Clean Installing - what to do about big apps?

[P-Worm]

Yeah, I'm clean installing. My computer is really acting up. In the past ten hours I've had about a dozen applications crash (it doesn't seem to matter what I open), and two kernal panics. Something is seriously wrong here.

Anyway, the three applications I use most often are Photoshop Elelments, Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, and Final Cut Pro 4. I don't want to have to reinstall FCP (I started with 2 then did upgrades, so that means I have to install in OS 9) or Warcraft (my CD's are a little scratched. It plays fine, but doesn't like to install).

I have a second external hard drive I can use to back things up. What exactly can I do to prevent from reinstalling these things? Is it as simples as dragging the applications over, or are there some .plist files I need to bring too?

Edit: Oh and iPhoto and iTunes as well. I have music purchased from the store and a thousand photos I don't want to lose. Do I just back up the iPhoto library and iTunes library? How do I bring the new one back up to speed?

P-Worm

 

[jsw]

Something that has worked for me in the past has been to create archive files (right/control click on folder, Create Archive) of Library->Preferences and Library->Application Support in both the top-level directory (i.e., your "Macintosh HD" if you haven't renamed it) and in your personal home directory.

Photoshop is particularly insidious. Make sure to search for "adobe" and "photoshop" and ensure that you've archived any folders they appear in (which might just be Application Support and Preferences - I forget). For WCIII, do the same with "warcraft", "blizzard, "battle", and "bnupdate". Not sure about FCP, but it's probably similar.

It's important to archive and not to just copy, since copying doesn't always get everything, for some odd reason. Also, be sure that no apps are running when you do this.

Also, of course, archive the apps themselves.

Copy all the archives elsewhere. Do the clean install. Unarchive the folders to somewhere temporary, and copy the appropriate things back. For WCIII, I think you just need the few prefs files and the app folder itself.

This should work. For particulary nested things, like Application Support->Adobe, it might be better to re-archive just those folders and then unarchive them where they belong than it is to copy them over. I had an issue with Photoshop Elements until I did this (wanted to transfer using it from my iMac to my G5 - and, yes, I took it off the iMac afterwards - and, since I'd lost the CD and didn't want to bother with trying to get Adobe to send me a new one since I had the receipt and all, I just copied it). Once I had the archiving set up, it worked.

 

[idkew]

with iphoto and itunes, copy their prefs (com.apple.itunes.plist....) over, the entire itunes music library, and the iPhoto Library. Make sure you copy the entire folder, and not just some of the content.

as for warcraft, prolly just the app folder, and it prefs file. (might get away with no prefs files with warcraft). not sure about the others, but that would be my guess for each. prefs and the app folder. some apps add other folders elsewhere, and in most cases a reinstall is the only way to move the app.

BUT BEWARE- when you are copying prefs over to a CLEAN install, it is highly possible that you will not get rid of a problem you were encountering, since the prefs file could be corrupted. BUT- if you do not copy your itunes prefs, chances are, say goodbye to your playlists and playcounts...

 

[P-Worm]

Thank you jsw, you're a real help.

Does anyone know for sure about FCP? That is the one that scares me the most.

P-Worm

 

[jsw]

You might want to deauthorize your computer within iTunes, then reauthorize it when done. Just in case....

 

[idkew]

Something that has worked for me in the past has been to create archive files (right/control click on folder, Create Archive) of Library->Preferences and Library->Application Support in both the top-level directory (i.e., your "Macintosh HD" if you haven't renamed it) and in your personal home directory.....

as i said in my last post, i HIGHLY DO NOT recommend this. You could possbily just be wasting your time if your problems reside in corrupt pref or support files. ONLY copy prefs you need, and add them in ONE APP AT A TIME so you can have a controlled environment to see if your problems stay away in the clean install.

 

[jsw]

Thank you jsw, you're a real help.

Does anyone know for sure about FCP? That is the one that scares me the most.

P-Worm

Not sure, but that reminds me - archive the OS 9 stuff as well (in "System Folder", Application Support and Preferences) - just in case. Might not be needed, but no reason to lose it. In fact, my entire OS 9 System Folder is 185 MB - might as well archive the whole thing.

This isn't Windows, so you should be able to get stuff running again with just the archiving and copying back, but I can't guarantee it with FCP. In fact, the only thing I could absolutely guarantee it with is Photoshop Elements.

 

[jsw]

as i said in my last post, i HIGHLY DO NOT recommend this. You could possbily just be wasting your time if your problems reside in corrupt pref or support files. ONLY copy prefs you need, and add them in ONE APP AT A TIME so you can have a controlled environment to see if your problems stay away in the clean install.

BTW, I wasn't recommending a blanket copying back of all prefs. Just the ones needed for the three apps P-Worm mentioned. And yes, I'd do them one at a time.

 

[P-Worm]

Alright, I'll take my chances. Thanks for your help.

P-Worm

 

[P-Worm]

Another question, if I clean install, what happens to OS 9? I need to reinstall that too, right? That's not on the Panther disks, is it? I think I still have the disks that came with my computer, but I'd rather not install OS X then upgrade to Panther.

P-Worm

 

[P-Worm]

Ugh, making the archive of my iTunes library keeps getting hung up on iTunes Music Library.xml. Is it ok if I don't have that?

P-Worm

 

[idkew]

NO.

you definitely need that.


just copy the folder, no need to archive that one.

 

[idkew]

Another question, if I clean install, what happens to OS 9? I need to reinstall that too, right? That's not on the Panther disks, is it? I think I still have the disks that came with my computer, but I'd rather not install OS X then upgrade to Panther.

P-Worm

you can most likely get away with just archiving your system folder (os 9). doubt you will need to reinstall anything.