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Erase & Install v. Archive & Install ASAP!

Aniej

Aniej

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 17, 2006
1,743
0
It's 2:30am and I have to sleep before I get up to work all day on getting Rick Santorum the hell out of office.

While I understand what the basic differences are between these two options listed in the thread title, can someone explain the implications of choosing one over the other? :confused:
 
Erase will wipe everything on your system, whereas Archive will keep all your apps, music, documents etc.
 
An Erase & Install will eliminate everything from your hard drive, reformat it and then reinstall the OS from scratch. An Archive & Install will merely put your current System Folder aside and install a new version of the OS over the top. Depending on some checkboxes you tick in the Archive & Install, you can do this and retain all your old settings, files and so on. Having said that, I'd perform a full backup before attempting either. :)

Sometimes a reformat is a good idea. It gives the computer the opportunity to clear out some corruptions with the current format and start afresh. I do this when I get a new machine and when I upgrade the OS (like from Panther to Leopard). The archive and install will not reformat your drive and will also not erase any content so in many cases, this is the safer option. Mac OSX is pretty good though. Most problems can be fixed without attempting either.
 
Interesting approach! The reason I am looking to choose one of these two options is because disk utility quits every time I try to run it, installer gets half way and then also quits anytime I try to install something, I have run fsck now twice. Thoughts on which of the two options I should go with?

One additional point that will influence this decision. I have already backed up every file, song, application, etc from the Mac with the problem to another Powerbook G4 so transferring data back after an erase is not as overwhelming a proposition, but would prefer A&I if that's all I need. I just want my baby to work great again.
 
It sounds like a lot of things are broken, and you say you've backed everything up, so I'd go for the Erase.
 
Not a challenge, but rather more for my edification, can you tell me why you suggest this option?
 
If fscks are breaking then there's probably something wrong with your filesystem. An Erase will completely blow away and rebuild the filesystem from scratch. Archive, on the other hand, will essentially add a new copy of OS X to your existing filesystem, and may not fix the actual root problem.
 
Erase is really not to big of a deal if I have everything backed up and can transfer the files back in, right?

What about all the applications I have installed (iLife, Office), downloaded (firefox) or shareware (a bunch) bought online?:confused:
 
Aniej said:
Erase is really not to big of a deal if I have everything backed up and can transfer the files back in, right?

What about all the applications I have installed (iLife, Office), downloaded (firefox) or shareware (a bunch) bought online?:confused:
Click to expand...
The good news part is that you say you have everything backed up on another G4. I've gone both routes using A and I as well as have done an Erase, zeroing out and Installing with Panther, just to have a clean go at things.

Seems like you could do the less pervasive Archive & Install and see if that solves your problem and go from there. Worst case scenario, provided your HD and S.M.A.R.T show "verified" is to Erase & Install if the former doesn't do the trick. No harm, no foul. Good luck.

Oh, and Migration Assistant does an okay job, though it left some file dragging and some configuring which needed to be done with the new User folder.
 
good advice, that is what I am going to do and if it still does not work in a few days I am going to wipe that pain in the butt clean and start over.
 
Yeah, an Archive & Install will not help your problem. Since you've got everything backed up, I'd definitely try the Format (Erase) & Install. Of course, I'm not sure I'd rely on this machine too much in the future. Assuming the reinstall works, keep everything backed up and verify the disk every now and then. Also keep an eye on the SMART status. This can be found in Disk Utility. :)
 
You say you've run fsck twice, but what were the results? Is it finding directory errors that can't be repaired?

Knowing so little about your actual problem, I'd hesitate to recommend either form of reinstall. On the one hand, it might well not be necessary. On the other, it may not even fix your problems.
 
Archive & Install corrupted my Pages files...(that means my coursework) :mad: :mad: :mad:
 
mkrishnan said:
Why on earth would you do an archive and install on a disk while it contains the only copy of your homework? :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Clearly this is the modern equivalent of "my dog ate my homework" ;)

GREAT NEWS, at least for me. I backed everything up, ran fsck got a message saying HD was ok, did an archive & install, every problem has been resolved and is working like a charm! All my files and my prefs are here and installer and disk utility are back again. Wahoooo:D

Now onto ensuring the departure of Rick Santorum!
 
Aniej said:
Clearly this is the modern equivalent of "my dog ate my homework" ;)

GREAT NEWS, at least for me. I backed everything up, ran fsck got a message saying HD was ok, did an archive & install, every problem has been resolved and is working like a charm! All my files and my prefs are here and installer and disk utility are back again. Wahoooo:D

Now onto ensuring the departure of Rick Santorum!
Click to expand...
Good news! Casey will be proud of you for going beyond the job description. :)
 
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