Can I delete my previous systems?

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So my mac books almost full and I havent been able to do a system update for ages. Its finally starting to lag. I donwloaded disc inventory x and It pin pointed 18.3gb on my previous systems. I really dont want to start sorting through my mp3's deciding which I do an dont need. Can I just delete my previous systems with no consequences? Please write back
 
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By "previous systems" do you mean that you have performed "archive installs" and have backups of the old system folders? If this is the case, they should be safe to delete, but double-check to make sure there isn't any important user data.
 
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pooka prince
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By "previous systems" do you mean that you have performed "archive installs" and have backups of the old system folders? If this is the case, they should be safe to delete, but double-check to make sure there isn't any important user data.

Im drawing a blank. I don't think I've made any archive installs. I don't know how to back up either. The only concept of back up I understand is putting copies of files on my desktop. The previous systems is listed among users, library, system, application etc. if that makes the previous systems I'm talking about more clear.
 

vansmith

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As a word of advice, copying to the desktop is not backing up. Backing up refers to putting copies of your folders/files on other media independent of your HD. So, for example, a flash drive, an external HD or through an online backup service.

Have you reinstalled OS X at any point? One of the options during a reinstall is to archive the old install and reinstall OS X with the old files appearing on your new install so you can still use the files.
 
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pooka prince
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As a word of advice, copying to the desktop is not backing up. Backing up refers to putting copies of your folders/files on other media independent of your HD. So, for example, a flash drive, an external HD or through an online backup service.

Have you reinstalled OS X at any point? One of the options during a reinstall is to archive the old install and reinstall OS X with the old files appearing on your new install so you can still use the files.
The desktop Im talking about is independent of this mac but all I've ever put on it is MP3's etc. I dont recall ever reinstalling my mac. It was taken into the shop for a problem with the battery once. I told them I had no back up so I'm quite sure they made one.
 

vansmith

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If it is indeed a backup, which may very well be the case, it is up to you whether you want to delete it. Some questions you may want to ask yourself include "how long have those backups been there?" and "when was the last time I accessed them to retrieve something?". If the answer is a long time for both, you can probably delete them. To be safe though (or paranoid like me), it can't hurt to move them somewhere else such as an external HD.

Independent desktop? Do you mean another Mac?
 
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pooka prince
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If it is indeed a backup, which may very well be the case, it is up to you whether you want to delete it. Some questions you may want to ask yourself include "how long have those backups been there?" and "when was the last time I accessed them to retrieve something?". If the answer is a long time for both, you can probably delete them. To be safe though (or paranoid like me), it can't hurt to move them somewhere else such as an external HD.

Independent desktop? Do you mean another Mac?
No its a dell running windows which I imagine is a no go. I dont think I've ever used the back up. Im pretty content with the macbook as it is now. To be honest I just dont want to delete something and watch my computer crash or all my mp3's to disappear.
 

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