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Question about Leopard install??

taybo20

taybo20

macrumors regular
Original poster
Hey guys! Quick couple of questions on Leopard. When I install Leopard, will all my programs still be on my computer and continue to work? Or will I need to uninstall all of my stuff then install Leopard? Programs I am talking about are Final Cut Studio (FCP 5) and FireFox.
 
If you choose the upgrade option, all your programs theoretically should remain on the computer and continue to work. Final Cut and Firefox will definitely work. However, if I were you I would do a clean install.
 
clean install would be best. I just need to remember to backup all my music and stuff. Another question, will FCP work since I already used the key code on a prior install? That is if i go the clean install route.
 
Archive & Install Will Be Best

Not clean install. Not the upgrade option. You guys must be from Windows World. We don't need to do clean installs when upgrading to the next system. Just Archive and Install and all will be perfect. All your preferences will remain and you will gain the advantages of the new system without losing what you have already set up.

Some programs will break with the new system but will be fixed with software updates provided by the publishers soon after release. Most programs will work as before or better.

Firefox will probably be fine although the new Safari 3 will be best.

Final Cut Studio 1 (FCP 5.1.4 UB) may not work right. But then again it might. We just don't know yet. But you may have to upgrade to Final Cut Studio 2 (FCP 6.0.1 UB) for $499 which will - or will get an update from Apple that will.

Apple is not going to update FCP 5.1.4 or any other part of FCS 1 to work with Leopard. That's the end of the line for that version.
 
Multimedia said:
Not clean install. Not the upgrade option. You guys must be from Windows World. We don't need to do clean installs when upgrading to the next system. Just Archive and Install and all will be perfect. All your preferences will remain and you will gain the advantages of the new system without losing what you have already set up.

Some programs will break with the new system but will be fixed with software updates provided by the publishers soon after release. Most programs will work as before or better.

Firefox will probably be fine although the new Safari 3 will be best.
Click to expand...

Finally someone that agrees with me that Firefox on OS X is trash! Sorry, I don't feel strongly about this at all.
 
What does Archive and Install do? Does it basically compress all of your files on your HD into a folder that you can access after it does a install? Or am I off the mark?
 
dranakin said:
What does Archive and Install do? Does it basically compress all of your files on your HD into a folder that you can access after it does a install? Or am I off the mark?
Click to expand...
It overwrites /Library and /System while keeping /Users untouched.
 
dranakin said:
The difference between Archive and Install vs an Upgrade then?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure to be honest. I'd say it gets the same task done.

Hopefully Apple would overwrite the older folders entirely to prevent version conflicts and missing files.
 
Upgrade replaces the old files on the computer.

Archive + Install puts new versions onto the computer leaving all the old ones around "just-in-case".
 
projectle said:
Upgrade replaces the old files on the computer.

Archive + Install puts new versions onto the computer leaving all the old ones around "just-in-case".
Click to expand...
I believe it is possible to bless the Previous System Folder.

I haven't done it myself though.
 
Yeah, Archive&Install... what a great idea. The last time I tried it, the installation process halted right at the end. Right as if the installation was about to end, the whole thing stalled. Great! And did I create a backup of my system before doing this Archive&Install which is oh so great? No. I did not.

Could i have recovered from the whole ordeal by just shutting down my Mac whilst in the installation process? Probably. It was a thing that reminded me of how dealing with computers cannot be at a 100% succes-rate all the time.

Note: I do not normally choose Archive&Install - I wanted to save some time but ultimately have a fresh OS X install(because of me thinking my Mac wanted a clean slate)

I will be doing what I have done since 10.2->10.3->10.4: Manual backup procedure -> Clean Install.

maybe i'm just another victim of Murphy's Law. What can go wrong, will go wrong. 🙄
 
dranakin said:
Yeah, I don't have an external HD so I can't do a clean install...how much space would the archive take up?
Click to expand...

