Problems with a CompUSA Demo Emac

Question

My mother purchased a G4 Emac from compUSA about 6 months ago. The Emac was a floor demo unit, and they did not restore the computer prior to our picking it up. It came pre-loaded with Iphoto 5, and the ususal programs.
I got my mother to start using Iphoto about a month ago, and after losing two batches of photos on the machine, I have come to the conclusion that The CompUSA setup must have a maintenance routine that erases all the JPG files in the Iphoto library every night.
Of course, we do not have the backup disk, but I do have the startup disk that came with my Imac. It is listed as OSX 10.4.6. But I don't know if it will work with my mothers G4 Emac.
I am not an Apple expert... What are my options for getting rid of these mainteance routines? Do I need to reload the Machine?
Thanks,
C. Alan

Answer 1

I'm not familiar with iPhoto (having been a Graphic Converter user from before OS 9), so all I can really offer re the loss of iPhoto albums is to post the question in the iPhoto part of the Apple Discussions. If you or your mother remember the names of any of the missing photos, try searching for those files at the hard drive level --- I'd bet the photos are still on the hard drive, and iPhoto's database needs to be rebuilt. You might also warn your mother not to move iPhoto's album contents around or manipulate then in any other graphics program, as that does seem certain to confuse iPhoto.
If there's any question about background applications or scripts, start by checking the contents of Library/StartupItems and Library/PreferencePanes. I doubt CompUSA has the technical enterprise to manipulate the actual cron maintenance scripts to add extra actions such as wiping the iPhoto library. Performing an Archive and Install would replace any hacked maintenance scripts. There needs to be at least 5 GB free space on the hard drive to do an A&I.
Your iMac's 10.4.x install disc won't work on the eMac; model-specific OS X discs are only certain to have the hardware drivers for the particular model with which they were bundled, and with Tiger, Apple set the discs so that the model-specific discs will only run on that model line.
Presumably that store sold the eMac at a very heavy discount if there were no OS X Restore / Software Restore DVDs included (meaning, the store lost the discs or couldn't be bothered to look for them in the back). Knowing CompUSA, it's a near-zero probability that they'd offer to sell your mother a retail Tiger install disc at a steep discount so that she's be able to perform an Archive and Install is necessary. It's possible to call the Apple store, go through the steps to get a human operator, and ask to buy a replacement set of the eMac specific discs that should've come with the computer. Apple sells such sets for less than the retail Tiger disc, and the set would include the bundles applications as well. Have the eMac serial number and model information handy when you call.