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FireWire · May 7, 2013, 12:53 AM

Following a HD problem, I bought a new drive to replace a failing HD. Wanting to start fresh, I bought ML and installed it on my new HD. My current system is 10.6.8 and that's what my TM backup. Will it create problem when I restore my files? Is the system smart enough to detect the OS on the target disk is newer and don't overwrite files from the older backup? Is there a way to migrate only my files and apps while leaving the OS out of the transfer? Will moving the apps without the files in Library and System mess up some installs like CS 3, which I'm sure installed things all over the place?

Mike Wuerthele · May 7, 2013, 01:04 AM

The Migration Assistant can do what you need to do here. Just select the TM backup as your source when it asks you where you want to get your data from.

Mac Basics: Time Machine

(click on "Restoring Data from Time Machine Backups," scroll nearly all the way down.

FireWire · May 7, 2013, 02:11 AM

thank you! I knew about the Migration Assistant but I'd never used it. When I restored from TM backup in the past, it restored everything, making a clean install impossible. I think I'll just start fresh and copy things manually. I'm overdue for some spring cleaning anyway!

jmiddel · May 7, 2013, 10:37 PM

Manually? Wow, that's a lot of work, you have to b/u every plist etc. MA is great, done it three times, with no problems. You want to housekeep? Get Omnisweeper and go at it, way more efficient than going through files you mostly don't need to know about.

FireWire · May 8, 2013, 03:29 AM

Well I'll just redo the settings manually. Anyway I couldn't do a straight migration as I'll go from a single 500 GB drive to a 120 GB SSD and an exernal drive, so I have to decide what goes where manually. I also wanted to start fresh. I'm currently using ML on an external drive and it's way snappier than my internal drive. Anyway, I owned a performa 6200 with 7.5.5 and I used to format and reinstall weekly, I've seen worse...

FireWire · 05:05 AM

Just to be sure: everything pertaining to me are supposed to be in my Home folder, right? If that folder is backed up, there's no chance I end up losing something? Bookmarks, stickies, contacts, etc.. I know I will lose some fonts as I installed them system-wide but that's ok they'll get reinstalled later.

Also, for future reference, I noticed my SSD came with a cable to connect it via USB, externally. Could I have installed ML on it and install it later internally or would that have messed something because of the path (disk0, disk1, etc). I got the drive before I got the tools to open my iMac.

Spheric Harlot · May 10, 2013, 04:53 AM

There's the system keychain, which contains passwords for Wi-Fi networks and servers, and there's the extensions that you may have installed.

You're probably not dealing with audio, but if you were, there'd be a whole bunch of stuff in /Application Support/Audio that might be of interest.

P · May 10, 2013, 04:54 AM

Consider backing up /Library. That is system wide things that do not belong to default OS install.