not in disk utility either.
Needing to format the drive and reinstall anyway, I went ahead the long way with the keyboard and erased the drive in order to make a fresh install, hoping that would solve my issue somehow. Well this would be great and all, but Apple decided to make this an absolute pain.
I can work my way through the reinstall screen using tab, spacebar and the arrows. However when I get to the drive options to install on, I can get the drive to have the selected outline but can never get it to highlight the "Install" button. At this screen, only the arrow keys seem to do anything.
I have searched for a couple hours now and am about to go crazy. Can anyone help with either the left mouse click issue, or how to choose the install drive with a keyboard only?
I need to go calm down now.....
Thanks.

Well, guess it was that dumb. Yesterday, that was the very first thing I checked. All trackpads, bluetooth mice were pulled out and batteries removed.
Did another dig into a large box and found a "Magic Mouse" that had batteries from YEARS ago (of course in an upstairs closet). This mouse has never been used on this or any computer that I can think of.
Thanks for the nonsensical piece of hardware that no real computer user would subject themselves to. THEN, to have it connect randomly to other computers and highjack their mouse function? How about SOME type of indication that your little mouse has taken over? Too hard to foresee this? Solid programming and hardware development.......Apple, I hope you pick up my sarcasm on your imbolent product. I think my anger is about to let out on that little useless pos. Its magic all right, it can render a computer completely useless from 50 feet away. Send the NSA a million of em. /endrant
Thanks for the push in the right direction Dominic, it works now.

Formatting 2GB SD card with FAT32 using Disk Utility

Hello
I'm trying to format a 2GB SD card in a card reader/writer to FAT32 using Disk Utility. Unfortunately the only option available under the Erase button is "MS-DOS File System (FAT16)". I need to do this to upgrade the firmware in my Sony TV which requires a FAT32 formatted USB device.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Tim
P.S. Unfortunately I'm stuck in OSX Tiger on an old B&W G3 while my G5 undergoes repairs.

Tim Goodwin wrote:
Ok, well anyone know of a free OSX 3rd party utility that will enable me to format the SD card to FAT32?
Unfortunately I don't have a larger SD card.
I tried my 1GB SD card on a XP PC and I'm not given the option of FAT32. So it may be a limitation of the SD specification, which means you may just need to bite the bullet and buy a larger SD card.
Perhaps you can ask Sony if there's some setting on your device to use something other than a FAT32 SD card. (I mean, this is Sony after all, you'd think they'd prefer Memorystick. )

How to reinstall 10.4.11 without disk

how to reinstall mac os x 10.4.11 without disk

You can't. You need to purchase replacement discs from Apple if they are available:
Apple Store Customer Service at 1-800-676-2775 or visit online Help for more information.
To contact product and tech support: Apple - Support - Contact Apple Support.
For Mac App Store: Apple - Support - Mac App Store.
For iTunes: Apple - Support - iTunes.

Reinstalling iWorks with no installation disk!

My MacBook Pro was stolen a few weeks ago but thru Find My Friends I was able to locate it and get it back. But when I got it back my entire drive was wiped. Unfortunately, it was not backed up. I need to reinstall the iWorks software that I purchased several years ago but I can't find the disk. Do I have any other options besides purchasing the software again?

MS,
The disks are remarkably inexpensive on eBay and Amazon, the last time I looked. Not worth too much hassle trying to get a free replacement. On the other hand, you could always purchase a new Mac and get the latest iWork for free .
Jerry

Is it possible to reinstall OSX 10.5 without loosing any application that is already installed?

Hi,
So I have endnote, office installed on my macbook. And it is out of space (6 GB left out of 120 GB). And I can not locate where the space is eaten up. I want to reinstall the OSX without loosing the data and get the space back. Is there any way of doing this? Thank you.

It IS possible by doing an Archive and Install http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710
BUT be aware that archive and install takes up the most space of any installation of OS X because it saves room for a previous system folder. The 6GB you have free is probably not even big enough to do archive and install. Neil is right find out what's taking up that space and then get rid of or move some files off to external storage.

Why does Firefox freeze every time I try to install Adobe Flash player? I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it with and without the plugin container.

When I have Adobe Flash player installed and I open Firefox it will freeze up as soon as I open an additional tab other than my home page tab. In order to close Firefox after it freezes I have to use my Windows Task Manager to end process. As soon as I uninstall Adobe Flash player and reboot and then open Firefox it works fine.

