Question about migrating from SL to ML

[macuser1232]

Hey so I have decided I want to buy OS X Mountain Lion but I don't want to keep everything I have on my current hard drive. So, I have decided to do a clean install but put a couple essential things on my flash drive and then re-download the others later. My question is, are there any things under (/Library or /System) that I will need to run the applications that I am pasting into my flash drive? Will certain applications not run because if things that are needed in those two folders?

 

[robgendreau]

Yes, probably.

Some applications are pretty simple (the ones you just drag into your Applications folder). But even those have prefs you'll lose.

Others (Adobe) scatter stuff all over the place; manually moving all that stuff requires a TON of work, even assuming it can be done.

And some of the stuff is hidden by design.

 

[macuser1232]

Yes, probably.

Some applications are pretty simple (the ones you just drag into your Applications folder). But even those have prefs you'll lose.

Others (Adobe) scatter stuff all over the place; manually moving all that stuff requires a TON of work, even assuming it can be done.

And some of the stuff is hidden by design.

Could you maybe point out some places in the Library folder to look and see if I will need to keep it? Any areas in /System or /Library that are essential or crucial that store things that have anything to do with preferences of applications.