Problems restoring from a time machine backup - can I replace apps manually?

[loztheguru]

Hello all,
I'm having issues restoring from a time machine back-up. My old system was running 10.6, and im using 10.5 install discs. Ive tried it from various backups and I always get a 'you need to restart your computer' message upon booting up. I've now given up and just re-install 10.6 a fresh.

I'm fairly confident restoring my music and documents wont be a problem, but will I be able to just drag and drop my apps onto my HDD? Do I need to copy the library folder across too, or is it just not possible and i'll have to start a fresh?

 

[angelwatt]

You can drag and drop most apps across. Some apps when installed placed some files in other areas to work correctly and will need to be reinstalled. I wouldn't copy of the entire Library folder over as it could likely cause some problems. You can pull out some specific folders within the Library folder though. For instance, app preferences are stored in ~/Library/Preferences/ and you may have some important things in ~/Library/Application Support/. You likely won't be able to tell which apps need reinstalling until after you try opening and they fail to open or give errors.