Does it help if you disable the plugin-container process?
See http://kb.mozillazine.org/Plugin-container_and_out-of-process_plugins

Format macbook Pro OSX Lion

Hi All,
I have the latest version of OS X Mountain Lion and I am using a Macbook Pro 15 inch.
over the last one year, the system performance has become pathetic and really tests my patience with that ugly rainbow icon!
The nerdy looking apple folks in the genius bar are hopeless and I feel I know much more than what they helped! with no concrete solution,they suggested I format my macbook. However, I have never formatted my macbook before (I was a windows native)
As I read in the forums, I took a time-machine backup of my macbook on my portable hard-disk. I now wish to format and re-install OSX Mountain Lion. I dont have any CD/DVD to boot lion. Can anyone please explain me the detailed step-by-step procedure to format and reinstall OSX mountain Lion?
Thanks,
KK

Install or Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
2. After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the
      left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
3. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Optionally, click on
        the Security button and set the Zero Data option to one-pass. Click on
      the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Install button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.
However, before you do this you should read the following:
Things You Can Do To Keep Your Computer From Slowing Down
If your computer seems to be running slower here are some things you can do:
Boot into Safe Mode then repair your hard drive and permissions:
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions Pre-Lion
Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
Repair the Hard Drive - Lion
Boot from your Lion Recovery HD. When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported, then click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Restart your computer normally and see if this has helped any. Next do some maintenance:
Suggestions for OS X Maintenance
For situations Disk Utility cannot handle the best third-party utility is Disk Warrior; DW only fixes problems with the disk directory, but most disk problems are caused by directory corruption; Disk Warrior 4.x is now Intel Mac compatible.
OS X performs certain maintenance functions that are scheduled to occur on a daily, weekly, or monthly period. The maintenance scripts run in the early AM only if the computer is turned on 24/7 (no sleep.) If this isn't the case, then an excellent solution is to download and install a shareware utility such as Macaroni, JAW PseudoAnacron, or Anacron that will automate the maintenance activity regardless of whether the computer is turned off or asleep. Dependence upon third-party utilities to run the periodic maintenance scripts was significantly reduced since Tiger. These utilities have limited or no functionality with Snow Leopard or Lion and should not be installed.
OS X automatically defragments files less than 20 MBs in size, so unless you have a disk full of very large files there's little need for defragmenting the hard drive. As for virus protection there are few if any such animals affecting OS X. You can protect the computer easily using the freeware Open Source virus protection software ClamXAV. Personally I would avoid most commercial anti-virus software because of their potential for causing problems. For more about malware see Macintosh Virus Guide.
I would also recommend downloading a utility such as TinkerTool System, OnyX 2.4.3, or Cocktail 5.1.1 that you can use for periodic maintenance such as removing old log files and archives, clearing caches, etc.
For emergency repairs install the freeware utility Applejack. If you cannot start up in OS X, you may be able to start in single-user mode from which you can run Applejack to do a whole set of repair and maintenance routines from the command line. Note that AppleJack 1.5 is required for Leopard. AppleJack 1.6 is compatible with Snow Leopard. There is no confirmation that this version also works with Lion.
When you install any new system software or updates be sure to repair the hard drive and permissions beforehand.
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Carbon Copy Cloner
2. Data Backup
3. Deja Vu
4. SuperDuper!
5. SyncTwoFolders
6. Synk Pro
7. Synk Standard
8. Tri-Backup
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore.
Additional suggestions will be found in Mac maintenance Quick Assist.
Referenced software can be found at CNet Downloads or MacUpdate.
Additional Hints
Be sure you have an adequate amount of RAM installed for the number of applications you run concurrently. Be sure you leave a minimum of 10% of the hard drive's capacity as free space.
Add more RAM. If your computer has less than 2 GBs of RAM and you are using OS X Leopard or later, then you can do with more RAM. Snow Leopard and Lion work much better with 4 GBs of RAM than their system minimums. The more concurrent applications you tend to use the more RAM you should have.
Always maintain at least 15 GBs or 10% of your hard drive's capacity as free space, whichever is greater. OS X is frequently accessing your hard drive, so providing adequate free space will keep things from slowing down.
Check for applications that may be hogging the CPU:
Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the Processes dropdown menu. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time, then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.
Often this problem occurs because of a corrupted cache or preferences file or an attempt to write to a corrupted log file.

Is a password required to format or reinstall OSX with or without disks?

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