I have a mid2010 iMac (corei7) and i want to upgrade from Snow to Mavx. Time machine is working on my system, i have many apps installed. What is the best safest way to make this upgrade? I prefer to make a clean install on Mavx on my system rather than an update.
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Migrating from Snow Leopard to Mavericks
- Thread starter zoran
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You've answered your own question. You prefer the clean install approach so download Mavericks and install it on a USB drive and install it, or just reformat the drive during the install process.
You'll have to reinstall all your apps, but you'll be able to restore your data from your back up.
Yes it can (clone), but then you have completely defeated the purpose of a clean install and accomplished nothing.
A true "clean install" involved erasing the drive and installing the OS, then manually reinstalling all your apps and manually moving the data back over.
If you are not having any particular issues with your system now, I would just do the normal upgrade Mavericks install right over top of Snow Leopard and see how things go. If you have troubles you can always then do the clean install.
You would still need to manually resintall your apps, but you could access the TM backup to bring over things like your Documents, Pictures, and Music folders... things like that that are just plain data files sitting in folders. Once you did the install you could open Finder to say the Music folder then enter Time Machine (that star field interface) then select a date to restore from and click restore. That would pull the contents of the Music folder off the TM backup and onto your clean install. You could do the same with the Documents folder for example.
In the vast majority of cases, a truly clean install just isn't worth the extra hours it takes. With a full backup, it's easy and safe to just upgrade and see if things work properly for you.
Is it possible that TM can be used as it is in Mavx, except the applications installed? I mean can i keep the TM history but exclude the apps i have installed in Snow?
Yes perhaps you are correct. Ok im on Snow at the moment and want to go to Mavx. For my backup i am using TM and when i go to Mavx i want that TM backup to exist with its full history (complete TM backup calendar from day one that TM started). Is this possible?
As long as you don't erase your disk and try to do a clean install, and just do the upgrade install, yes TM will just keep right on using the same backup set and you will be able to look back in it at older files etc.