[PabloTX]

I'm pretty familiar with upgrading and re-installing on the Wintel platform, but not so much on OS X. I've re-installed a few times (just to get familiar with the process) on my 17" Powerbook, but that was just with one OS (10.2).

I'm planning on upgrading to Panther, and was wondering what the best way to upgrade would be:

Just simple upgrade
Boot from CD, re-install 10.3

(or is 10.3 simply an upgrade and not a full OS thereby nullifying the second option?)

[Ganesha]

Originally posted by PabloTX:

Just simple upgrade
Boot from CD, re-install 10.3

(or is 10.3 simply an upgrade and not a full OS thereby nullifying the second option?)

10.3 is a full install (if you get the boxed version).

You can install it on a...

a) Freshly formatted disk...
b) Clean install the OS while archiving your settings...
c) Upgrade install from an older OS.

Coming from decades of windows, I've been doing a.

[msuper69]

I haven't done a fresh install (formatting) since 10.0 back in March of 2001. I've been upgrading all the way through 10.2.8.

I think maybe it's time to do a fresh install this time around with Panther, if for no other reason than to clean up my hard drive.

[barbarian]

b is really a much nicer choice... lets you install fresh and then migrate over old prefs...

and actually truth be told, I've upgraded 8 or 9 machines with option c and none of them any any problems whatsover (each machine is only rebooted for software installs)...

[PabloTX]

Thanks.

[shreddog]

I've never upgraded an OS on an Apple before either. I bought my computer from someone so I do not have all the original install cd's for a lot of my programs. Does the install remove any third party apps? It probably wouldn't be worth it for me to upgrade if this was the case.

Thanks!

[BigYellowMonkey]

It won't modify or remove any third-party applications. The only things that will be modified/removed are outdated apple apps, which will then be either replaced with an updated version, or removed (� la Process Viewer, among others, in 10.3).

Your third-party applications are safe.

I would recommend a freshly formatted HD with a clean install if you want the nice, snappy feeling that that gives the system. And if you have a DVD-RW, or even CD-RW, you can just burn your user folder, and migrate everything over afterwards.

With an Archive & Install, it will stick your previous system contents into "Previous Systems", and if you so choose when installing, it will copy your network settings and users over to the new install. Now, this doesn't erase your HD, so you don't lose anything, but at the same time, your HD contents might be just as fragmented. You can always defragment your HD, but nothing does it as nicely as erasing the whole thing and starting from scratch.

That's what I'll do once I get my copy of Panther. I don't trust these burned CD's i've used enough to replace my 10.2.8 just yet... I have 7B85 installed on a different, slower HD. Funny thing is, it still scores way higher than my 10.2.8... I love panther...

-Biggie!

[tritonus]

Originally posted by BigYellowMonkey:
It won't modify or remove any third-party applications. The only things that will be modified/removed are outdated apple apps, which will then be either replaced with an updated version, or removed (� la Process Viewer, among others, in 10.3).

Your third-party applications are safe.

I would recommend a freshly formatted HD with a clean install if you want the nice, snappy feeling that that gives the system. And if you have a DVD-RW, or even CD-RW, you can just burn your user folder, and migrate everything over afterwards.

With an Archive & Install, it will stick your previous system contents into "Previous Systems", and if you so choose when installing, it will copy your network settings and users over to the new install. Now, this doesn't erase your HD, so you don't lose anything, but at the same time, your HD contents might be just as fragmented. You can always defragment your HD, but nothing does it as nicely as erasing the whole thing and starting from scratch.

That's what I'll do once I get my copy of Panther. I don't trust these burned CD's i've used enough to replace my 10.2.8 just yet... I have 7B85 installed on a different, slower HD. Funny thing is, it still scores way higher than my 10.2.8... I love panther...

-Biggie!

Thanks, your info helped me alot.

I just bought a family license pack. I will migrate a PowerBook G4 1 GHz and an iBook G3 600.

[010111]

Originally posted by BigYellowMonkey:
It won't modify or remove any third-party applications. The only things that will be modified/removed are outdated apple apps, which will then be either replaced with an updated version, or removed (� la Process Viewer, among others, in 10.3).

Your third-party applications are safe.

uh. no.

StuffIt requires a reinstall if you are using version 8.0.1... the installer installs 7.0.3 and it's engine for you... breaking 8.0.1. even on the machine that i specifically *turned off* the installation of StuffIt in the installer had to be redone... no idea why. looked like it didn't install the actual *app* but did install the engine.