Store app as file, how it works?

[Thunderboltedge]

Hi,

I decided to reinstall Yosemite from scratch, so I did a backup of mac throughout Time machine, and I was going to save also applications bought and downloaded.

I had a question:

• Does it works the same the procedure to save an app of mac just as you save a file on an external drive?
• Will I loose the apps bought?
• Should i do something specific for the purpose?

 

[simonsi]

Time Machine should backup your drive including any apps etc obtained through the Mac Apps Store.

Time Machine backs up everything except if you specify certain drives/folders to ignore.

 

[Thunderboltedge]

Time Machine should backup your drive including any apps etc obtained through the Mac Apps Store.

Time Machine backs up everything except if you specify certain drives/folders to ignore.

yes, but if my idea is to reinstall yosemite from scratch, than i will not use the backup done, but i will reinstall the single apps downloaded, so that one will be useless for me isn't it?

If i apply the backup I will restore the version impure of the OS which I am going instead to reinstall to clean it.

Am i right?

OR there is a way to recover the apps without restore the version before installed of Yosemite throughout upgrade via app store?

 

[simonsi]

You can choose to just restore your Apps and user data.

 

[Weaselboy]

OR there is a way to recover the apps without restore the version before installed of Yosemite throughout upgrade via app store?

Some apps are fully self contained and you can just move the app file itself back over and it will work. Other apps that use packaged installers install support files in other locations and are not fully self contained in the one app file, and for those just dragging the app file back over will not work. For example MS Office and any Adobe apps are like this.

Any app store apps will need to be redownloaded from the app store because of the way the app store keeps receipts for the apps on your system.