Archive & Install vs. Fresh Install

[ksgant]

Ok, I need a real reason to Fresh Install here and not some weird "it just feels better" reason. Won't Archive & Install give you a clean install without having to lose all your applications and data? If so, then what's the difference between Archive & Install and just an Upgrade?

I've got applications and settings and tons of keychain items and gigs of music on my computer that quite frankly I don't feel like reinstalling. I mean, do you really want to reinstall Firefox, all the Adobe fiasco with CS3, WoW (including having to download patches) and on and on and on?

Plus I have a ton of stuff I bought through the net and downloaded, so I'd have to then go searching through all my email to find the serial-numbers to all reinstall that stuff like for VisualHub and Nisus and even Quicken. It would be like recovering from a massive HD failure or something. Who wants that?

 

[Andrew.s]

I'd go with Archive & Install. I don't want to put all my music back on the computer when I purchase Leopard. That's to much. Plus some of the stuff isn't on my iPod and I don't have copies of anymore because they were stolen.

 

[Cloudsurfer]

Yeah, I would reccoment A&I, but I think it requires a fair amount of available hdd space before you begin.

I'm personally just going for a fresh install. I have all my important files backed up to an external drive, and I like to prune my machine of all evil I might have installed upon it.

 

[MAW]

Yeah, I would reccoment A&I, but I think it requires a fair amount of available hdd space before you begin.

I'm personally just going for a fresh install. I have all my important files backed up to an external drive, and I like to prune my machine of all evil I might have installed upon it.

other than the obvious files like music, photo's and documents, what files should be backed up?

1. itunes playlist files?
2. iphoto event and album data?
3. applications you have no disk for(such as the free imovie 06 download for the ilife 08 folk)? and how do you bac up an application? is it easy as dragging to an external hd?
4. how do you back up network settings(mail app and the like)?

Anyone? Thanks!!

 

[ksgant]

Still don't understand the differences between Archive & Install and Fresh Install.

From what I understand, Archive & Install keeps all your application data and music and updates a fresh system. Or does it actually make a .dmg of EVERYTHING on your HD? If that's the case, it would take days to just make the .dmg.

Or does it just Archive the System items?

 

[Voodoophone]

It might be a stupid question, but can I archive and install to a new boot drive? (once I've gone out a bought one)

I was planning to get a bigger boot drive, move the current boot drive to slot #3 on the Mac Pro, and then A&I from the install disk to the new drive.

Can it be done?
Am I making sense?

 

[macjack1]

other than the obvious files like music, photo's and documents, what files should be backed up?

1. itunes playlist files?
2. iphoto event and album data?
3. applications you have no disk for(such as the free imovie 06 download for the ilife 08 folk)? and how do you bac up an application? is it easy as dragging to an external hd?
4. how do you back up network settings(mail app and the like)?

Anyone? Thanks!!

I suggest cloning up your entire HDD to another drive, either internal or external firewire, with a utility like SuperDuper (free for cloning) . That way when you install Leopard, you will be able to use your Setup Assistant to port over all the network settings, preferences, third party applications, AddrressBook data, iCal data, the whole enchilada.

If you want to do it the long and difficult way (migrate by hand) Here is a list of where your important data is stored
("~" stands for "Home"):

Your data in ~/Documents
~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook (copy the whole folder)
~/Library/Application Support/iCal(copy the whole folder)
Also in ~/Library/Application Support (copy whatever else you need)

~ /Library/Keychains (copy the whole folder)
~/Library/Mail (copy the whole folder)
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.mail.plist This is a very important file which contains all email account settings and general mail preferences.

~ /Library/iTunes (copy the whole folder)
~/Library/Application Support/Safari (copy the whole folder)
~/Library/Application Support/iMovie (copy the whole folder)
~/Pictures/iPhoto library
~/Music/iTunes
~/Movies/iMovie

If you want cookies:
~/Library/Cookies/Cookies.plist
~/Library/Application Support/Webfoundation/HTTPcookies.plist

For Entourage users:
Entourage is in Documents/Microsoft user data
Also in ~ /Library/Preferences/Microsoft


-mj

Still don't understand the differences between Archive & Install and Fresh Install.

From what I understand, Archive & Install keeps all your application data and music and updates a fresh system. Or does it actually make a .dmg of EVERYTHING on your HD? If that's the case, it would take days to just make the .dmg.

Or does it just Archive the System items?

Read the Apple support topic on a & i. There is no .dmg involved.


-mj

can I archive and install to a new boot drive?

No, there is nothing on that disk to archive. You can install and then use Setup Assistant to port over all your settings, apps, etc. from your old drive. Or do it by hand as I've described.

Here are the 3 different types of install options.

-mj

 

[DerChef]

As I mentioned on another similar thread I will do a straight upgrade (but with a clone of my Tiger install ready to go as a safety net ).

I had zero problems last time (Panther to Tiger) and I only have dial up networking and dont fancy the idea of for example downloading 120 mb of Photoshop CS2 updates ect .

I think you will find all the threads that will go "Leopard broke my Mac" and "Spinning beach ball please help" that will invade this place on the 26th and 27th will be people whos machine was shaky and having Kernal Panics before they shoved in the Leopard disk .

 

[ksgant]

Read the Apple support topic on a & i. There is no .dmg involved.

Thanks for the link and info...it explains a lot.

But I wonder, why would you suggest cloning the entire drive to preserve all the settings and what-no rather than just the Archive & Install which seems to do the same thing? Just curious. I want to make sure I make the right decision before installing Leopard.

 

[macjack1]

Thanks for the link and info...it explains a lot.

But I wonder, why would you suggest cloning the entire drive to preserve all the settings and what-no rather than just the Archive & Install which seems to do the same thing? Just curious. I want to make sure I make the right decision before installing Leopard.

