Installing new operating sys - will it delete programs?

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Hello. I running Mac OS X 10.3, and am wanting to install Mac OS X 10.4, will this erase all of my programs. I am going to back up files, but since I have many student versions of programs, from college, I do not have the discs to reinstall them.

I need 10.4 to run Illustrator CS4.

Thanks!
 
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17" MacBook Pro, 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, not unibody
Will everything delete?

Hello. I running Mac OS X 10.3, and am wanting to install Mac OS X 10.4, will this erase all of my programs. I am going to back up files, but since I have many student versions of programs, from college, I do not have the discs to reinstall them.

I need 10.4 to run Illustrator CS4.

Thanks!

I don't think so. I had to reinstall my Leopard operating system yesterday and nothing was affected. Tiger/10.4 is probably the same.
 
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MacMini 14.3, 8.1 & 4.1, OS 13.5, 10.14, & 10.11 & 10.6; Macbook Pro 8.2, OS 10.12.
There are two types of OS installation:
1. Clean Install, or Erase & Install - this will wipe absolutely everything from your hard drive before installing the new OS;
2. Archive & Install - this will preserve everything but the previous OS. It will retain the old OS in a folder called Previous System. You can safely delete that folder, but only after you're satisfied that everything is working as it should with the replacement OS.
 
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Do as suggested and use the Archive and Install, but be aware sometimes applications will not save completely and will ask for a new install. Even student versions should come with a software CD and password for re-installation unless they have been copied illegally.
 

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