How do I backup iLife if I no longer have the disk?

[Johnny7]

Hey guys, I am needing to reinstall mac os x tiger on my "new" used powerbook. The only issue it that it came with applications that I would like to keep such as final cut express, photoshop, and all of the apps from iLife 05'. I'm new to using macs so this is all very different to me. I have found a way that I think will work but I really need reassurance.

My plan..
Firstly, plug in my external hard drive, open it, and then open finder. Then I search for the application in finder and drag them into my external hard drive. After reinstalling mac os x, I drag the applications from my external drive back into the applications folder.

If that wouldn't work, can someone tell me what would? I have already put every app I want into my external drive and can actually run the apps from the drive. I put safari in the drive and then deleted it from the internal hard drive, dragged safari back into the applications folder and it worked like it was always there. So I think it will work but I'd like some info from people who have either already done this etc.

Thanks,
Johnny

 

[satcomer]

Buy an External disk. Make sure you get one for the fastest port on your Mac, because the fastest transfer is the best.

Then on 10.6 you could use apple's built-in Time Machine but also you could clone (a bootable backup) you current system with something like the free Carbon Copy Cloner or an other shareware like SuperDuper. This way you can always have a good backup in case somethings goes bad in your Mac. It's the smart thing to do to make sure all your data (pictures, files, etc.) is not lost on case if a hard drive goes.

 

[Johnny7]

Buy an External disk. Make sure you get one for the fastest port on your Mac, because the fastest transfer is the best.

Then on 10.6 you could use apple's built-in Time Machine but also you could clone (a bootable backup) you current system with something like the free Carbon Copy Cloner or an other shareware like SuperDuper. This way you can always have a good backup in case somethings goes bad in your Mac. It's the smart thing to do to make sure all your data (pictures, files, etc.) is not lost on case if a hard drive goes.

Powerbooks cannot run snow leopard and I am just reinstalling tiger. I just need some reassurance that my plan will work

 

[Mal]

Drag and drop will not work for iLife, because there are additional files in the Library folders that are necessary. Try Carbon Copy Cloner, but instead of doing a full backup and restore, have it exclude the System folder.

EDIT: Actually, have it do a full backup, then use Migration Assistant after you've reinstalled to pull back your user data and applications.

jW

 

[Johnny7]

Ah, so just backup my entire system using carbon copy cloner, and migration assistant will let me pull any programs and applications I want from that clone of my hard drive? Will the free version allow me to do this? Thanks for this, I never thought about using an actual program

 

[Mal]

Migration Assistant will allow you to pull all of your apps and your user folders, but without any granular controls. In other words, you don't choose which apps, it just gets them all.

jW