Transfering Users between OS installs

[Earendil]

So here is the situation.
Due to a failed drive, I have a backed up users folder on an external HD. This users folder was running under 10.4.8

Now I have a new HD, and have installed 10.4.0 onto it, and have updated it to 10.4.8.

Can I just copy the users folder from the backup to the new install and have everything be recognized correctly? If not, how else should I do it?

Thanks for all the help, you guys are always so helpful!

 

[Sherman Homan]

Have you tried the Migration Assistant? It will allow you to import a User's folder from another hard drive.

 

[Earendil]

Have you tried the Migration Assistant? It will allow you to import a User's folder from another hard drive.

*Smacks head*

It's these tools I dismiss as for-newbs that I forget about all too often when they have a very good and practical use
I always look for the manual way

I'll give that a shot and report back if I have any problems.

 

[yellow]

Create the account for the user. Copy their old home directory into /Users, and overwrite the one just created. Open Terminal:

sudo chown -R username:group /Users/username
sudo chmod -R u+wrX /Users/username

Done.

 

[Earendil]

Create the account for the user. Copy their old home directory into /Users, and overwrite the one just created. Open Terminal:

sudo chown -R username:group /Users/username
sudo chmod -R u+wrX /Users/username

Done.

Migration assistant does not in fact work, because the user folder I want to migrate into the system is actually on the current HD of the OS, but is 60gb in size not enough room.

Yellow, When trying to overwrite the newly created account with the old one, I get a lack of privileges error. Should I be logged into the newly created account?

 

[Toe]

Migration assistant does not in fact work, because the user folder I want to migrate into the system is actually on the current HD of the OS, but is 60gb in size not enough room.

Yellow, When trying to overwrite the newly created account with the old one, I get a lack of privileges error. Should I be logged into the newly created account?

First delete the empty user's user folder (when logged in as an admin). Just dragging it to the Trash would be fine.

 

[Sherman Homan]

Log in as root. Then you can swap around User folders.

 

[Earendil]

Create the account for the user. Copy their old home directory into /Users, and overwrite the one just created. Open Terminal:

sudo chown -R username:group /Users/username
sudo chmod -R u+wrX /Users/username

Done.

Where username is the current admin usename or the name of the to-be migrated username?

 

[Earendil]

Never mind, I made a good guess
All is well, thank you so much guys!

 

[yellow]

Where username is the current admin usename or the name of the to-be migrated username?

As noted, log in as root to swap folders. I neglectied to post that originally because on Tiger (and Panther) you should have been prompted to authenticate from your admin account to overwrite the home directory. But anyway..

the username should be the short username of the user whose home directory is being replaced/fixed.