Did 10.5 Clean/Install, then Time Machine, ready for SL

[duggram]

Rather than waiting for tomorrow to do my clean/install I did it today. With Time Machine I was able to selectively reinstall what I wanted. TM also reinstalled all of my network settings/passwords. I selected not to install all of my previous apps. But some of my files are still in iWorks format (ie Numbers) and because I've recently switched to MSOffice I had to reinstall Numbers. However my iWorks disk is fubar. No problem. I just restored my copy from TM. All is good. Can't say enough about how good TM is.

Now I'm ready for a Snow Leopard upgrade!

BTW cleaning the hard drive does make the MBP run faster. I've only been on mac for about a year and a half. In that time I installed various databases, Java IDE's, and other stuff. I don't need to do all those installs again because I've learned from those experiences. Hopefully I can keep the cruft off my hard drive that slows it down.

 

[uaecasher]

BTW cleaning the hard drive does make the MBP run faster. I've only been on mac for about a year and a half. In that time I installed various databases, Java IDE's, and other stuff. I don't need to do all those installs again because I've learned from those experiences. Hopefully I can keep the cruft off my hard drive that slows it down.

of course it makes it faster, there will be more space for VM

 

[merc669]

Do you need to reinstall Leopard first to install Snow Leopard via clean. And then can you use TM to reinstall all your apps or those that you want back? Or can you just format the drive from the Snow Leopard Disks and then import your old apps from TM? Thanks!

Bill.....

 

[duggram]

of course it makes it faster, there will be more space for VM

Do you really think that's what makes it faster? Before cleaning the HD I had >106 GB free. Think about it. There's another reason it's faster....

 

[AceMason]

So if I wanted to get my emails in Mail back would I be able to do it via time machine?

 

[duggram]

Do you need to reinstall Leopard first to install Snow Leopard via clean. And then can you use TM to reinstall all your apps or those that you want back? Or can you just format the drive from the Snow Leopard Disks and then import your old apps from TM? Thanks!

Bill.....

Sorry Bill I don't have any answers yet. My SL will be delivered by Fed Ex before 3pm. I'll have some answers then.

In today's Wall Street Journal there is a review of SL. The reviewer had problems with TM. I didn't know this before I reinstalled. Glad I did now.

BTW I also burned all my downloads and data to DVD.

 

[duggram]

So if I wanted to get my emails in Mail back would I be able to do it via time machine?

I have no idea. I don't use Mac mail.

 

[thehimay]

Do you need to reinstall Leopard first [...] Or can you just format the drive from the Snow Leopard Disks and then import your old apps from TM? Thanks!

Lifehacker - Prep Your Mac for Snow Leopard

Correction and update: We have confirmed that the preview of Snow Leopard DOES offer a standalone installer that works on a freshly-formatted hard drive without an existing Leopard installation or DVD. While we can't absolutely say before Friday whether or not the final release will work this way, it's very possible it will. (Read: The full version of the new Mac OS X may be just $29.) My apologies for the mistake! Thanks to commenters RudolphDer and dark42 for asking!

Upate #2: Confirmed: $29 Snow Leopard installs whether or not you've got Leopard.

The growing consensus appears to be that you can wipe the drive and still make a clean install of Snow Leopard sans pre-existing Leopard on the machine.

 

[ortuno2k]

I am also interested in knowing the outcome of this, but I guess no one knows for sure until we try it out tomorrow. I am looking to do a CLEAN install, format the drive and erase the data and then install SL on a clean, empty hard drive.
Then, I wonder if I'll be able to hook up my external hard drive with the Time Machine backups and selectively restore the folders I want, like the music, documents, pictures, selected apps...etc.

I don't want to restore the FULL TM backup, just a few selected folders.

Please post if you have an answer!

 

[duggram]

That's what I did today with my 10.5 reinstall. TM's great. I still have all my apps on it when I want them. BTW the reason I did the clean install today is so that I can do a much faster upgrade when I get 10.6. Now I'm getting ridiculous.

Some bad news tho, wife won some tickets to the ball game tomorrow night. Game starts at 7:05. Fed Ex typically arrives around 6:30 in my neighborhood. Bummer!! We're going to be late for the game.

 

[AceMason]

Haha, can't you pre-sign for it?