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minitank88 · Oct 19, 2007, 01:08 AM

hey, just wondering when i get leopard and install it, will it overwrite the safari beta i have to the full version or do i need to go back to the older safari ?

thanks

hldan · Oct 19, 2007, 01:28 AM

It will overwrite but how were you planning on installing Leopard? Upgrade (not recommended) Archive and install (okay but not preferred for a major OS upgrade). Erase and install is your best bet especially if you have beta software and other what-nots on your Mac. A clean install will ensure a great experience over the other options.

Chuckit · 02:07 AM

Erase and install will also lose absolutely everything on your hard drive. Upgrade will probably be OK, and archive and install should really be fine. Wiping the drive seems like overkill. I mean, Safari Beta isn't some kind of black magic that requires wiping your whole disk to remove its taint.

rickey939 · Oct 19, 2007, 08:24 AM

Archive and Install.

DKeithA · Oct 19, 2007, 08:29 AM

Erase and Install

ghporter · Oct 19, 2007, 08:33 AM

Tastes great-less filling...

Seriously, the question is whether the Safari beta will be overwritten, and to know that we'd need to know how minitank88 intends to do the install. When I upgraded my wife's iBook to Tiger, I just did the upgrade method and that worked fine, but I don't know enough to be able to speak to whether another method would have been better. And for those recommending using Erase and Install, what's the most effective method of backing up and restoring programs and personal data?

stwain2003 · Oct 19, 2007, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Tastes great-less filling...

Seriously, the question is whether the Safari beta will be overwritten, and to know that we'd need to know how minitank88 intends to do the install. When I upgraded my wife's iBook to Tiger, I just did the upgrade method and that worked fine, but I don't know enough to be able to speak to whether another method would have been better. And for those recommending using Erase and Install, what's the most effective method of backing up and restoring programs and personal data?

I search through my computer for a half hour and find everything I need. I then dump that into a folder on my Desktop and organize it. Then I send that folder to my External HDD.

TETENAL · Oct 19, 2007, 08:43 AM

There's a high risk of data loss if you do that. Not worth it over an Archive & Install.

minitank88 · Oct 19, 2007, 09:31 AM

wow, it's like i opened a can of worms

Although this thread was about safari, i guess now i am facing an even larger issue. I had NO clue it was that complicated, or at least there were 3 different options. I am new to mac. so i have no idea which way to go, i have some nice softwares on here that i need and purchased !! other than that all my songs ( omg all my songs !

) and school files are the most important. photos as well.

my question is:

can i use my wonderful 30 gb ipod to back everything up ( music, photos, files) and then ' erase & install ' leopard ? then put everything back on folder and file wise ?

and would i be able to install ilife 08 again ? some one on another thread said that would be a problem !?

i am lost.
thanks for your help ! !

Chuckit · 12:31 PM

It's not that complicated.

Like I said, erase and install is not as necessary as a lot of people make it out to be — otherwise Apple would just require it. If they want to do it, that's fine. In practice, pretty much all of the actual benefits of erase-and-install will come about just as well through an archive-and-install. I've installed dozens of Macs with OS X, and I am convinced there is very little reason to wipe your drive unless you just want to wipe it. And in this particular case, simply choosing upgrade should totally replace the Safari beta, so even archive-and-install isn't really necessary.

AC Rempt · Oct 19, 2007, 12:33 PM

Archiving and installing since I can remember. I think the urge to erase and install is understandable, but then I think of Michael Scott wanting to join the Witness Protection Program, and the desire dies.

Person Man · Oct 19, 2007, 12:51 PM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Like I said, erase and install is not as necessary as a lot of people make it out to be — otherwise Apple would just require it. If they want to do it, that's fine. In practice, pretty much all of the actual benefits of erase-and-install will come about just as well through an archive-and-install. I've installed dozens of Macs with OS X, and I am convinced there is very little reason to wipe your drive unless you just want to wipe it. And in this particular case, simply choosing upgrade should totally replace the Safari beta, so even archive-and-install isn't really necessary.

I don't know. I never archive and install or upgrade install a brand new version of the Mac OS. It only happens once every two or three years now, so I use the opportunity to back up, erase and install, and manually copy everything back, examining them to see if I really still need things. I clean out old preference files, old applications I don't use anymore (and all their associated clutter), other addons I don't use. Each time I free up a substantial amount of space.

Chuckit · Oct 19, 2007, 12:59 PM

Like I said, if you want to, that's fine. I just don't think it's a good thing to waste other people's time by telling them they have to do all that when they really don't.

zerostar · Oct 19, 2007, 01:32 PM

I have upgraded every time, some machines have been upgraded so-far 3 times and never really had any problems. Drive space is cheap and most of our machines only have the OS on the main disk and we run raid for everything else we use (video work) These have been the most stables boxes in our place.

I usually don't upgrade until a month or 2 after release when I know what software will work and what wont.

(At home I upgrade on release day, and keep my drive clone for a few weeks till im sure its running fine)

mitchell_pgh · Oct 19, 2007, 04:33 PM

I generally buy a new HD when I upgrade.

Big Mac · Oct 19, 2007, 04:50 PM

Archive and Install is the best choice, IMO. And it's not difficult at all.

analogika · Oct 19, 2007, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by hldan

It will overwrite but how were you planning on installing Leopard? Upgrade (not recommended) Archive and install (okay but not preferred for a major OS upgrade). Erase and install is your best bet especially if you have beta software and other what-nots on your Mac. A clean install will ensure a great experience over the other options.

Completely unnecessary.

I have NEVER erased and installed.

The last time I completely formatted a Mac (apart from installing a new hard drive, of course) was in 1991 - after a hard drive crash, with no recovery tools available to me at the time.

Just upgrade. If you want to be anal about it, archive and install.

Erase and install if you've had a developer preview of Leopard running, but if not - seriously: don't bother.

AC Rempt · Oct 19, 2007, 06:13 PM

Originally Posted by mitchell_pgh

I generally buy a new HD when I upgrade.

Seriously? Wow. Of course, that doesn't work too well if you're using an iMac like I am, unless you pile up the external drives.

I do the same thing zerostar does:keep a clone around until I'm sure all is essentially well. Just common sense.

viruscool · Oct 19, 2007, 06:29 PM

if u want 2 rape your self ok sweet

Kevin · Oct 19, 2007, 06:33 PM

Originally Posted by viruscool

if u want 2 rape your self ok sweet

not as sweet as your cool nick.

AC Rempt · Oct 19, 2007, 07:16 PM

Originally Posted by viruscool

if u want 2 rape your self ok sweet

You're not seriously comparing anything to do with upgrading a computer to rape, are you? That's pretty offensive, even for these boards.