Questions about reinstalling OSX

[AUZambo]

My hard drive apparently has a few errors that cannot be fixed by running the disk repair utility. Whenever I run "verify volume" in OnyX it gives me a message that the disk needs to be repaired via the disk utility on the installation disk, however when I run disk repair no errors are found.

My computer has been giving me a few problems here of late and I've tried everything I can think of, so I'm down to completely reinstalling OSX. I'm leaning towards a complete reformat of the hard drive and a fresh install, so I would lose all my files and documents (which are backed up). A few quick questions before I pull the trigger:

1. Is there a way to export my iTunes library and address book contacts so those can be preserved? My sister got a new MBP for Xmas and as far as I know she still hasn't found a way to transfer her library and contacts to the new computer (she had a powerbook g4), so this is my biggest fear in doing the reinstall. I do have an iPhone 4, so if it's possible to sync the phone, then transfer all files from the phone to the computer after the reinstallation that would be nice.

2. My current hard drive is an upgrade from the factory hard drive. The original hard drive is now in an enclosure serving as a small external hard drive. It is a bootable drive and has software on it that I do not have the installation disk for. Would I be able to run that software off the external hard drive if I boot from the internal hard drive after reinstalling OSX?

I suppose I could try the "archive and reinstall" option so the OS is reinstalled while preserving those files, but I would really like to start from scratch if my two questions above has simple solutions.


TIA!

 

[SHADO]

My hard drive apparently has a few errors that cannot be fixed by running the disk repair utility. Whenever I run "verify volume" in OnyX it gives me a message that the disk needs to be repaired via the disk utility on the installation disk, however when I run disk repair no errors are found.

My computer has been giving me a few problems here of late and I've tried everything I can think of, so I'm down to completely reinstalling OSX. I'm leaning towards a complete reformat of the hard drive and a fresh install, so I would lose all my files and documents (which are backed up). A few quick questions before I pull the trigger:

1. Is there a way to export my iTunes library and address book contacts so those can be preserved? My sister got a new MBP for Xmas and as far as I know she still hasn't found a way to transfer her library and contacts to the new computer (she had a powerbook g4), so this is my biggest fear in doing the reinstall. I do have an iPhone 4, so if it's possible to sync the phone, then transfer all files from the phone to the computer after the reinstallation that would be nice.

2. My current hard drive is an upgrade from the factory hard drive. The original hard drive is now in an enclosure serving as a small external hard drive. It is a bootable drive and has software on it that I do not have the installation disk for. Would I be able to run that software off the external hard drive if I boot from the internal hard drive after reinstalling OSX?

I suppose I could try the "archive and reinstall" option so the OS is reinstalled while preserving those files, but I would really like to start from scratch if my two questions above has simple solutions.


TIA!

1. If you have your iTunes backed up, you should be able to import the library directly into the 'new' iTunes after you reinstall. In terms of Address book, you can export an address book archive (in address book, File-->Export...-->Export Address Book Archive). You can save that on an external or whatever and then open it after your reinstall.

2. I'm a bit confused as to what you're asking here, but if you can run the software now, you can run it after a reinstall (as long as you're not reformatting the external HD).

 

[AUZambo]

2. I'm a bit confused as to what you're asking here, but if you can run the software now, you can run it after a reinstall (as long as you're not reformatting the external HD).

Yeah...I was trying to keep it kinda short. Here's a longer explanation:

The program is Photoshop CS3. I was once a sponsor for the Photography Club at the high school where I teach. As the sponsor, I used my MBP to show the students how to do some editing techniques, so the school let me install their copy of the CS3 suite on my MBP. They have a site license and they said as long as I do use it for school related activities they can legally let me install it on my computer.

CS3 is currently installed on my internal HD, so I of course have no problems using it....but if I reformat the internal drive I will lose it only having it on my old drive - which is now external. As a test yesterday I did plug in my old drive to the USB port and navigated my way to Photoshop. I clicked on it and it let me run it, but I wasn't sure if it was somehow pointing to the copy installed on the internal drive.

I'm wondering if I can boot with my internal HD (that would not have Photoshop on it), then plug in the external that has Photoshop on it, and run Photoshop from the external drive to edit photos on the internal drive and save them to the internal drive.

The school no longer has a photography club, so I'd feel bad asking them for the installation disk again since I would obviously be using it only for myself.

Thanks for your answers!

 

[SHADO]

Yeah...I was trying to keep it kinda short. Here's a longer explanation:

The program is Photoshop CS3. I was once a sponsor for the Photography Club at the high school where I teach. As the sponsor, I used my MBP to show the students how to do some editing techniques, so the school let me install their copy of the CS3 suite on my MBP. They have a site license and they said as long as I do use it for school related activities they can legally let me install it on my computer.

CS3 is currently installed on my internal HD, so I of course have no problems using it....but if I reformat the internal drive I will lose it only having it on my old drive - which is now external. As a test yesterday I did plug in my old drive to the USB port and navigated my way to Photoshop. I clicked on it and it let me run it, but I wasn't sure if it was somehow pointing to the copy installed on the internal drive.

I'm wondering if I can boot with my internal HD (that would not have Photoshop on it), then plug in the external that has Photoshop on it, and run Photoshop from the external drive to edit photos on the internal drive and save them to the internal drive.

The school no longer has a photography club, so I'd feel bad asking them for the installation disk again since I would obviously be using it only for myself.

Thanks for your answers!

Does your external HD have an entire OSX installation on it or is it just the Photoshop files? Because if it has an OS of its own then you should be fine wiping the internal HD.

 

[AUZambo]

Does your external HD have an entire OSX installation on it or is it just the Photoshop files? Because if it has an OS of its own then you should be fine wiping the internal HD.

Yes...it has the entire OS on it. I think I'm going to do the clean install tomorrow, then if anything goes wrong I coudl always reformat and copy the original drive back onto the internal via Carbon Copy Cloner or that Super Duper thingy.

 

[SHADO]

Yes...it has the entire OS on it. I think I'm going to do the clean install tomorrow, then if anything goes wrong I coudl always reformat and copy the original drive back onto the internal via Carbon Copy Cloner or that Super Duper thingy.

Yea you should be fine. If your external has an OS on it, PS3 will be drawing from that OS, not the one in your MBP. You can use CCC as an extra precaution, but you should be fine.