does it make sense to do a clean install?

[y2caye]

am upgrading from jaguar to panther and i've heard that a better approach is to do a clean install instead of just "upgrade" or "archive and install". i've heard about carbon copy cloner but what if i don't have an external drive to backup to? all i have here is a network connection. if CCC isn't appropriate, is there other way where i can backup my previous installation and copy it back again after upgrading without re-configuring and re-installing all my apps?

but then again, do i really have to do a "clean install"?

[mgd]

It's usually recommended that you perform a clean install on a system once a year. If it's been more than a year since your last install, I'd recommend a clean install. If it hasn't been a year and your happy with your system's performance (you don't find it slow or getting slower) then an upgrade should be ok. I upgraded to Panther myself.

Regardless of how you install Panther, you might want to back up important files (Docs, Pics, Music, Mail, Contacts, etc.). This is my paranoid nature coming out :eek:

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by mgd]

[catrina]

i have to agree with mgd. the hard drive of my powerbook crashed while installing tiger and i didnt back anything up. its a good thing that when i brought it to the shop they were able to retrieve all my files including my emails.

its always good to be safe than sorry its also good to invest in an external hard drive even if its just 40gb. it really does save your life!

[y2caye]

mgd and catrina.. thanx for the reply.

i know how important backuping is whatever type if install will i do... but then it's not juz documents that i need to restore back... it's also my apps for some of them doesn't have their installer anymore. am afraid it won't run if i'll juz backup the application folder.

[bagwis]

Try an upgrade first. If it makes your Mac sluggish, then I guess you have no other recourse but to do a clean install.

I did an upgrade from Jaguar to Panther without a hitch. But with Tiger, I chose to erase and install. My PowerBook just seems to be snappier as of the moment.

Goodluck!

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by bagwis]

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by bagwis]

[Kenneth]

No you don't necessarily need to do a clean install. You can do an archive and install. It'll archive your previous system and import all your user preferences, apps, emails etc. while giving you a good as clean install system. You can delete your previous system folder later on. Perfect for seemlessly moving from one system to another.

Which makes me wonder why I didn't do this in the first place. Is there any real advantage to doing a clean install vs archive and install? Clean install erases your HD of excess bagage (and everything else) from the previous system. But can anyone verify that archive and install doesn't do practically the same?

I can't tell for sure, but performance seems to be the same.

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by Kenneth]

[y2caye]

well even the tech person from our mac supplier recommended clean install coz according to him without doin this, the "excess bagage" will still be there (even by doin archive and install). but if you really think that the result will still be the same, then i'd rather archive and install.. that'll surely make my life a lot easier!!! coz am gonna be doin with not juz one computer... but a whole network of it!!!

Originally posted by Kenneth
No you don't necessarily need to do a clean install. You can do an archive and install. It'll archive your previous system and import all your user preferences, apps, emails etc. while giving you a good as clean install system. You can delete your previous system folder later on. Perfect for seemlessly moving from one system to another.

Which makes me wonder why I didn't do this in the first place. Is there any real advantage to doing a clean install vs archive and install? Clean install erases your HD of excess bagage (and everything else) from the previous system. But can anyone verify that archive and install doesn't do practically the same?

I can't tell for sure, but performance seems to be the same.

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by Kenneth]

[freelancer]

I love doing clean installs. It makes you realize that some files are really just not that important. As mgd said, try to do it once a year.

I also always clean install whenever I upgrade to a new OS. That's what I did from 10.1 to 10.4. Never had any problems.

[Kenneth]

Originally posted by freelancer
I love doing clean installs. It makes you realize that some files are really just not that important. As mgd said, try to do it once a year.

I also always clean install whenever I upgrade to a new OS. That's what I did from 10.1 to 10.4. Never had any problems.

Very true. Digital pack rats that we are, its good to clean house once in a while. But for the record, a clean install and archive install seems to yield the same snappy performance, IMHO.

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by Kenneth]

[catrina]

Originally posted by Kenneth
No you don't necessarily need to do a clean install. You can do an archive and install. It'll archive your previous system and import all your user preferences, apps, emails etc. while giving you a good as clean install system. You can delete your previous system folder later on. Perfect for seemlessly moving from one system to another.

Which makes me wonder why I didn't do this in the first place. Is there any real advantage to doing a clean install vs archive and install? Clean install erases your HD of excess bagage (and everything else) from the previous system. But can anyone verify that archive and install doesn't do practically the same?

I can't tell for sure, but performance seems to be the same.

[Edited on 5-11-2005 by Kenneth]

hi kenneth!

how do you archive then install? sorry if its out of topic. thanks in advance!