FAQ: Archive and Install

[MacAddikt]

Archive and Install Feature in Mac OS X

About
Archive and Install moves existing system files to a folder named Previous System and then installs Mac OS X again. You cannot start up your computer using the Previous System folder.

You may also elect to preserve your user and network settings during the installation. This option automatically imports existing users, Home directories, and network settings. This means it also skips the Setup Assistant after installation.

System Requirements

• Installation CD for Mac OS 10.2 (Jaguar) and higher
• If Mac OS X is not already present, you cannot select Archive and Install

Procedure
1. Start up from your Mac OS X 10.2 Install Disc 1.
2. Select your language. The Welcome to the Mac OS X Installer window appears.
3. Click Continue. The Important Information window appears.
4. After reading or printing the information, click Continue. The Software License Agreement window appears.
5. After reading or printing the information, click Continue.
6. An agreement sheet appears. If you agree with the license agreement, click Agree. The Select a Destination window appears.
7. Click Options. The installation options sheet appears.
8. Select Archive and Install.
9. Select the volume which already has Mac OS X installed.
10. You should also select Preserve Users and Network Settings, to preserve network and Home directory settings.
11. Click OK.
12. Click Continue to begin the installation.

Other Notes
My reccomendation is to use Carbon Copy Cloner if you have the space. This will make a copy of your current system and you can save it as a diskimage that you can revert back to if you have problems after the installation. To do this, start up from the install disk and under Disk Utility you can select to reformat a drive using a disk image.

 

[Ciphex]

true you can keep your previous settings. but i usually don't unless they are ESSENTIAL.

I find it a good way to weed out all the junk that has built up over time.

Who knows how many extra processes (preference panes, daemons etc) may be coming on at startup that you don't need.

The totally clean install will always run faster... especially after you launch you popular apps for the first time and your prebindings are in good shape.

~John

 

[Osiris22x]

Yeah I totally agree. I just reinstalled today, because I had way too much stuff built up in my various directories. I was going to Archive and Install but I realized it would just copy my home folder, which was filled with junk.

Still, this is a good feature for newbies who just wanna reinstall and not lose anything.

 

[Ovation]

Will this "Archive and Install" procedure fix a problem called "invalid key length"? BTW, I have no idea what that means. My Powerbook G4 has not properly started since my wife did an improper shutdown last night. The gray screen with the Apple symbol appears, with the circular "gear" beneath it. It turns far longer than usual, eventually gets to the white rectangle with MAC OS X and a blue "startup" bar beneath it. This bar lengthens (more slowly than usual) and gets hung up at "Waiting for application services".

Mods, if I've posted to the wrong place, sorry. Please move it to wherever it should be.

 

[Macman]

Will this "Archive and Install" procedure fix a problem called "invalid key length"? BTW, I have no idea what that means. My Powerbook G4 has not properly started since my wife did an improper shutdown last night. The gray screen with the Apple symbol appears, with the circular "gear" beneath it. It turns far longer than usual, eventually gets to the white rectangle with MAC OS X and a blue "startup" bar beneath it. This bar lengthens (more slowly than usual) and gets hung up at "Waiting for application services".

Mods, if I've posted to the wrong place, sorry. Please move it to wherever it should be.

have you triedrepairing permissions or resetting the pram?
as far as archive and install, I usually just do an erase and install.

 

[trpnmonkey41]

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5284

Try out number 2. If you can't get that to load try booting off of your OS X disc by holding down C and entering disk utility from there and repairing the disk

 

[Macman]

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5284

Try out number 2. If you can't get that to load try booting off of your OS X disc by holding down C and entering disk utility from there and repairing the disk

question on fsck, do I include spaces when typing in /sbin/fsck -f, like between the k and the "-"?

 

[trpnmonkey41]

yes that is the only space there. All that that does is do a repair disk like you would if you booted off the disk and used disk utility but doesn't require the startup CD

 

[Ovation]

I have tried both the disk utility and the fsck procedure. Neither of them solved the issue.

Would an archive and install be likely to fix this problem? I just learned that if I don't leave my machine on 24hrs a day, I might have problems as well? Could that be the cause (can be cured by something called MacJanitor?)?

I'm really new to this kind of problem as I've had my Mac for almost two years with no problems. I'm far more used to solving PC problems (as they are so frequent).

 

[BilduKat]

A tad off topic..

I always try to upgrade my hard drive when I do a major OS upgrade.
This way I get a fresh install and then migrate my "stuff" to the new drive.
..and as luck will have it, migrating will be really easy with Tiger.
A few reports I have read say that the migrator works really well.

 

[crg23]

Wait so will this save all my programs and documents and everything?

 

[iWhat]

Correct. But for safety measures, you'll definitely want to back up all the files that are important to you.

 

[crg23]

^How would I do that if I can't boot up Mac OS X at all? I can only boot off the install DVD.

Thanks so much for your help. REALLY appreciate it.

 

[iWhat]

Here you go: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120

 

[crg23]

Oh sorry, I meant how would I back up the files. I know how to get to the archive and install bit, I just would really like to make sure its backed up. I also have several hundred dollars worth of software that may be hard to install again, as I lost some of the codes and CD's for it. Also I have 3500 songs that I don't have the source CD's for.

So any ideas on backing up? I have a FW harddrive if that helps.

 

[javarulz]

Archive and Install Feature in Mac OS X

About
Archive and Install moves existing system files to a folder named Previous System and then installs Mac OS X again. You cannot start up your computer using the Previous System folder.

Hi,

I have successfully archived and re-installed OS X on my machine. The "Previous System" folder was created and is eating into my disk space.

Can I simply delete it wihtout bothering about any live links to the active OS installation? What problems do you foresee?

Regards,
Varun

 

[Aptmunich]

None, the previous system is basically just a precaution, in case you notice anything missing / broken on your new system installation...

 

[javarulz]

None, the previous system is basically just a precaution, in case you notice anything missing / broken on your new system installation...

Thanks. 8 GB free now

 

[synthemesc]

i really should read the stickies before i post =/

i recently did this because my system crashed... kinda. i now have the previous system on my HD but whenever i try to open it i get this message..."no mountable file systems." anyone know why its doing? there are some files i really really need to get so if it is at all possible to get them please tell me!

 

[TiltedKilt]

Just for confirmation...and sorry if this is a bit slow of me but...

If i do an Archive and Install and boot up from the Install CD's will all the files held (e.g photos/videos and music in iTunes) be kept? Can I then copy over these once the new install is complete and then just delete the old archived file?