OSX Help Please

[MacKenzie999]

Hey everyone...

My OS is seriously messed up, and I need to reinstall. Apple's Mail app will not even launch, iTunes and iPhoto quit frequently, etc.

So I plan a reinstall. BUT...what I'd like to know is, what do I need to do to back up my iTunes, email and iPhoto data? iTunes is the most important because I have a huge library of stuff I have custom-tagged in iTunes and assume that data will not carry over to a new install unless I act accordingly. I know how to back up the actual mp3 files, I just want to keep all the set lists and artist info, that stuff.

Also, whenever I launch any kind of helper app, I get a life preserver and an error message (often error 35)

So...any and all help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

-Mike

PS I'm a designer, tecchie skill level is basically just enough to be dangerous (to me)

 

[menoinjun]

Search the HD for your .mp3 files, back them up with the same file structure, and then save the library files for iTunes. They should be somewhere in the root file structure of your mp3s. If you have a lot of mp3s, you might have two seperate library files. Then simply just copy the information back after you reformat.

 

[MacKenzie999]

Originally posted by ptrauber
Search the HD for your .mp3 files, back them up with the same file structure, and then save the library files for iTunes. They should be somewhere in the root file structure of your mp3s. If you have a lot of mp3s, you might have two seperate library files. Then simply just copy the information back after you reformat.

Ok, all my mp3s are in one folder, and that's not even on the same partition as my os, so I don't have to touch that. What is the "root file structure" of my mp3s? (I understand if the answer is too complex for a simple posting).

Thanks again

 

[firewire2001]

hrmm.. what he means is that you shouldnt just take all yer mp3's that you find and throw them into a folder... unless all of them are downloaded OR are not categorized...

so.. essentially if you rip a CD iTunes will put all the MP3's from that cd in one folder which is called the name of the cd... so, he recommends that you copy the folder that has the CD name to yer new folder instead of just throwing all the MP3's from the CD's folder to yer backup folder....

hope this isnt too hard to understand..

 

[AlphaTech]

IF you are just going to reinstall the OS and NOT going to wipe the old one away, then you should be able to just have it install. You will need to do all the updates since the cd version to the current one again, but that shouldn't be too hard on you.

I would suggest backing up all your documents, and the mailboxes to an external hard drive, that way you don't have to worry about things getting lost. Even though there is a good chance everything will still be there, better safe then sorry.

The suggestion of keeping the directory path's the same is a good one. Make folders and such mimic the way they are on your hard drive. That will make it easier to put them back in place later. It might be easier to do that from within OS 9, so that you don't have to worry about items being used as you copy them to the backup device. Same with putting things back onto the drive.

I would also suggest backing up any of your other partitions, just in case you do the drive wipe.

 

[mmmdreg]

if your mp3'z are on a seperate partition altogether, you don't have to back them up at all...you can erase your main partition and your songs will stay with all their information contained etc..