The archive is not an archive such as a Zip file. It's merely a folder that is not compressed. Let's say you have an 80GB harddisk filled up to where you have 5GB left because your Music and Movies folder is packed. You may be able to install Leopard. I don't know how much space it'll take up if you do a full installation of Leopard with all the apps available, but why not. You could also be told, during installation that there isn't enough space to install Leopard because of the archive&install taking up ~75GB and Leopard is trying to allocate 8GB for itself.

You will only be enlightened come late October this year when you pop in your copy of Leopard. If it goes, it goes.

I might be all wrong on all of this. But i'm pretty sure i'm not 🙂
 
No Archive & Install Does Not Overwrite Anything

Eidorian said:
It overwrites /Library and /System while keeping /Users untouched.
Click to expand...
No. It moves your old system files to a "Previous System" folder while writing a new system and keeping all your preference files. After the successful install, you delete the "Previous System" folder.
 
okay thanks for all the replies. I suppose I will just go with an archive and install. it just feels weird not to backup all my files and completely clean the harddrive and start "fresh".
 
Archive and Install just left crap around the system. I'd recommend it if you are going to be installing 10.5.0, but after 10.5.1, I'd just Upgrade and Install.
 
Few questions from a newbie mac user.

If I want to do a "clean Install" (wipe everything), does it just give me that option when i put the leopard disc in?

Also How do I back up my applications to an external HD, is this possible? Because I have a bunch of chemistry software which is not available on disk, and it took a long time to track this stuff down. So how can i back those up?

oh and I have a small partition (edrive) setup for tech tool pro, will this cause any problems with installing the new OS?

Thanks so much.
 
taybo20 said:
When I install Leopard, will all my programs still be on my computer and continue to work? Or will I need to uninstall all of my stuff then install Leopard?
Click to expand...

This must be a windows user, or ex-windows user.

I will assume this OS is like the rest of Apple's OS's under the X title - you will need do nothing more then answer a few install questions and then sit back and wait a while.

When done, everything is exactly the same, but the OS is different.

Depends on how the OS works with some programs. We might suddenly discover FIREFOX doesn't work very well with OSX Leotard, or maybe some way older version is now totally defunct and unusable, but I doubt any of that will break a sweat for you unless you are addicted to Photoshop 1.x or something made pre-OSX. Free stuff is generally updated relatively quick to match or utilize the new OS's programming in some way. Check version tracker for that stuff, per usual.
 
Scalfani said:
If I want to do a "clean Install" (wipe everything), does it just give me that option when i put the leopard disc in?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Scalfani said:
Also How do I back up my applications to an external HD, is this possible? Because I have a bunch of chemistry software which is not available on disk, and it took a long time to track this stuff down. So how can i back those up?
Click to expand...

Clean Install is optional. I would prefer to do it because it would erase all the junk but if you have important things that you don't want to lose I recommend that you don't do the Clean Install and just upgrade.

Scalfani said:
oh and I have a small partition (edrive) setup for tech tool pro, will this cause any problems with installing the new OS?
Click to expand...

No.
 
Lesser Evets said:
This must be a windows user, or ex-windows user.
Click to expand...

Yes i am. I have never experienced an OS X upgrade. So i am a little nervous about the whole upgrade. I would like a nice "clean" version running but i don't want to lose some programs. I am probably making it a bigger deal than it is. I should just buy it and upgrade and it will probably work perfectly... i hope.
 
taybo20 said:
Yes i am. I have never experienced an OS X upgrade. So i am a little nervous about the whole upgrade.
Click to expand...

It is pretty shiny, upgrading.

Apple will tell you to restart from the disk (it will do this for you when you agree to restart after clicking the OSX icons in the disk's folders).

Then you restart to some shiny 3D graphics floating around saying 'HELLO' in several different languages with some nice little tinkly-appley music.

Then they get you to enter in your personal info, answer a few questions about the type of install you want (I think) and then it installs it. Restarts. Is like the same computer with a new os.

Simple.

There are a few types of installs for erasing everything, putting the old system apps and info in some folder, and just putting in the new OS.

You will be amazed how easy it is.
 
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