Reinstalling Jaguar without losing anything

Re: Reinstalling Jaguar without losing anything

Originally posted by coolbreeze
**Disclaimer**
I have searched the archives, and I found a lot of stuff on this, but none of them specifically answered my question. Just trying to avoid the flames.
*******

Anyhow, the other day I was in root (please don't ask why) and I think I may have done something wrong. Since then, I seem to get a lot of crashes and my system seems to be crawling at times. I have repaired permissions, cocktailed it, etc, and it still just doesn't feel right.

I have two users on this iMac (my roomate and I) and we don't want to lose a thing if I reinstall Jaguar. I read somewhere that all you do is pop in the CD and it will simply replace what is "broken," without changing settings (etc. my Apache settings) or deleting anything at all. I am a recent switcher and have never installed a Mac OS, so I am scared to do this. Sure I will back my stuff up, but is it really as easy as popping in the CD and reinstalling?

Thanks.

Click to expand...

Yes you could a archival install, and all you settings will be in a folder called previous system, but the problem is that once you extract all of your files into the system settings, you can?t delete the previous system folder (even if you log on a root). And it takes up space, a lot of space!!

So what I do is just copy my important data and my users library folder to my external HDD, and do a clean install. Then I just move the users library folder back!!
It is that easy!!

Re: Re: Reinstalling Jaguar without losing anything

Originally posted by Rajj
Yes you could a archival install, and all you settings will be in a folder called previous system, but the problem is that once you extract all of your files into the system settings, you can?t delete the previous system folder (even if you log on a root). And it takes up space, a lot of space!!

So what I do is just copy my important data and my users library folder to my external HDD, and do a clean install. Then I just move the users library folder back!!
It is that easy!!

Click to expand...

Agreed, I've done this plenty of times and it is pretty easy. I usually go an extra step and delete any pref files I don't need from my Library folder before I copy over the new install. But that's just me being preference-paranoid.

Taft

If you reinstall, your apache settings will be most likely gone, remember this is still Unix...If you want to clean your system, I recomend you back up your two user's home folders (to a CD or DVD or extra HD), remember the passwords you used for each of those users, and back up your apache settings and files etc.

Put in the CD, and restart holding the 'c' key, use disk utlity located in the menu bar (->Installer->Disk Utility) and reformat your HD, install Jaguar, then create your two users with the same previous names and corresponding passwords. Log in to each one, and when your logged in, copy all the folders that you backed up from your old home folder into the new one. Log out, and log in, everything (for your particular user) will be back to normal.

I recomend doing the format and install because I have had problems like that (I'm a switcher too) with OS X and before...windows. You can, if you really want, do an "archive install" which will move your settings for your users etc to another system, but there is the chance that it will also move your damaged settings/files (from root also) to the new install as well.

Good Luck.

Caution with only moving User home directories!

I'd be cautious when moving home directories, then reformatting the original system, without ever saving the original user accounts.

It's no problem most of the time, especially if you don't install applications in your home area, use the terminal, or customize your work environment. Regardless, it only takes a moment to save the existing NetInfo accounts then simply reimport the accounts after you've reinstalled your machine. They should match up exactly with the permissions of the files you copied over.

Could someone jump in and add to this? I'm about to run out of the house for a meeting. If not I'll try to remember to come back and explain myself. Plus, I might be wrong.

Best,
Logicat

Re: Re: Reinstalling Jaguar without losing anything

Originally posted by Rajj
Yes you could a archival install, and all you settings will be in a folder called previous system, but the problem is that once you extract all of your files into the system settings, you can?t delete the previous system folder (even if you log on a root). And it takes up space, a lot of space!!

So what I do is just copy my important data and my users library folder to my external HDD, and do a clean install. Then I just move the users library folder back!!
It is that easy!!

Click to expand...

That's interesting I find I can delete the previous system folder just fine. I just can't delete some of the contents within it indivudually unless I change there permissions settings.

I really recomend the archive and install with the option that copies over your previous settings. It really is easy and you don't lose anything.

One thing though is if it's one of your settings causing the problem all this will do is install a new system and copy the old settings over problem and all.

Regardless, it only takes a moment to save the existing NetInfo accounts then simply reimport the accounts after you've reinstalled your machine. They should match up exactly with the permissions of the files you copied over.

Click to expand...

Yea, thats why I recomended to re-create the same users with the same passwords, but since he changed something in root, who knows what got messed up from that, re-installing netinfo might bring it back, thats why sometimes its good to just keep users stuff and throw out the rest IMHO...