"User/library" folder

[BVsmurfette]

Just got a new iMac, it's replacing my existing iMac (approx 2 yrs old) that unfortunately isn't running as quickly as I'd like - especially when it comes to video games (i play WoW).

I'm doing a clean install of any software I had (versus using migration assistant), and copying over any documents/pictures/music I had. Here is my question - what do I do with the "library" folder that was within my username? What exactly is that folder for? I am guessing all my old user preferences are probably in there - right? Like bookmarks in my safari, or any special fonts I downloaded etc (I've done some design work so I had download some special fonts). I dont want to lose that! Should I just copy the whole folder over and "replace" the one in my new iMac? Or will this screw up things in the new one? Would appreciate any advice on this from all you Mac experts out there. Thanks much in advance!

 

[johnfkitchen]

Setup Assistant is the way to go. Migration Assistant can get you into permissions issues and doing it manually, like you plan to, means you have to really know what you're doing. Ahh, that's why you're posting this!

 

[BVsmurfette]

The clean install is actually going fairly well so far - music and photos and videos are all copied over properly. Most of my software has been downloaded.

The reason I'm doing it manually is because I used migration assistant the last time I got a new Mac (I was moving from a Mac mini to iMac). The permissions was a big mess, had to call apple support and get their help to fix it that's why I'm not doing migration assistant again!

I wasn't aware of setup assistant tho, I'll go look it up now.

If any one has specific advice on the library folder, I'm all ears!

 

[johnfkitchen]

Here is a good source on Setup Assistant.

http://web.me.com/pondini/AppleTips/SetupAsst.html

SA worked perfectly for me going from MBP to iMac.

 

[robgendreau]

I agree; doing the setup thing when you first boot up the new mac is the way to go (I suspect that setup assistant is just migration done BEFORE you create a user account).

I too had permission problems with Migration Ass't, but that was only because I had set up a user account with the same name first. It was a bit annoying, but easy to fix.

Re the Libraries: they contain all sorts of files necessary to make your applications and hardware run. It's one of those don't mess with it if you don't know what you're doing places. So, if you have to ask, you probably should not be deleting or moving stuff. Files there may also be machine specific, so simply copying them won't work, or even cloning them, for that matter.

"Clean" installs in my experience create more problems than using setup assistant, and have experience with some very tweaked Macs. But fear not: going the manual route just means you'll have to reinstall all your data and applications manually, and lose your prefs and such. If you don't have much stuff, it's doable.

If it were me, I'd just erase the new machine, reinstall the system software, and run through the initial setup and let it do all the work for you overnight.