The information you gave is self-contradictory. Model M5521 was not introduced until 2001. The 1998 model came in blue only. There were a couple of reddish-colored iMacs, but they are neither of the previous models.
Information on various Mac models can be found at either of the two sites: www.everymac.com www.mactracker.ca But to get to your real problem, the path name you provide does not make sense. I would guess that your daughter's computer was set up as part of a network, and either: it cannot connect, and is getting real confused; or the machine's internal drive has been partially wiped. The best course of action on acquiring any used computer is to wipe it clean and reinstall the operating system. This will require the original operating system CD (these machines are too old for DVDs), but until you know what model you have, you do not know what to ask for. Try this; it might help: reboot the machine, and as soon as you hear the chime, press and hold the shift key. Keep it pressed until things start to happen onscreen. Report back to us on what happens afterward. This is an old and slow computer, and rebooting in this mode may take several minutes. On Sep 2, 10:58 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > She bought an old iMac at a garage sale because it was pink. It is an > older model. The Family number is M5521 and the date 1998. > > When it powers up, the following message is displayed" > > /etc/master.password: No such file or directory > -sh-2.05b# -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To leave this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
