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POLL - Leopard: Erase and Install? Upgrade? Archive and Install?

Which will you do? (Please post as to why!)

  • Erase and install

    Votes: 111 41.4%

  • Upgrade

    Votes: 89 33.2%

  • Archive and install

    Votes: 68 25.4%
  • Total voters
    268
zen said:
Hmm, there is a bit of confusion in this thread that I feel still hasn't been dealt with.

To put it simply:

I use WoW, MS Office, DVD Studio Pro and Adobe CS. I have about 500MB of mail, and several GB of photos and music in iPhoto and iTunes.

If I go Archive and Install, can I think start using those apps, browse photos, use iTunes etc, straight away?

Or do I have to find all my installer discs and reinstall everything?
Click to expand...

You can use it all straight away.
 
Fresh install to start again! no OS new Install, perfect! Plus I have loads of software I don't need!
 
I've always upgraded in the past, and never had any problems, but I'm going to try the alternatives this time round.

For my MBP, which I've only had a short while and is still pretty much in a virgin state, I will do an erase and install.

For my PowerMac G5, I will try an archive and install as I really can't be bothered to reinstall all the software I have built up on it over the last few years.
 
Erase and Install

I tried to update my Tiger with the final version of Leopard but it didn't work. After upgrading, the system rebooted and just froze.

I strongly suggest to make a clean install.
 
There does seem to be a pattern that a lot of the people (me included) who are doing an erase are either ex Windows users or techies. Personally I've always taken this approach to installing a new OS as I just think it makes sense, but I don't doubt for one minute that the upgrade methods are just as good and there's no difference in the end position of machines.
 
ascender said:
There does seem to be a pattern that a lot of the people (me included) who are doing an erase are either ex Windows users or techies. Personally I've always taken this approach to installing a new OS as I just think it makes sense, but I don't doubt for one minute that the upgrade methods are just as good and there's no difference in the end position of machines.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I only got my first mac last month, and my instinct is to go with an erase and install. I am both a techie AND a new mac user.

However... from what I have read here and heard from a co-worker (a longer-time mac user), I will go with an archive and install. There is no such thing with Windows really.
 
I guess it also depends on what people's backups are currently like and how they store their data. 99% of all my data is under my home directory and its so simple to backup your mailboxes from Mail that doing a clean install isn't much hassle for me. I had a Superduper full backup as well and it was quite good when re-installing my apps as I was able to download up to date versions of my shareware ones for example. Just a good chance to do a clean-out really and then start fresh with Time Machine.
 
Here's what I want to know. Erase and Install will presumably put the system files at the beginning of the partition (which is the fastest part of the hard drive, less seek time, etc.) If I have a 250 GB HDD with 100 GB on it, and I choose Archive and Install, will it not just put the files already there in a Previous Systems folder and put the Leopard files in the middle of the hard drive? Seems like performance would take a hit, wouldn't it?
 
3MacTim said:
Here's what I want to know. Erase and Install will presumably put the system files at the beginning of the partition (which is the fastest part of the hard drive, less seek time, etc.) If I have a 250 GB HDD with 100 GB on it, and I choose Archive and Install, will it not just put the files already there in a Previous Systems folder and put the Leopard files in the middle of the hard drive? Seems like performance would take a hit, wouldn't it?
Click to expand...

It's 2007. Computers are fast. It won't matter.
 
I just wanted to know. Is it a good idea to erase the disk before you do an erase and install or is that redundant?
 
Damn, I'm in the middle of installing and forgot to choose Archive & Install so now it's doing an upgrade :rolleyes:

Thankfully I used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my HDD before installing, so if anything goes crappy I can return back to Tiger.
 
MacRumorUser said:
Damn, I'm in the middle of installing and forgot to choose Archive & Install so now it's doing an upgrade :rolleyes:

Thankfully I used Carbon Copy Cloner to clone my HDD before installing, so if anything goes crappy I can return back to Tiger.
Click to expand...

You can always run an Archive and Install after if you want to make sure that it is a little snappier.
 
Erase & Install + iLife '06 From Tiger Install DVD #2

Last night I did a Erase & Install for Tiger to prepare for Leopard. I've installed a few programs and put most of my files back.

But my question is after I do a Erase and Install for Leopard, can I still install iLife 06 from my tiger DVD #2? Or should I just do a Archive and install, because my system just had a Erase & Install for Tiger?

Multimedia said:
Your case is different. I would erase and install on a virgin system. Then insert your Tiger install DVD to get your iLife '08 installer so you can get them back on your Leopard install. Ask your sales person the way to extract iLife '08 off the enclosed Tiger install DVDs. I think the startup is on DVD 1 and then you are prompted to insert DVD 2. In any event you don't reboot to the Tiger DVD. There's a bunch of folders on DVD 1 that includes the iLife '08 install package. Have someone in the store show you where it is so you don't have trouble finding it when you get home.
Click to expand...
 
ok

if i choose upgrade will any files be lost? what will happen? is it safe?

archieve and install..then ill have to move everything from this archieve back into the new leopard?

please explain archieve and upgrade better
 
xBerserker said:
Last night I did a Erase & Install for Tiger to prepare for Leopard. I've installed a few programs and put most of my files back.

But my question is after I do a Erase and Install for Leopard, can I still install iLife 06 from my tiger DVD #2? Or should I just do a Archive and install, because my system just had a Erase & Install for Tiger?
Click to expand...
Install Bundled Software from the original DVD.

Eric Lewis said:
if i choose upgrade will any files be lost? what will happen? is it safe?

archieve and install..then ill have to move everything from this archieve back into the new leopard?

please explain archieve and upgrade better
Click to expand...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=301270
 
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