Best way to clean install then restore personal data?

[MoodyM]

I've just put a new HD and upgraded RAM in my 2010 17" MBP. I've decided I want to do a clean install of Mountain Lion. I have a full Time Machine backup, but after the clean install I'd purely like to restore the iTunes and iPhoto libraries for the 2 user accounts on my MBP, along with the Documents folder. I don't want to restore settings or anything else.

What's the best way to go about it?

Thanks

 

[benwiggy]

First of all, the best thing to do is just clone your old disk onto the new one.

The merits of a "clean install" are minimal. OS X maintains a very clean divide between the system and the user, and most of the trouble comes from stuff in the user account, rather than the system files. It easier to delete the Preferences, Caches or other folders in the user account than "nuke and pave".

To restore the Documents folder: just copy it over. The same for the iTunes and iPhoto folders.

There is a method of pointing those apps to an existing library -- holding down <alt> when launching the apps, I think, but you might want to check.

 

[MoodyM]

Thanks, I'm aware OS X does a good job automatically but really I've had the same OS on the go since 2008 (through various OS X upgrades and the same Time Machine backup being restored to new machines) and I must have added and deleted HUNDREDS of apps, etc, since then, and I really just want all the junk cleared out.

 

[benwiggy]

I had my 2006 iMac for six years, upgraded the OS from Tiger to Leopard to Snow to Lion. Never did a clean install. And I've Migrated EVERYTHING from there to my new Mini.

There might be some 4kb pref files, but they're not doing any harm -- they don't slow you down.
As I say: just delete all the Preferences. It's quicker and achieves the same result.

 

[Xe89]

When I did a clean install (going from 10.6 to 10.8) I cloned my internal drive to an external using Superduper (this function requires no license), then after installing 10.8 (with a USB drive) I simply copied my Documents, Pictures, Music folders etc back to the internal drive, but not any system folder.

 

[Weaselboy]

I've just put a new HD and upgraded RAM in my 2010 17" MBP. I've decided I want to do a clean install of Mountain Lion. I have a full Time Machine backup, but after the clean install I'd purely like to restore the iTunes and iPhoto libraries for the 2 user accounts on my MBP, along with the Documents folder. I don't want to restore settings or anything else.

What's the best way to go about it?

Thanks

Once you get the new drive and OS installed, go to the Music folder in the Finder then enter Time Machine and scroll back in time to where you want to restore from, then click restore at the bottom right. Repeat for the Pictures and Documents folders.

 

[mark00thomas]

Similar question to the original

First of all, the best thing to do is just clone your old disk onto the new one.

The merits of a "clean install" are minimal....

I have the same question. I have been using migration assistant for nearly 8 years now. I think since 10.2 or 10.3? Anyway I have never had a problem with that method since some A-whole broke into our home and stole my MBP.

I figured I would try the MB Air this time, and since the time machine back up, every time this computer wakes it fails, to display the screen correctly so that I can't log in and need to restart, if I can log in it fails to connect to the wireless network, etc. etc. I have never had a problem like this with my macs (that I didn't create). Normally they are outdated before anything breaks.

So my question is similar as the original post: What is the best way to put the files you want back and still have the benefits of a clean instal? I'm looking for just data replacement no system settings. I would like to not have to redownload all my apps and programs again, is there a way around that as well?

 

[Kasalic]

I have the same question. I have been using migration assistant for nearly 8 years now. I think since 10.2 or 10.3? Anyway I have never had a problem with that method since some A-whole broke into our home and stole my MBP.

I figured I would try the MB Air this time, and since the time machine back up, every time this computer wakes it fails, to display the screen correctly so that I can't log in and need to restart, if I can log in it fails to connect to the wireless network, etc. etc. I have never had a problem like this with my macs (that I didn't create). Normally they are outdated before anything breaks.

So my question is similar as the original post: What is the best way to put the files you want back and still have the benefits of a clean instal? I'm looking for just data replacement no system settings. I would like to not have to redownload all my apps and programs again, is there a way around that as well?

The problem you have is that your applications are not, in general, stored in the same directory as your user files. In your case, I would look at doing a clean install, setting the machine up with a temporary admin account. Then you can copy your user directory across and create a new account with the same account name as on your old Mac. At this point you should be prompted that you have a user folder and you should accept this. You would still need to reinstall applications though.

 

[macman34]

The problem you have is that your applications are not, in general, stored in the same directory as your user files. In your case, I would look at doing a clean install, setting the machine up with a temporary admin account. Then you can copy your user directory across and create a new account with the same account name as on your old Mac. At this point you should be prompted that you have a user folder and you should accept this. You would still need to reinstall applications though.

Am I missing something here? I always just made a new user account, then used migration assistant from within that account to get everything back up and running on the new mac under the old account name of the old mac/back up image.

The user who asked the question should do just that. I don't see why not.

