[Barney]

iMac Rev. A (all nec. updates)
96 mgs RAM
Mac OS 8.6
Internet Explorer 4.5
Outlook Express 5.01

1) Is it possible to just take the entire Preferences Folder in the System Folder and trash it? And will every preference be reinstalled after the restart?

2) Sometimes when I trash a preference, and restart I don't find that the preference has been replaced. I have to go back into the trash, retrieve the preference and reintstall it. Which of course negates the whole process. Any ideas?

BTW. I am not having any specific problem at the moment. It's just info I want for future reference

[This message has been edited by Barney (edited 02-27-2000).]

You certainly can move the Preferences folder to the trash and restart the Mac. When the computer is restarted, we will find that the Mac OS has created a new Preferences folder. But points to note are these:

- The Mac OS has created some preferences files for some part of the system and the previous settings are still the same.

- Some settings of the system you will have to set again, eg. the QuickTime settings.

- Settings for many third-party software will be set back to default. So, when you use them, you will have to change the settings to how you like them. Some software that you have registered will become unregistered and you will have to enter the registration codes again.

[slboett]

You WILL need some pref's or at least the data to re-create the necessary ones.

TCP/IP
Location Manager
ARA (Remote Access)

Those are important, unless you do not connect to a network.
Also, some software's registration is in the preference file. Make sure you have your installers and/or the serial numbers handy. Test by putting the folder in the trash, but not emptying it. Use everything and when you're sure it's all working...EMPTY!

Scott

[Barney]

Thanks, Seagull and Scott. I appreciate your input. If I had given it more thought, I would have realized the chore that would be ahead of me to reset app preferences. I hope I didn't give the impression that I was going to do that in the near future. I did state that I have no problem at the present that would call for any preference trashing.So, again, my thanks.

My question is -- I am transferring some programs from my Performa 6200CD to my iMac SE Graphite --- do I need to load the preferences and extensions folders to the iMac? Or will these files "recreate"and "reinstall"when I restart?

Thanks,
Ken
[email protected]
[email protected]

[lycaon]

Hey Barney,

Regarding question # 2, I believe you have to launch an applicaton before it will recreate a new default pref file.

Cheers!

P.S. Whoops! Sorry Barney. Didn't notice the date of your posts. Never mind. :-P

[This message has been edited by lycaon (edited 03-15-2000).]

Shakespeare;

It depends on how you're transferring your files to your iMac. If you're installing the applications from the installer or its CD, no you don't have to copy over the extensions folder.

If you're using an ethernet cable to just copy the apps from one machine to the other (or copying them to a zip or emailing them to yourself to get them on the new machine) you will have to copy the extensions. Most applications don't create extensions automatically when they don't find them in the system, and oftentimes the apps won't work if they can't find their extensions.

In regards to your preferences, you don't have to copy them, but unless you want to go through and reset each of your applications to the way you want them (and in some cases re-enter your serial number b/c some apps store the registration info in the prefs file) then I would copy the Preferences folder (or at least the necessary preferences if you're not taking everything to the new iMac).

David