Restoring certain items from Time Machine backup

[Soulflower]

I want to do a clean install of my OS and then instead of restoring from my backup or importing my data, I want to restore only a few things like photos, iTunes library, documents, etc. from my Time Machine backup.

Could you tell me how to do that please?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Setting-up a new Mac from an old one or its Backups

 

[Soulflower]

Thank you. I'm still a little bit foggy since I don't want to restore entirely from a backup.

Is it possible to go into Time Machine, copy the pictures folder and then go back and paste them to then newly installed OS photos folder?

Or, would it be better to just copy the things I want to an external hard drive and then paste them instead of using the backup.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Thank you. I'm still a little bit foggy since I don't want to restore entirely from a backup.

Is it possible to go into Time Machine, copy the pictures folder and then go back and paste them to then newly installed OS photos folder?

Or, would it be better to just copy the things I want to an external hard drive and then paste them instead of using the backup.

All these methods work.
But the guides I linked to, show you how to select only what you want to migrate:

Next is the selection for what you want to transfer. You'll see four checkboxes, some with "disclosure triangles" you can click to expand them:
•Users
•Applications
•Settings
•Other Files and Folders

(The Continue button won’t be enabled until it completes "Calculating" all the sizes.)
These are mostly "all or nothing" selections.

from http://Pondini.org/OSX/MigrateLion.html

or

Next is the selection for what you want to transfer. You'll see four checkboxes:
•Users
•Applications
•Settings
•Other Files and Folders

(The Continue button won’t be enabled until it completes "Calculating" all the sizes.)

These are mostly "all or nothing" selections.

from http://Pondini.org/OSX/Migrate.html

Below these sections is a another section, where you can select what you want to migrate from inside the backup of your user folder.

 

[Soulflower]

I'm having trouble with my bluetooth disconnecting upon hibernation. Apple wants to rule out software issues so I am to do a reinstall of my OS. I don't want to import anything back in that would interfere but I do need my iTunes library for syncing my phone, my photos, and some other files.

That's the reason I was trying to figure out the best way to do it without importing whatever it is that could be causing the issue.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Then just reinstall Mac OS X and copy the iTunes Music and iPhoto folder from the TM backup afterwards.

 

[Soulflower]

I copied the iTunes folder from the old backup, removed the iTunes folder in Music and replaced it with the backup folder. When I open iTunes my music is not there. Any idea why?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Hold down the OPTION/Alt key when clicking on the iTunes Dock icon to open iTunes and then select the iTunes Music Library.xml file you copied with the iTunes folder.

 

[Soulflower]

Thank you!