 

[Weaselboy]

Am I missing something here? I always just made a new user account, then used migration assistant from within that account to get everything back up and running on the new mac under the old account name of the old mac/back up image.

The user who asked the question should do just that. I don't see why not.

I agree. I would just use Migration Assistant also, but OP seems intent on doing a "clean install."

 

[macman34]

I agree. I would just use Migration Assistant also, but OP seems intent on doing a "clean install."

but isn't that a clean install too, just to install os x on virgin medium, and then just use migration assistant for applications, settings, and files. It's not the cleanest install, in that you could reinstall all the apps and redo settings, but it's cleaner than just upgrading the os to a higher version or just cloning the drive and then, pasting it so to speak, to a new one.

 

[benwiggy]

but isn't that a clean install too, just to install os x on virgin medium, and then just use migration assistant for applications, settings, and files.

Then, really, all you are doing is emptying all caches and deleting all temporary files. If you're wiping the disk and restoring everything, then ... why?

And if you know which files to exclude from the "clean" install, why not just delete those and save yourself the journey?

 

[macman34]

Then, really, all you are doing is emptying all caches and deleting all temporary files. If you're wiping the disk and restoring everything, then ... why?

And if you know which files to exclude from the "clean" install, why not just delete those and save yourself the journey?

I think I've lost you here.

My point is that a clean install + migration assistant as opposed to cloning the drive, means the os is installed fresh with no glitches carried over in the os space, which could be the case with the clone. Is this not correct?

 

[benwiggy]

Obviously, if you have a problem you're trying to fix, then cloning your disk, wiping it, and reapplying the clone is futile. My point is that a clean install is little better, if you're then going to replace everything. What benefits there are can be met in easier ways.

Any "glitches" in the system are not going to be in the "installation" part of OS X, i.e. in what the installer installs. Those files are for the most part read only.

Problems are likely to be in temp files, caches, configuration files and preferences. And it's a lot easier to delete those than reinstall everything except those.

 

[macman34]

ok, gotcha, I agree. I am not big on clean installs either, only done it once because I was swayed by the consensus in the forums.

And you can reinstall the os over the existing installation too as an extra measure if indeed some of the read only files have been corrupted.

nice collection of macs in your sig, btw.

 

[Weaselboy]

but isn't that a clean install too, just to install os x on virgin medium, and then just use migration assistant for applications, settings, and files. It's not the cleanest install, in that you could reinstall all the apps and redo settings, but it's cleaner than just upgrading the os to a higher version or just cloning the drive and then, pasting it so to speak, to a new one.

Not really. If there is a borked file/folder in the user library space it will come over with MA. I do agree with you it is a notch better than a clone if there are problems though.

I just shudder when I see these across the board recommendations to clean install as a fix for everything. This often seems to be followed by a question along the lines of "okay, how do I do a clean install then move everything over", and this is what worries me. If you have to ask what files to move back after a clean install, you probably should not be doing it. (I'm not directing this at you... I just mean in general. )

 

[macman34]

Not really. If there is a borked file/folder in the user library space it will come over with MA. I do agree with you it is a notch better than a clone if there are problems though.

I just shudder when I see these across the board recommendations to clean install as a fix for everything. This often seems to be followed by a question along the lines of "okay, how do I do a clean install then move everything over", and this is what worries me. If you have to ask what files to move back after a clean install, you probably should not be doing it. (I'm not directing this at you... I just mean in general. )

I agree man. . Btw, I 've not reinstalled a single application since moving to the platform in what 2006 or something, it's all being cloning and imaging and MA. (of course ppc and intel macs separately) Carbon copy cloner and superduper, WHILE you are also working on the computer, seemlessly and presto you have an image of your system. Target disk modes too. I absolutely loved this things when I came to os x, still do. Same things with windows and you need to boot into a specialized software and then the installation can't even be cloned into a new drive without the risk of running into license problems. Ts...ts...ts... Reminds me of why I came to love os x to begin with, and it pisses me off to no avail the crap they 've pulled on the lions and their staying behind real ingenuity...

I wish apple had gotten down to implementing zfs as a lot of our file corruption problems would be over and we'd have more robust os installations and user files. I am no expert but I 've been told that the computation overhead for zfs is too costly to make for a fast consumer system. I don't know if that's true or not....

 

[Kasalic]

Not really. If there is a borked file/folder in the user library space it will come over with MA. I do agree with you it is a notch better than a clone if there are problems though.

I just shudder when I see these across the board recommendations to clean install as a fix for everything. This often seems to be followed by a question along the lines of "okay, how do I do a clean install then move everything over", and this is what worries me. If you have to ask what files to move back after a clean install, you probably should not be doing it. (I'm not directing this at you... I just mean in general. )

Absolutely, I started with my iMac back in 2007 and have upgraded from 10.4 to 10.8, had it joined to a few Active Directory domains and a couple of Open Directory Mac servers.

Have thought a few times about doing a clean install, but then realised that I actually had no reason to do so.