Lose any files after installing Snow Leopard?

[Kevster89]

This question is directed to the many MacRumors forum users who recently installed Snow Leopard on their previously Leopard-operating machines, whether those be iMacs, MacBooks, etc.

I am worried that after purchasing Snow Leopard (for the meager price of 29 dollars, which is actually really sweet) and install it on my MBP that I will lose important files, whether they be word documents, song files in iTunes, Address Book contacts, etc. I do semi-regular backups on Time Machine (my external hard drive isn't connected as often as it should be), so I would obviously do a back up prior to 10.6 installation. However, I am still worried.

Case in point: Did you lose any files after switching to Snow Leopard on a machine that previously had 10.5? (please don't respond if you went from 10.4 to 10.6 on Intel machine). Is there any quality advice you might be able to offer me?

Thanks everyone - it's certainly much appreciated.

-Kevster

[HLdan]

You won't have a reason to be concerned about this if you backup your stuff on an external drive and then do the upgrade or erase and install.

[J the Ninja]

I lost everything after I told Disk Utility to destroy the partition map on my boot drive and reformat it. I have no idea how it happened. :P Luckily, everything I needed was backed up on my Linux box, since....well, I planned for everything to get destroyed upgrading to SL. Too much cruft from learning how to be an OS X power user on my old Leopard install. And don't get me started on Logitech Control Center......


In any case, just run TM before you put your machine under the knife. Should the worst happen, you just run Migration Assistant from your TM backup, and you have a 10.6 install with all your stuff intact.

[Kevster89]

What are the different methods/options for installation? I've heard of ugrading and then erase and install, what's the difference? Will one take better advantage of what SL has to offer?

And what's this about Apple getting rid of two different installation methods that were present on previous install discs?

Kev

[richard.mac]

Upgrade is fine it just replaces the system files that make it Snow Leopard from Leopard and leaves your data alone.

an Archive and Install is done from booting into the install DVD and creates a new system and then migrates your user folder and apps, network settings etc.

Erase and Install is done by erasing your hard drive and then installing afresh. some users like this as its a stock install and they can choose what they want to bring over, which may be less junk than an Archive and Install.

[EspressoLove]

I don't believe there's Archive & Install option on SL.
It was nixed IIRC.

I did upgrade for a first time in my life (3.1>95>98>Me>2000>XP>Vista>10.4>10.5 were clean installs )
And I'm extremely happy

Though I geared for worst, had TM & SD! backups, deinstalled lots of stuff prior SL install.

[richard.mac]

im pretty sure when you boot into the DVD (instead to installing while in OS X) and install it does as archive as i was looking thru the logs while installing at it mentioned the moving of files. a fresh install is done by erasing the hard drive in Disk Utility and then installing.

[MythicFrost]

I upgraded, it's sweet.

Backed up with time machine to my external hard drive, also dropped particularly important files and my Parallels virtual machines onto it just in case...

I've had no problems here, I recommend a backup though!

Kind Regards

[maflynn]

I have not lost any files during my upgrade to SL. Of course I reformatted the drive, installed SL and then restored my files.

[Richard1028]

I installed 10.6 right over 10.5 like Apple intended and lost nothing. Before the upgrade, I spent 3 hours cloning my drive all for nothing. Damn you Apple.

I'm pretty sure the upgrade is coded to look for specific files to remove/replace. Even if for some strange reason you keep "doc" files in your system folder it would leave them there intact.