Best way to re-install Mac OS and format the drive?

[navigator416]

Hey all - I am about to re-install snow from scratch but I need to keep the users documents/desktop/itunes lib intacts. I am not particularly looking to backup the whole thing. For example, I don't want to keep any application settings. Would I be best off:

- Backing up the user's root folder
- Re-installing OSX
- Re-creating the user
- drag and drop from the backup volume to the users newly created profile
How will itunes handle this? I don't want to recreate this users itunes library. If I just move the music folder from the backup drive to the music folder on the fresh install, will itunes do all the heavy lifting?

Or would I be best off just backing up everything to time machine and restoring from that backup?

Again I want to avoid bringing over any application/system settings from the current image. Thanks in advance

 

[roadbloc]

Restore off a Time Machine point. Easy peasy. Just shove in your install disk, click on Tools > Restore from Time Machine and choose your date.

Alternatively, you could restore your user files after a install, which would ensure whatever is wanting you to reinstall has gone.