will i lose data from volumes such as Os extended volumes if i archive and install?

[CalWhit]

i turned my mac on last monday, and whn i tried to log onto my admin account, it took me to a light blue screen, then back to the login page. but i was able to log into a non-admin account. The system preferences is a question mark in my dock and it refuses to open when clicked in the apple dropdown.

One, could this be solved using an archive and install?

and two, would this delete files on volumes such as os extended.
i have a G5 powerPc mac and it has 3 volumes built in as well as the master volume.

and three, would it erase applications such as final cut express?

i would appreciate any light shed on the topic

 

[madog]

Archive & Install only affects the boot drive or one with an OS on it (if you had multiple, you would choose the specific volume, otherwise you would only have one option). A&I may have an option below stating "Preserving User Data and Settings". If that option exists (I think that might be the default action of A&I in Leopard. I know previous versions had the choice though. Snow Leopard may do something completely different I don't know about yet as I didn't see the option originally) and is checked, then all of your user data will be saved and in contact. All that will change when it is finished is that you will have an unupdated, fresh install of the original OS with all of the exact same data otherwise.

It COULD possibly affect Final Cut if FC installs system level files. I don't imagine it to, but I am not positive. I would expect FCPro moreso to do something like that than FCExpress, though. In nearly all cases, applications remain intact, and otherwise might not be useable until you run the Software Update to get the new OS you installed back up to date.

 

[CalWhit]

im working on tiger so do you think this will make things any different?

 

[madog]

If you are doing the A&I with Tiger, then there, if memory serves, will definitly be a check box for "Preserve User Data..." underneath the A&I option. As long as that is checked, your user data will be fine (docs, music, and such).

Regardless of that, none of your other volumes will be affected, applications shouldn't be affected unless they require a higher version of the OS than what you are installing. For example if FinalCut requires 10.4.8, and you are reinstalling 10.4.0. All that would require is running the Software Updates to get it back up to date.

If in doubt, back up what can't be reproduced. Docs, pics, and such.

You could even use an app like SuperDuper to clone that boot drive to a different volume or an external drive. It would require a blank drive, but if something were to go wrong you could clone it back and everything would be there, intact.