can i reinstall only what apps i want from TM

[muck]

I have been torn on how to clean up my main disk on my mac. It has a lot of old editing apps that i will never use. But it also has some that i will. Most of the new were just upgrades from the old, not new installs.

My question is this, If i wipe my main disk clean and do a fresh install of Leopard, can i take only the apps i want from my Time Machine back up? For example, i have an Office suite i do not want to loose but i do not have the original disks. I like stated above have a few editing apps i do want. My thought was that after i am done with the OSX install, can i drag my wanted apps from my scratch back to my main application folder.

Thanks MAtt

 

[Achiever]

Why not delete the apps before you wipe the drive, so that the TM re-install only gives you what you want? Apps you can use include AppCleaner, which is free, or AppZapper. There are more; I think Hazel muight remove apps and their .plist trails, too. Once you have cleaned off everything you don't want, you can either back up with TM or Carbon Copy Cloner, etc., then wipe the HD and bring back your old machine which should theoretically only have the apps you want.

 

[muck]

with so many of the newer apps on this box being upgrades to the other versions still on the is box, i was hoping that if i dragged and dropped what i wanted on a clean drive it would take the parts of the program it needed to run properly. Other wise if i delete the old apps i do not want, i was told some of the updated programs need parts of that program to run properly. Being a newbie to this and Mac on top of it, i did not know if this was would be easier than trying to delete all the old apps.

 

[Achiever]

with so many of the newer apps on this box being upgrades to the other versions still on the is box, i was hoping that if i dragged and dropped what i wanted on a clean drive it would take the parts of the program it needed to run properly. Other wise if i delete the old apps i do not want, i was told some of the updated programs need parts of that program to run properly. Being a newbie to this and Mac on top of it, i did not know if this was would be easier than trying to delete all the old apps.

Sorry, but it is really unclear what you mean here. Why don't you list for us some of the apps you want to keep and dump. We might be better able to guide you from there.

 

[muck]

Sorry, but it is really unclear what you mean here. Why don't you list for us some of the apps you want to keep and dump. We might be better able to guide you from there.

Sure, i can do that.
One will be photoshop. I think the latest i have on there is CS2. CS2 was purchased as an upgrade from the prior PS software is on the box. That meant that it was not a full software install, just a download upgrade.
Same with Final Cut Pro. I have 2 versions in this box of it. The latest being an upgrade purchase and not a full version install. I got this box from my father and he mentioned that i would not be able to unistall the old versions of some of the apps as they share programming info.

I am used to PCs and some of the programs i have upgraded and deleted the older versions have asked me if i wanted to keep some of the program as there are other programs that still use that part.

 

[Achiever]

Sure, i can do that.
One will be photoshop. I think the latest i have on there is CS2. CS2 was purchased as an upgrade from the prior PS software is on the box. That meant that it was not a full software install, just a download upgrade.
Same with Final Cut Pro. I have 2 versions in this box of it. The latest being an upgrade purchase and not a full version install. I got this box from my father and he mentioned that i would not be able to unistall the old versions of some of the apps as they share programming info.

I am used to PCs and some of the programs i have upgraded and deleted the older versions have asked me if i wanted to keep some of the program as there are other programs that still use that part.

Well, I am going to put aside the obvious knee jerk response of telling you that CS3 & CS4 are both readily available, because I know both are quite expensive.

So your question is since you purchased upgrades on these programs, and not full installs, you believe you may have to keep the original versions as they would share code/files that make the upgraded, newer version fully functional. It's a fair question and, unfortunately one I cannot answer since I have not had to do an upgrade for the CS and do not have FCP.

But I can tell you this (since your original question revolved around whether you could selectively draw some files from TM and delete others). If you are not sure, then you'll need to bring them all over regardless. Adobe might have a help desk or customer service email that you can ask them about their software upgrade path and how it effects the need to keep the older files. Otherwise, I hope someone else here can help you. Best of luck.

 

[muck]

Well, I am going to put aside the obvious knee jerk response of telling you that CS3 & CS4 are both readily available, because I know both are quite expensive.

So your question is since you purchased upgrades on these programs, and not full installs, you believe you may have to keep the original versions as they would share code/files that make the upgraded, newer version fully functional. It's a fair question and, unfortunately one I cannot answer since I have not had to do an upgrade for the CS and do not have FCP.

But I can tell you this (since your original question revolved around whether you could selectively draw some files from TM and delete others). If you are not sure, then you'll need to bring them all over regardless. Adobe might have a help desk or customer service email that you can ask them about their software upgrade path and how it effects the need to keep the older files. Otherwise, I hope someone else here can help you. Best of luck.

Yeah, i have looked at them and they are out of my price range at this time.
Thanks for the idea on getting a hold of Adobe's CS and see what they say. I had not thought of that.

thanks Matt