Some newb questions to get me started

[dnanian]

OK, a few things.

I can't tell what OS you're going to install -- you didn't say -- but I'm going to assume Tiger, mostly because that's the current one. If I'm wrong, please let me know, because some of this advice will be different.

First, why do a clean install? An archive-and-install is awfully close to a clean install, and is a lot easier to recover from. There's usually little reason to do so.

But, let's continue.

If you want to store data as well as your backup, I definitely suggest partitioning the drive into a "backup" and a "storage" partition. That'll keep things nice and separate, avoid errors, and let you use Smart Update.

If you choose to "clean install", you can definitely NOT drag and drop applications back, unless they were drag-and-drop installs in the first place. Your user files can be copied, yes, but apps often have files they've installed in other locations, and it's unlikely you'll find them all.

So... if you *must* clean install, and it's Tiger, let me suggest that -- after you do the backup -- you tell Tiger's automatic migration assistant that you want to migrate, and then point it at the backup drive. All your user settings and applications will be transferred to the new install automatically.

Regarding Entourage: we always suggest that you log out (not shut down) and log back in with Shift down, to prevent login items -- including the Microsoft Database Daemon -- from running. Also, make sure you name the new drive the same as the old one, so that when Entourage runs, everything is located properly.

Hopefully that'll get you going. Let me know.