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From a ex-windows user - Will updating my MP from Tiger to Leopard require a wipe?

Sean Dempsey

Sean Dempsey

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 7, 2006
1,622
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I never even bothered to upgrade a windows install, i always just formatted and did a clean install. I didn't trust windows to upgrade a installed OS at all.

I have a new Mac Pro on it's way, and it will arrive with Tiger. That being said, after a few months of getting all my files and everything sorted out after the switch, will I be able to install Leopard without many adverse effects? Or will it be necessary to wipe the hard drive and reinstall eveything?

I have no experience at all with installing an OS on a mac, so I'm a little nervous, since I'm moving all of my work/business over from XP to OSX, I want to be able to move to Leopard as easily as possible, but also maintain my systems stability.

I know I *can* do an upgrade from 10.4 to 10.5, but will it be as reliable as a clean install of 10.5? I know with windows, I wouldn't even bother attempting it.
 
I have never bothered to do a complete reinstall between versions of OS X, just do the upgrade or archive and install, and you should be fine.
 
Well I know of many people who have "upgraded" with absolutely no problems. That being said, most people recommend doing an "Archive and Install" which is essentially the same as wiping and clean installing except that it saves all your data in a folder called "Previous Home" or something to that effect.
 
I'm also a recent convert from Windows to Mac and I had the exact same question. However, I'm having trouble understanding the answer since I'm such a noob... this "archive and install" thing, does it make the archive on my hard drive or does it require an external hard drive to move my data to? And with the "just upgrade" version, does that leaves all my files exactly where they are? Is there really any reason to do archive and install if you can upgrade without having to archive anything? Is it because there are risks with plain old upgrade - ie. if I upgrade and it works fine can I take a breath and know that it will be fine, or will I see ill effects down the road?
 
I will probably do a full wipe and install, just for peace of mind. Having said that I have the storage space to keep both Tiger and Leopard.
 
no of course there wont be any loss in performance... only a gain

your with apple now buddy. no more wipping ur harddrive and defragging and all that stuff. 4get the windoze formatt/install...this is a mac
 
Best practice is to backup files to an external hard-drive and then upgrade the OS, but you are unlikely to have any serious problems. The only hiccup I had upgrading to Tiger was that some older emails no longer display themselves in Mail, but they can still be searched and found using spotlight if I need them.
 
polycat33 said:
I'm also a recent convert from Windows to Mac and I had the exact same question. However, I'm having trouble understanding the answer since I'm such a noob... this "archive and install" thing, does it make the archive on my hard drive or does it require an external hard drive to move my data to?
Click to expand...

It makes an archive on your hard drive of your old data then does a "fresh" install.

polycat33 said:
And with the "just upgrade" version, does that leaves all my files exactly where they are? Is there really any reason to do archive and install if you can upgrade without having to archive anything? Is it because there are risks with plain old upgrade - ie. if I upgrade and it works fine can I take a breath and know that it will be fine, or will I see ill effects down the road?
Click to expand...

Yes, the upgrade leaves everything where it is. My iBook ran for a long time after a normal upgrade with zero problems (until I had an unrelated hardware failure:().
 
The comment about Archive and Install moving your home directory is wrong, it isn't moved in the slightest and will continue to work as before.

Archive and install is the same as upgrade except your System folder gets hosed, which makes the operating system more stable, which will possibly necessitate the reinstall of some Unix stuff (such as LaTeX) but your Mac Applications will continue to work.

Archive and Install installs a fresh copy of the OS, though even an Upgrade install is far better than an Upgrade install on a Windows PC.
 
So....with Archive and Install.....that will keep all files and preferences in your home directory correct?

So if I think I'm having a problem related to pref files in my home directory....then this option probably isn't best?

Also...right now I only have 1 user on the system...the main Admin user. How easy is it to...Archive and Install with this user when Leopard comes out....then create another Admin user....get that user setup as the master Admin, then delete the old admin user? Wouldn't this essentially be like a clean install? I realize I'd have to reinstall all apps.

-Kevin
 
Eraserhead said:
Yes kinda, but this would only be for your data.



Nope, you'd lose the settings though.

Macs keep the Applications and User Files separately and there is no registry.
Click to expand...

Actually...I was referring to the new Admin user. Wouldn't I need to reinstall all the apps for this new user?

I guess this applies to adding a new user at any time. If I add a new user....are applications available to the new user?

-Kevin
 
As long as you keep the apps in the root Applications folder, rather than in specific users' Home folders, any user can use those apps (also, as long as Parental Controls don't forbid it).
 
StealthRider said:
As long as you keep the apps in the root Applications folder, rather than in specific users' Home folders, any user can use those apps (also, as long as Parental Controls don't forbid it).
Click to expand...

I'm assuming then that the apps are available....but each user get their own set of prefs?

Thanks for any help....I'm a recent switcher, and I'm trying to get all the in&outs of OS X.

-Kevin
 
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