The Install Mac OS 8.1 program installs the basic components of Mac OS 8.1. In this step, you select which software you want to install in addition to the basic system software. With the CD, you can select any of the following:

• Mac OS Runtime for Java, to use programs written in the Java computer language

• Personal Web Sharing, to share documents using the World Wide Web

• QuickDraw 3D, to view and manipulate 3D images. Requires a PowerPC computer.

• OpenDoc, to take advantage of software written for the OpenDoc environment

• MacLink Plus, to easily open Mac OS, DOS, and Windows documents. These translators work with the Mac OS Easy Open control panel.

• Apple Location Manager, to quickly switch between different settings on your PowerBook computer.

• QuickDraw GX, to use programs with advanced graphics and typography features

• Text-to-Speech, to have your computer read text and alert messages aloud

• Apple Remote Access, to connect to a remote Mac OS computer using a modem

About your hard disk
The Installer automatically checks the selected hard disk for errors. If possible, it will repair any errors it finds. 

The Installer also looks for hard disks that were formatted using an Apple disk utility. If any are found, the hard disk driver software is updated to the current version.  

Disks formatted with a disk utility other than Apple’s are not updated or altered.

If you have non-Apple hard disk drivers installed, you should update the drivers before installing Mac OS 8.1.  Be sure to obtain the latest version of the utility software. It is important that you have up-to-date drivers before using Mac OS 8.1.

See Chapter 6 in the Mac OS 8 installation manual for more information about repairing hard disk problems and updating the driver.

If you know you don’t have Apple hard disk driver software installed, you can tell the Installer not to check the drivers. Click the Options button, then click to remove the mark from the checkbox.

Customizing a Mac OS 8.1 installation
Click Customize if you want to add or remove specific components, or you want to customize your installation so it includes only the pieces you know you need. For most computer users,  the customize option is not recommended or necessary.

Select the software you want to install or remove, then click Start. Individual installers for each of the products you selected will be opened, one after another.

In each installer you can select one of these options:

• Easy Install, to install all of the components for the software product, tailored to the computer model you’re currently using.

• Custom Install, to select which components you want to install. Use this option to reinstall just the files you know you need, such as a printer driver, or to install software for a different model of computer. For example, you can use this to install the PowerPC version of software on an external disk, even if you’re using a 68K Macintosh.

• Custom Remove, to select which components you want to delete.

When you’re finished with the current installer, the installer for the next product you selected launches automatically.

For more information, see “Adding or Removing Software” in the Mac OS 8 installation manual.