Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Snow Leopard Install

  • Fresh install

    Votes: 122 55.2%
  • Just do the upgrade process

    Votes: 99 44.8%

  • Total voters
    221
Maybe a little to obvious, but if I do a fresh install on my MBP, will Snow Leopard read my time machine backup from 10.5.8 easily? Thus allowing me to put back all my files, music etc...

Assuming you are just pulling individual files/folders, sure. Snow Leopard features a Time Machine update, but it will still read your old archive.
 
I think I'll just do a upgrade...dont think I can cope with the hassle of re-organising my music and photo files again.

I dont have time machine set up. If I did, would it make it so all my files, passwords, apps are put back upon reinstall?
 
Assuming you are just pulling individual files/folders, sure. Snow Leopard features a Time Machine update, but it will still read your old archive.

Yes I will restore those folders manually..thanks!
 
ONLY DO A CLEAN INSTALL!!!

Check back to October/07 to see what happened when Leopard was released. Those who did upgrades got the blue screen! The clean install is the best way to go for OS upgrades.

I upgraded 2 computers from tiger to leopard via the upgrade and both worked fine without getting stuck on a blue screen

I'm just doing the upgrade this time around if there are any probelems i will go back and do a fresh instal but i'm not expecting any
 
i'm going to do afresh one since too much crap has accumulated on my system in the last 3 years
 
I know this has been answered 100x over, but I just feel better asking since I haven't used OSX for very long (well since Dec, but never through a full OS reinstall/upgrade) and would just like to ease my conscious.

I plan to do a full installation (erase). So I can simply backup my machine using TM? Backup all the .DMG/etc files that I have saved (which should be in TM anyhow) as well?

Then choose the option to erase. When SL is running navigate to my TM folders (1TB external HDD) and restore my iPhoto/iTunes media folders to the newly created ones (after I reinstall iTunes/etc) and it will be fine? I wont have any permission issues like I do accessing another partition's saved info?

Other applications aren't a big deal for me as I have all the discs and stuff and I dont have many addons so it's not a major deal to re-load them.

My main concern is my saved content for iTunes and iPhoto. I have about 40gigs worth of photos in iPhoto (i have a 3yr old so my wife and I are ALWAYS snapping photos of her with the Digital Rebel for memories) and about 60gb of music. I could "deal" with losing the music ... but not the photo memories. I'd seriously freak out.

So that will work?

Otherwise I'm just gonig with the upgrade option, but I always like fresh installs personally.
 
I have some concerns about photos as well. I'm using Aperture for adjustments and rough organizing, and then import a reference of the best photos into iPhoto for use with faces, places, slideshows etc. In other words, all my iPhoto pics are just references to the previews inside my Aperture library. Furthermore, I have an iWeb site that's based on iPhoto albums.

Question:
I would like to do a clean install, without loosing the Aperture-->iPhoto-->iWeb references. Is this possible? Is it enough if I put both libraries into the exact same path after installing 10.6?
 
When I voted the result was 43 vs. 43


Anyway I usually do a fresh install when a new OS is released. This time around I was considering an Upgrade but a Kernel Panic just borked my main user account so an erase and install is on the cards again.

Friday is pretty good timing for me as I can limp along until then.
 
Time for the stupid question of the thread:

I usually do an upgrade, but with Archive and Install, does this leave all your apps and preferences intact and functional, or do you need to reinstall everything from scratch?

I'd like a fresh new system, but I have a lot of big apps which will take a long time to reinstall and then re-update (Adobe CS3, World of Warcraft, etc etc), which I don't really have time for, and half of the original discs are in a box in the loft...
It's essentially like Erase and Install, except it keeps your old system in a backup folder. You'll still need to reinstall all your software.
 
It's essentially like Erase and Install, except it keeps your old system in a backup folder. You'll still need to reinstall all your software.

Ah, drat. Upgrade it is then, can't afford the downtime otherwise.
 
Ah, drat. Upgrade it is then, can't afford the downtime otherwise.


Indeed. I was considering doing a clean install / archive and install, but if that means going back and setting up all my programs from scratch again (preferences etc) then I might as well just update. I've only had my UMB since May anyway so I'm sure I won't gain any benefits just by updating and having a tidy up of my files instead of wiping and starting again... *still pondering*
 
It's essentially like Erase and Install, except it keeps your old system in a backup folder. You'll still need to reinstall all your software.

This is wrong. An archive and install keeps all your apps and your user folder intact. It simply creates a new System folder and archives the old system folder.
 
Hmm - I just got IMac this month - dont have an external back up HDD - so I think I will do an upgrade because I dont want to do the whole copying over photos, music and files from old pc to new mac again.
 
Holy crap!

Right now, the poll is an even 50/50! Wow!

I'm doing a regular upgrade. I keep my OS install very clean, so I shouldn't have any problems. Besides, one of the features they're touting about the new OS is that it has a smarter installer and I'm sure it will do just fine. I am backing up before I install Snow Leopard though... just in case.
 
As much as I like the Mac platfrom, there's a lot of cruft that gets leftover when you remove an application (even with something like AppZapper). I use OS releases (and new machines, for that matter) as an opportunity to "start clean".

First thing's first: Use SuperDuper! to back up your machine, then disconnect it, turn it off, and put it in a drawer. Hope that you don't need it.

I'll be doing a format and install, migrating most of my personal account (mail, iTunes, iPhoto, etc.)to the new system, and installing the following: iWork '09, iLife '09, Office 2008 for Mac, Little Snitch, and Dropbox. From there, I'll install software (CS3, games, etc.) as I need or want them.
 
This is wrong. An archive and install keeps all your apps and your user folder intact. It simply creates a new System folder and archives the old system folder.

Ok... so Archive and Install will create a new system, archiving the old one, and will leave all my apps and user folder (and user data) intact.

Which means I don't need to reinstall everything, and everything should work as the installer moved the right bits and pieces (application support folders, preferences, etc) over to the new folder.

Is that correct?
 
On second thought, I probably wouldn't mind cloning my hard drive, doing an erase-and-install, and then bringing over old files. It would give me a chance to do some cleaning and I would still have the option of restoring if I need to.
 
If I do a clean install what happens to my iLife apps that came pre-installed on my MacBook, as I don't appear to have an iLife '08 disk?
 
I bought my first Mac in June this year and I've not installed much apart from MSN, the Office 08 suite and Firefox. Do I need to do a fresh install guys? Bare in mind this is the first time I've ever upgraded an OS on a mac, so go light on the technical stuff :D
 
If I do a clean install what happens to my iLife apps that came pre-installed on my MacBook, as I don't appear to have an iLife '08 disk?

iLife should be on the grey install disks that came with your computer. Pop the first disk in and then select "Install Bundled Software Only" and from there you can install the version of iLife that came with your computer. I believe it is actually stored on the second disc so it is worth checking that both the discs are in good nick before doing so.
 
I bought my first Mac in June this year and I've not installed much apart from MSN, the Office 08 suite and Firefox. Do I need to do a fresh install guys? Bare in mind this is the first time I've ever upgraded an OS on a mac, so go light on the technical stuff :D
An upgrade should work fine for you.
 
I bought my first Mac in June this year and I've not installed much apart from MSN, the Office 08 suite and Firefox. Do I need to do a fresh install guys? Bare in mind this is the first time I've ever upgraded an OS on a mac, so go light on the technical stuff :D

No, you'll do fine with an upgrade.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.