[X4U] Moron needs help - beware!

[Richard Gilmore]

I would put OS9 on a separate partition, that's just me other people will
have differing opinions. Give it 1 GB min or more depending on how many OS9
apps you use. Backup all your data no matter where it is. Always do that on
a regular basis. I prefer to reinstall all the applications from CD or
wherever. It makes the job longer but that's how I like to do it. I wouldn't
worry about saving internet settings they're easily recreated, jot them down
on a piece of paper. If you're using high speed behind a router with
ethernet there's nothing you need save. Export all your bookmarks from
Safari and IE and burn them onto a CD with your data and re-import them
after installation. You can do software update after the basic install it
will take care of keeping the system up to date. I don't know any free CD
burning software but check MacUpdate or Versiontracker. If you've got
everything backed up you can relax, have a coffee and spend an afternoon
rebuilding your system. I've done this more times than I can count it's
totally safe just time consuming.


> From: Chris <cpt444 at yahoo.com>
> Reply-To: "A place to discuss Mac OS X for the casual user."
> <x4u at listserver.themacintoshguy.com>
> Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2005 12:34:19 -0800 (PST)
> To: <x4u at listserver.themacintoshguy.com>
> Subject: [X4U] Moron needs help - beware!
> 
> Greetings!
> 
> I read this digest every day and am hoping some of you can help me out with
> what is very routine
> to many of you, but a daunting, confusing task to me - a self confessed moron,
> so at the risk of
> taxing your patience:
> 
> I have a dual 450 purchased new running 10.2.8. I finally bought a copy of
> 10.3 and have a lot of
> questions as to the installation. As this was my first computer, it has
> suffered many indignities
> at my hands over the years, and I'd like nothing more than to start out with a
> clean slate and
> erase the drive and do a fresh clean installation - everything I've read seems
> to suggest this as
> the best way to go to help clear up "buggy behavior" and to optimize the OS.
> Is ther any reason
> NOT to do this? For all intents and purposes, I have NO backed up data. AND
> {almost} NO IDEA OF
> WHAT I"M DOING! I've been reading document :
>  
> http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106941#2c
> 
>  but am still not sure how to proceed; I'm scared to death of not properly
> backing everything up -
> I have a little under 10 GB used on a 40 GB HD and will be using a CD burner
> for the backup.
> Here's where the questions start - exactly what do I need to back up to insure
> I'll be saving
> everything I want, without bringing any potential "old" problems onto the new
> os? Is backing up
> the home folder enough? I have a couple users, but am only concerned about
> saving my adminsrator
> user. I have a lot of 3rd party apps too - How are they reinstalled - does
> each one have to be
> reinstalled again from disc or download? What about internet settings - will
> they be preserved?
> {verizon dsl} Of concern is I have thousands of bookmarks - safari and IE, and
> want to make sure
> they are preserved and be able to reinstall them.
> 
> I'd like to keep OS 9 - how do I handle that in regards to the clean
> installation of OS X - how do
> I  erase the drive, and do I need to reinstall OS 9  FIRST {my original  OS}
> and THEN install
> panther?  and if so - what is the sequence to do that, AND should I put OS 9
> on a seperate
> partition? {how big?} Does anything else have to be done ? {for example,
> enable the root user?}
> Will firmware have to be updated again? Can sofware update be counted on to
> reveal everything I
> need to update? 
> Can anyone suggest a FREE utility that will allow me to "just drag all my data
> to the burner" and
> then prompt for another cd when the first is full so I don't have to break it
> up into 700 mb
> chunks?
> 
> ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS/TIPS REGARDING THIS WHOLE ISSUE ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!
> 
> Many Many Thanks,
> 
> ct
> 
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