That was actually in reply to MAW. Your best option is Archive & Install. Or a straight Upgrade Install.

I would still recommend cloning to another drive as you should always have a backup, especially performing an operation as mission critical as upgrading your system.

-mj

 

[Stephenbw]

I suggest cloning up your entire HDD to another drive, either internal or external firewire, with a utility like SuperDuper (free for cloning) .

I use Backup daily to copy my iMac HDD to an external drive. I this the same as using SuperDuper to clone it?

If I do a 'fresh' install of Leopard will 'Backup' still be on my iMac, and if so do I just click 'Restore' to get iLife 08 and iWorks etc back on the iMac?

What happens then and how will this differ from "Archive & Install"?

 

[72930]

I want to do a fresh install on my external. I ordered the uptodate disk. Can anyone confirm (with experience from the Tiger disk) that I do or don't need to install Tiger first on the external to then wipe it with a clean install?

The Macbook I will put the disk in to install from has Tiger on its internal drive...

 

[ksgant]

That was actually in reply to MAW. Your best option is Archive & Install. Or a straight Upgrade Install.

I would still recommend cloning to another drive as you should always have a backup, especially performing an operation as mission critical as upgrading your system.

-mj

Thanks for the clarification macjack...this helps a lot.

 

[edesignuk]

Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways, but I will always do a clean install. I never upgrade an OS. It's just better to start from a clean slate with a new OS. It's also a good time to do the housekeeping (file wise) you've neglected to do for the last year or two and get rid of all the junk.

 

[ksgant]

Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways, but I will always do a clean install. I never upgrade an OS. It's just better to start from a clean slate with a new OS. It's also a good time to do the housekeeping (file wise) you've neglected to do for the last year or two and get rid of all the junk.

Well, that's what Archive & Install will do from what I've read on Apple's site. It archives the system folder and installs a new one. Doesn't upgrade or write over the old files there.

Then if you want to do housekeeping of other things like in your documents folder and what-not, that's up to you to do manually.

 

[edesignuk]

Well, that's what Archive & Install will do from what I've read on Apple's site. It archives the system folder and installs a new one. Doesn't upgrade or write over the old files there.

Then if you want to do housekeeping of other things like in your documents folder and what-not, that's up to you to do manually.

It gives you a new system folder, but it retains all your preferences and other stuff. Archive and Install is not a clean install.

 

[ksgant]

It gives you a new system folder, but it retains all your preferences and other stuff. Archive and Install is not a clean install.

Yes, thank goodness. To clean install then reload all your applications then download updates for them all then reconfigure all the passwords and keychain items and preferences....

It's like trying to recover from a major crash! Honestly, if I didn't have a ton of things installed and if I just used my Mac to email and surf the web, I may do that...but otherwise we're talking like a day or two of "recovering" from the install.

If you want to do that, be my guest. I don't see it making any difference though at all.

 

[edesignuk]

I don't see it making any difference though at all.

Up to you, I'm sure for the most part Archive and Install does work fine. Personally I don't like the idea of irrelevant and possibly incorrect preferences hanging round in a new OS.

If asked I will always say clean install.

 

[macjack1]

Maybe I'm just stuck in my ways, but I will always do a clean install.

To tell the truth, I always install a new OS to a clean disk. Then I kick the tires and look under hood for a while until I'm satisfied it is stable and trouble-free.

Then, and only then do I clone it over to my main drive. A true purist would not clone but I run far too many third party apps with 99 digit registration codes and updates. That's clean enough for me ;-)

I don't recommend it for everyone though, because it is a pain and not actually necessary.

-mj

 

[mpr131]

If I do a clean install, do I need to de-authorize my computer in iTunes first? Or will iTunes recognize it's the same computer?

 

[ksgant]

If I do a clean install, do I need to de-authorize my computer in iTunes first? Or will iTunes recognize it's the same computer?

Ah, that's a good question

 

[macjack1]

If I do a clean install, do I need to de-authorize my computer in iTunes first? Or will iTunes recognize it's the same computer?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93014

While you may need to enter your account information again after initializing the hard disk, initializing the hard disk itself does not remove the computer from the list of authorized computers. If you plan to initialize the hard disk prior to selling or donating your computer, deauthorize the computer first, then initialize the hard disk.

-mj

 

[Pierce]

I cant believe some of you guys will choose a fresh install. I only choose to do a fresh install only when my computer crashes(on Windows not OSX) or something determential happens. Would you even notice a difference if you chose archive and install other than fresh install?

I dont know about most of you all but I have way too many applications, settings, fonts, music, passwords,email etc that I dont want to bother to reload unless its absolutely necessary.

As far as keeping my HD clean of installs, files and other junk, well I do that on a monthly basis. For me it will be an archive and install.

 

[MisterMe]

I cant believe some of you guys will choose a fresh install. I only choose to do a fresh install only when my computer crashes(on Windows not OSX) or something determential happens. Would you even notice a difference if you chose archive and install other than fresh install?

I dont know about most of you all but I have way too many applications, settings, fonts, music, passwords,email etc that I dont want to bother to reload unless its absolutely necessary.

...

I cannot agree with your more. In my 19 years of using Macs, I have had two problematic OS upgrades. The first was my upgrade to System 7.5. The one thing I hate about buying a new computer is moving my software from the old one to the new one. The notion of volunteering to go through that pain in anticipation of a once-in-a-decade problem strikes me as dumb.

 

[aafuss1]

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93014

While you may need to enter your account information again after initializing the hard disk, initializing the hard disk itself does not remove the computer from the list of authorized computers. If you plan to initialize the hard disk prior to selling or donating your computer, deauthorize the computer first, then initialize the hard disk.

-mj

That's good to know-as I may want to clean install.