Archive and Install question

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Hi all,

I, like anyone else who recently switched to mac and have never been through a major upgrade, am thinking about the options I'll be given for my upgrade - ie: archive and install, erase and install, etc.

From everything I've read, I'm planning on doing archive and install to have a clean system, but I'm unsure about one thing - my itunes library. All my software, I have keys for, backups for, etc., etc., etc. - and I have backups of my itunes as well, but what I don't know is - do I need to deauthorize my computer before I do the archive and install then re-authorize it, or when I archive and install, will it then restore everything back to the way it was?

Thanks for what may seem like a silly question, but I'm just not sure what to do.
 

pigoo3

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Hi all,

I'm planning on doing archive and install to have a clean system,

An "archive & install" does not leave you with a "clean system" as I think you are phrasing it.

An "archive & install" means that the installation process sets aside or "archives" your previous version of the Mac OS...and then installs a copy of the OS you are installing.

So if you currently have OS 10.5.8 on your computer, and then did an "archive & install" with OS 10.6...the 10.5.8 copy of the OS would be archived on your hard drive...and the newer OS 10.6 installed.

Here's a link if you want to read more about it:

Mac OS X: About the Archive and Install feature

- Nick
 
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Hi Nick,

I had read that link on Apple a while back.

No - what I'm referring to as a clean system is one where the OS is not upgraded, but instead like the use of A&I the OS, programs and data are set aside and a new OS is put in place leaving the other material there for you to reuse if necessary (well, I know there is the option to also auto-transfer the accounts back into the new install). I consider that a clean system as all previous files of the base OS are not used. What you are considering a clean system is what I would call a wiped system, which is not what I want.

But that aspect isn't what I'm concerned about (wipe vs clean vs upgrade existing) - I'm concerned about my itunes library with regard to authorized computers and whether I will need to deauthorize my current system and configuration prior to doing the A&I or, if when I do it and transfer my data back in it will still be authorized.
 

pigoo3

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No - what I'm referring to as a clean system is one where the OS is not upgraded, but instead like the use of A&I the OS, programs and data are set aside and a new OS is put in place leaving the other material there for you to reuse if necessary (well, I know there is the option to also auto-transfer the accounts back into the new install). I consider that a clean system as all previous files of the base OS are not used. What you are considering a clean system is what I would call a wiped system, which is not what I want.

Ok no problem. Thanks for clarifying.

- Nick
 
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Yeah, I probably should have chosen my words better, or clarifying that I wasn't planning a wipe... Oh well.

I just hope someone knows about the authorization issues for itunes...
 

bobtomay

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Am not sure of the answer either.

What I can tell you is that when I did my fresh install of Leopard from Tiger, naturally I had to reauthorize my MBP. It was recognized as the same computer that had already been authorized under Tiger and was not set up as a new authorization.

If you're worried about it due to hitting your 5 computer limit, it's easy enough to deauthorize prior to the upgrade and then reauthorize when you're back up in SL.

Or just wait around till about 6pm Friday before you install - betcha someone will know for sure by then.
 
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Yeah, I probably *could* wait... the question is will I :)

At least the good thing is I do a Mac that isn't associated with my iTunes so I'll probably do the install on that one and try to hold off on my main and home theater machine until later...
 

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