Upgrading to Leopard

[alextwitchen]

Please excuse what might seem an obvious question! I have a MBP running 10.4.11 and I'm now planning to upgrade to 10.5. My machine is over 2 years old and whilst my internal HD seems ok from testing it with disk utility I'm keen to do a clean install rather than an archive and install. If I go for the clean install can I use migration assistant to bring back my files and settings from my SD clone and hence replicate an archive and install but with the benefit of a clean HD. I'm presuming that I can connect my external HD which I keep my SD back-up on and when prompted use this to migrate my current settings etc.... Apologies again if this is a rather obvious question but I just want to check before I go for the clean install option. Thanks

[dnanian]

Assuming it's a regular bootable backup, yes, you can do that.

[alextwitchen]

Thanks Dave, that helps to put my mind at rest.

[alextwitchen]

I've done my clean install of leopard and updated to 10.5.4 all seems to be working well and the computer is much quicker than before so I think it benefitted from a really good clean out. Now to restore my data from SD, I presume when I'm in Migration Assistant I click on 'from another volume on this mac' rather than 'from another mac' and with my external HD connected go from there - sorry if this is a lame newbie question.

[dnanian]

Correct. But you'll want to do this DURING the first boot of Leopard. Do not migrate after you've already set up, as your user IDs won't match and you'll have permission issues.

[alextwitchen]

Thanks Dave, so when I install leopard have my external HD connected via firewire then go through the leopard install process and select my internal HD for the install, but when I get to the set-up pane after leopard installs then select 'another volume on this mac' and my external HD should do the migration before I create an account for the first time. I understand how this would give me permission problems if I have already created a new account that is different to what I have on my external. So it seems best to reinstall a clean version of leopard again and don't pass on the migration assistant this time!!!!! What a newbie!!!!!

[dnanian]

Exactly. Should be pretty painless.

[alextwitchen]

Sorted!!! Reloaded a clean install of leopard and transferred my files from SD on my external. Really was painless and now back up and running with a system that seems much more slick. I will definitely recommend SD to all my friends and colleagues.

[DaleMeyn]

Installing Leopard on a Tiger volume:
1. Run SD to update backups.
2. Do a clean install of Leopard on the primary volume.
3. Re-Boot from primary volume.
4. Immediately use Migration Assistant to bring everything from the backup volume to the primary volume containing Leopard.
6 Use SD to backup this primary volume, and for time being keep the old backup volume handy, don’t use SD to copy anything to it.
7. Use Leopard, see how it goes. Maybe just keep that old backup indefinitely in case of need.

How's this sound?

[DaleMeyn]

I just noticed that I installed Leopard on the primary (original) volume, Macintosh HD. Maybe that should instead be done to the Sandbox: that is, do a clean install on the Sandbox, then boot from it, and use Migration Assistant. That way, Macintosh HD will still have the old OS. Then update the backups, leaving Macintosh HD (original volume) alone until everything checks out. If so, then back copy from Sandbox to Macintosh HD. Does this make sense, or is the first method better?

[dnanian]

No, do NOT install Leopard in a Sandbox. But your step #6 seems like it would erase the old backup.

[DaleMeyn]

Step 6 would erase the old backup if I left it on the backup schedule, but I have 2 backup drives, so I would leave one off the schedule until all worked as expected (Leopard), then put it back on the backup schedule. That way, I would have a fallback system (10.4) if necessary. Not sure that would ever occur, but it's a security blanket for me.
Dale Meyn

[DaleMeyn]

BTW, one Mac expert suggested to do the Leopard install over the existing System, then download and run the 10.5.4 combo update, then run software update to get all the latest bits and pieces. He seems to think that would work as well as a clean install and Migration of files from the backup volume. Any comment?

[dnanian]

If you're going to do that, sure, you can upgrade and then just run Software Update. Up to you.