Problem: Migrating an account from a different volume on the same Mac. HD is 160GB the account we are trying to retrieve is 107 GB. So we cannot use the migration assistant because when you get to the Select User Accounts to Transfer and you select the account it says space remaining -118.4GB. So how can we retrieve the account lost?
History of how we got here:
1. Deleted 2 user accounts out of 3, keeping the main one.
2. After that, when booting up, all I get is an apple icon and a spinning timer. It never starts.
3. After trying many suggestions pressed C and reinstalled from the Leopard CD
4. When choosing options for installation and choosing to transfer the data from the (inaccessible but definitely still existing) old account, it doesnt give the option to continue (presumably because theres not enough space to transfer the old account.
5. It says continue to reinstall and that we can reinstall it later with Migration Assistant.
6. The Migration Assistant asks: How would you like to transfer your information?
I click on option: From another volume on this Mac.
Select the system to transfer. I click on the computer icon.
Select User accounts to transfer. When I try to transfer then it says: Transfer is disabled because the items you have selected takes up more disk space then you have available. Go back and deselect items. It says again that the space remaining is -118.4 GB.
I do have all my files from the inaccessible account on an external hard drive, but I dont want to loose my settings. But even if Id start from 0 and agree to loose all my settings (which is hours and days and weeks of work, because that includes loosing play lists on I tunes and I-photo organisation), as long as I cannot access this account I cannot delete the GB and so there wouldnt be space on my Mac.
Im desperate.
Any suggestions?
History of how we got here:
1. Deleted 2 user accounts out of 3, keeping the main one.
2. After that, when booting up, all I get is an apple icon and a spinning timer. It never starts.
3. After trying many suggestions pressed C and reinstalled from the Leopard CD
4. When choosing options for installation and choosing to transfer the data from the (inaccessible but definitely still existing) old account, it doesnt give the option to continue (presumably because theres not enough space to transfer the old account.
5. It says continue to reinstall and that we can reinstall it later with Migration Assistant.
6. The Migration Assistant asks: How would you like to transfer your information?
I click on option: From another volume on this Mac.
Select the system to transfer. I click on the computer icon.
Select User accounts to transfer. When I try to transfer then it says: Transfer is disabled because the items you have selected takes up more disk space then you have available. Go back and deselect items. It says again that the space remaining is -118.4 GB.
I do have all my files from the inaccessible account on an external hard drive, but I dont want to loose my settings. But even if Id start from 0 and agree to loose all my settings (which is hours and days and weeks of work, because that includes loosing play lists on I tunes and I-photo organisation), as long as I cannot access this account I cannot delete the GB and so there wouldnt be space on my Mac.
Im desperate.
Any suggestions?