When I install Snow Leopard...?

[jshelton]

Here is the deal. I have my MBP backed up on an external HD using Time Machine. When Snow Leopard arrives, I want to completely erase everything on my hard drive and install Snow Leopard. Once installed, I don't want to completely restore my MBP using Time Machine, I just want to move applications over as I need them, e.g., Microsoft Office, Transmission, Senuti, etc.

How can I move these applications from the external to my MBP without doing a complete restore from Time Machine?

Thanks.

 

[omgitscro]

Your Time Machine won't work anymore, and even if you converted it to still back your new machine up, the backups would remain incompatible past your first new backup because of the differences in OSes.

What you need to do is create a folder for your apps, one for whatever's in ~/Library/, and another one for whatever's in /Library/.
These are places where applications will save their preferences and registrations to. Write down all serials you have and if you can deactivate the copies you have right now- for instance, deactivate iTunes, because you can only have 5 computers registered at any given time and if you're over the limit you have to deactivate all computers at once (can only do this once a year) and re-activate the correct ones individually.

 

[bcaslis]

As with Leopard you can install just the pieces you want. For example, you can re-install Applications, settings, user files, and others from a Time Machine backup.

 

[jshelton]

As with Leopard you can install just the pieces you want. For example, you can re-install Applications, settings, user files, and others from a Time Machine backup.

That is what I am confused about. I am not sure how to do this with Leopard. It is not a "drag and drop' thing is it? How do I get applications from Time Machine over to a fresh hard drive?

 

[hashholly]

That is what I am confused about. I am not sure how to do this with Leopard. It is not a "drag and drop' thing is it? How do I get applications from Time Machine over to a fresh hard drive?

I had leopard on my internal MBP drive, and installed Snow Leopard onto a separate partition on my external drive (one partition was the install, the other blank). I then used TM to copy over my settings from my Leopard Install to my Snow Leopard Install, so the short answer, is yes, you can use your files from a Leopard TM backup to Snow Leopard.

 

[Carlos E]

Here is the deal. I have my MBP backed up on an external HD using Time Machine. When Snow Leopard arrives, I want to completely erase everything on my hard drive and install Snow Leopard. Once installed, I don't want to completely restore my MBP using Time Machine, I just want to move applications over as I need them, e.g., Microsoft Office, Transmission, Senuti, etc.

How can I move these applications from the external to my MBP without doing a complete restore from Time Machine?

Thanks.

Do a clean install of Snow Leopard then run Migration Assistant in the utilities folder. One of the options is migrate from a time machine backup. Point it to the time machine backup.

 

[queshy]

I think I have the same problem/question.

I have leopard backed up using time machine on an external drive...if I wipe my internal HD and then install SL, will I be able to manually access my time machine HD once SL is installed and drag and drop my important files? I Don't mind re-installing apps. Also, from past experience I've been able to export my address book, iCal, and mail settings.

 

[Carlos E]

I think I have the same problem/question.

I have leopard backed up using time machine on an external drive...if I wipe my internal HD and then install SL, will I be able to manually access my time machine HD once SL is installed and drag and drop my important files? I Don't mind re-installing apps. Also, from past experience I've been able to export my address book, iCal, and mail settings.

Do a clean install of Snow Leopard then run Migration Assistant in the utilities folder. One of the options is migrate from a time machine backup. Point it to the time machine backup.

Read my post.

 

[queshy]

Read my post.

Thanks, but I don't want to restore from a time machine backup...I don't want old scripts/system logs, etc, hence my desire to do a clean install and just bring with my important files. If I click on my TM hard drive now I can apparently access everything from the "latest" backup. Would I be able to just drag stuff in manually w/o the use of migration assistant? Thanks!!

 

[jshelton]

Thanks, but I don't want to restore from a time machine backup..,I don't want old scripts/system logs, etc, hence my desire to do a clean install and just bring with my important files.

Exactly!!! I don't want the old scripts, logs, etc. I want to be able to basically "drag and drop" applications that I need from TM to the clean HDD.

For example, MS Office, Senuti, Toast, etc.

 

[NC MacGuy]

I had the same questions when I put in my new SSD.

Since I had the original HDD and the TM backup, I erased the time machine backup and just Carbon Copy Cloned my HDD to it. Then when migration asst. comes up on bootup, plugged in cloned drive and migrated what I wanted.

I can also drag and drop or access anything on the disk.

 

[AnotherFanBoy]

I had the same questions when I put in my new SSD.

Since I had the original HDD and the TM backup, I erased the time machine backup and just Carbon Copy Cloned my HDD to it. Then when migration asst. comes up on bootup, plugged in cloned drive and migrated what I wanted.

I can also drag and drop or access anything on the disk.

This makes much more sense than using TM. If you have MobileMe, you could just put your important files on your iDisk too..

 

[Fishrrman]

RE:
"Here is the deal. I have my MBP backed up on an external HD using Time Machine. When Snow Leopard arrives, I want to completely erase everything on my hard drive and install Snow Leopard. Once installed, I don't want to completely restore my MBP using Time Machine, I just want to move applications over as I need them, e.g., Microsoft Office, Transmission, Senuti, etc.
How can I move these applications from the external to my MBP without doing a complete restore from Time Machine?"

Here is the response.

First, get ahold of SuperDuper:
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

Then, do this:
1. Open Disk Utility and ERASE your external backup drive. That's right - wipe it clean. Then,
2. Launch Superduper (as a sidenote, it's shareware, but it will let you do the following withOUT having to register it - kudos to SuperDuper!)
3. Choose to copy the contents of your MBP drive to the external drive, creating a bootable clone.
4. When done, you will have a Finder-readable, bootable, exact copy of the contents of your internal, that you can browse from and copy from at will. I suggest you do a "test boot" from it just to be sure it's working.

5. NOW boot the MBP from the Snow Leopard DVD and erase and install - with the full confidence that you have a bootable exact copy of the contents of the internal drive safely stored on your external. You CAN'T DO THAT using Time Machine.

6. Once SL is up and running, you can now browse the external dupe as if it were your [now wiped] old internal drive, and copy what you need at your own convenience.

- John

 

[Thiol]

Exactly!!! I don't want the old scripts, logs, etc. I want to be able to basically "drag and drop" applications that I need from TM to the clean HDD.

For example, MS Office, Senuti, Toast, etc.

Be careful with the drag and drop because you need files in the Application Support folder and Preferences, etc. What you want to do will work with many simple applications, but a lot of others might not work so well because of the missing support files. Whenever I clean install a new OS, I reinstall the applications. I realize this is annoying, but it's been the path of least resistance (and bugs) so far.