Mac OS

Hi! I want to help a friend install a printer (or printer driver) on her Mac. But, being a PC user I am looking for access to the system files. And can't find them! How do you:
1) Check out the OS? ie, OS 7, or OS 9 etc.
2) Can a Mac automatically install new hardware?
3) If not then how do I go about installing the printer?
4) And the printer driver? ( Which I got off the Net.)

Many thanks, morry. [email protected]

 

With no programs running, click on the little apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen. A menu will drop down. This is called the apple menu. Click on "About This Computer". It will tell you which OS is installed, how much physical ram is installed and how much virtual memory is being used, if any.

If the printer is usb or firewire, do this before hooking up the printer. If not, hook printer up before doing this.

Is the printer driver in the form of an installer? If so, just double click it, and follow instructions. If it's already unstuffed, and is just the driver, drag it and drop it on top of the system folder. It should ask if you want it to go in the extensions folder. Click yes. Then reboot. You always need to reboot when you've added an extension, for it to take affect.

Once rebooted, if usb printer, hook up printer. Go under the apple menu again, to the "Chooser" and click on the icon for the printer you installed. Close the chooser, and you SHOULD be good to go.
Good luck!


I hope I didn't leave something out............been awhile since I've done this.

BTW.........
Depending on the OS, there may be a System Profiler under the apple menu too. This will tell you everything about that particular computer.