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Clean Install, Fresh Install, Upgrade, Archive and Upgrade, WHAT??

D

Dany M

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 18, 2007
473
2
Earth
OK, so leopard is hopefully coming around the corner and I thought this will just be an easy install, just pop disk in and install, thast it. Then I start hearing about all of these other ways to go about installing and my head turning:confused:

Can someone explain what these specialized installation are???
 
Pop in the disk and you have two install options: Erase and install gives you Leopard with nothing else. Archive and Install gives you Leopard with all your documents, files and applications kept in tact :)
 
Upgrade - Update your current installation of Mac OS X to Leopard while keeping all your files, applications, and settings in place.

Archive and Install - Places your old files in a folder called "Previous Systems" on the drive, and then installs a fresh new copy of Leopard. You also have the option to "Preserve Users and Network Settings," which will only move system files to "Previous Systems" and will keep your users, files, applications, and settings in place. There is little use in Archive and Install over an Upgrade for the typical user or unless you have some specific reason to use it.

Erase and Install - Reformats the partition you selected to install Leopard on, and then installs a pristine copy of OSX 10.5 on the partition. You will lose all your files, users, settings, etc if you don't back them up first.

You'll probably want to just go with an Upgrade.
 
Nope. There's three choices.

The installer gives you 3 options.

To find them click advanced(or something like that) right before it asks you to install. I think it's a bit after you select the hard drive you want to install on.

1) Update - Does just that. Update installs Leopard with all files and settings how they were.

2) Archive And Install - Puts your current files into a folder on the root of your hard drive called "Previous System" and installs Leopard. This way you still have all your files but you'll need to reinstall your applications.
- Archive And Install gives you the option to keep your current settings.

3) Erase And Install - Formats your hard drive and installs Leopard. With this option you lose all files on your hard drive so make sure to back everything up first.

Sbrocket beat me to it.
 
Just wondering ,why would someone go with the last choice? To give there new os a nice clean start???
 
Dany M said:
Just wondering ,why would someone go with the last choice? To give there new os a nice clean start???
Click to expand...

I'll go with erase and install because i have good backups so won't lose anything and i want to give Leopard the greatest possible chance of being bug free for a smooth ride, plus it sort of forces me into some house keeping to get rid of some applications that i don't use.
 
I will probably go for the Erase and Install option because I like having a completly fresh OS and knowing that every option is "default". It is a good occasion to get rid of things and program I don't need.

Also, I am having an hard time trusting an OS upgrade that claim to "change everything while keeping exactly everything I want to keep". Maybe this lack of confidence come from my years of using a PC and Windows...
 
I would like to do an erase and install, but I want to be able to reimport everything like bookmarks, iTunes, Address Book, etc. I have my hard drive cloned to an external drive, and I keep my iTunes library on an external drive anyways. Will I be able to simply import my iTunes library file since my music files will be in the same place? Basically, I'd like to do an erase and install and then get everything back to normal without too much trouble. Is this easy enough to do?
 
Upgrade installs often cause lots of headaches, search for posts from the Panther/Tiger transition to see what I mean. So, provided you've got the drive space, an Archive and Install is probably the way to go.
 
telecomm said:
Upgrade installs often cause lots of headaches, search for posts from the Panther/Tiger transition to see what I mean. So, provided you've got the drive space, an Archive and Install is probably the way to go.
Click to expand...

That's a myth. I have never done anything other than upgrades and never had a single problem.
 
telecomm said:
Sbrocket's post here sums things up pretty well. (FWIW, I'm using the Cisco VPN Client.)

Uncommon, almost certainly, but not mythical.
Click to expand...

Since I was a party to that discussion, I certainly remember it.

I was responding to your comment, "upgrade installs often cause lots of headaches." That is the statement of a myth. In fact they rarely cause any.

I get adamant about this for a reason. A lot of people who read these threads are new to the Mac. They should not get the idea that upgrading OSX is anywhere close to as much of a headache as it can often be with Windows. It certainly is not -- Apple has seen to that. They should understand that the trouble some Mac geeks put themselves through in the upgrade process is totally elective. The vast majority of Mac users can click the upgrade button without fear. This is what people need to understand.
 
Apple's solution

There's been a rise in Mac sales recently and with that also new users of OS X. So I think it's important for people to know what their choices are in this matter. Not hereby saying that I have the solution. The OS X installer has it.

After reading(searching Google first) Apple's page on upgrading to Tiger I found that I will probably be changing my mentality on the installation issue.

I used to Erase & Install on each new major release of OS X, from 10.2 to 10.4(PPC and Intel). I came from AmigaOS where there were no Upgrade option(no need to re-install at all though) and next with Windows where it was the law that you reformatted on each install.;)

Anyways, I'll be doing an Upgrade with Leopard. I'll copy my home folder and all the other little things over onto my external harddrive for the just-in-case scenario.

I have altered some things in the CoreServices folder and changed all my icons with CandyBar. I basically want those things to be default but at the same time have all the apps and frameworks overwritten with new ones. f.ex the DuctTape.framework that PithHelmet installs..I want that gone upon Upgrading. Small things you might think, but essential for me.

I think that it's a matter of letting go of old mentalities. If you Erase&Install you must have a backup already, so why not try the Upgrade option!? I will.

But but, if I have nothing better to do I might Erase&Install anyway, haha ;)

I'm very ambivalent.

I must say, you all have good points. I'm making another one. And so will someone else.

Here's the page. http://www.apple.com/macosx/upgrade/
 
IJ Reilly said:
I get adamant about this for a reason. A lot of people who read these threads are new to the Mac. They should not get the idea that upgrading OSX is anywhere close to as much of a headache as it can often be with Windows. It certainly is not -- Apple has seen to that. They should understand that the trouble some Mac geeks put themselves through in the upgrade process is totally elective. The vast majority of Mac users can click the upgrade button without fear. This is what people need to understand.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

That said, a lot of those new users don't have backups either, so for those with the disk space, an archive and install wouldn't hurt. Then we'd have less of the typical "I had a problem with the install"—"just restore from your backup"—"backup?" exchanges around here. ;)
 
Just had an idea. Instead of asking us, why not ask yourself; What would Jesus do?

What I mean by that is that there as many opinions about what to do and what not to do as there are users registered on this forum. That's maybe stretching it!?

It's good that you and people in general asks about these things, but do you really want to hear the answer and maybe just trying it out for yourself. It's only a computer and an operating system. It's not making a baby. Or doing brain-surgery. You can't undo a persons life. But you can to a certain extent get your documents and pictures back(if all things go wrong and you didn't do what everyone tells you to do - read: buy external harddisk)

Just saying.
 
telecomm said:
Agreed.

That said, a lot of those new users don't have backups either, so for those with the disk space, an archive and install wouldn't hurt. Then we'd have less of the typical "I had a problem with the install"—"just restore from your backup"—"backup?" exchanges around here. ;)
Click to expand...

Backing up is important of course, but a separate issue from upgrading. It's a little like saying you should eat right and exercise, but it's okay to cross the street with your eyes closed.
 
IJ Reilly said:
Backing up is important of course, but a separate issue from upgrading. It's a little like saying you should eat right and exercise, but it's okay to cross the street with your eyes closed.
Click to expand...

One of the options leads to eternal damnation and the other one is all about how lucky you are and what time of day you do it. Which is which? :confused:
 
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