New member could use some help

[thenicepython]

Hey guys,

I have leopard here and I want to do a clean install. I want to do this mainly because I've just been upgrading and archiving my old stuff with each OSX upgrade for the last few ones; ie: before 10.3. Anyway normally I would use some type of carbon copy cloner or something like that and put it onto my drive. The problem is now my drive is so full I can't move the data back onto my computer(My comp hardrive is OLD only 60GB, I have 150gb I need to keep) so I can't reformat or partition the drive.

So my question is this; if I just copy the whole applications folder by going to my hard drive and control+ click the Applications folder and paste that to my external drive, will I be able to simply paste the Application folder back to my internal hard drive after I install Leopard? Or will all the directories be messed up? If I can't copy and paste the Application folder, can I just drag the folder to my external drive and expect it to work just by dragging it back after installing Leopard?

If not what options do I have that don't require me reformatting my external drive and thus losing the majority of the data I can't save as my regular HD is too small?

Just want you to know, I appreciate the help in advance.

Thanks

 

[Egidio]

IF possible, I'd burn a CD or DVD with all the stuff you have. As for the applications, that is generally the last thing I worry about when reformatting a hard drive. Unless you do not have the original installation programs, then I'd take the time (might take several hours) to do clean installs of all applications. Just my two cents...

P.S.: I don't think it's a good idea to cut an paste your Applications folder. When you install an application, there are generally several other files that go with it. Those files can be installed in several different locations. Copying just the Applications folder would make the applications themselves incomplete and even totally non-functional.

 

[thenicepython]

Hi thanks for your help. I ended up using carbon cloner to backup all the applications.... In the end though I found a bunch of previous users, and old .dmg files etc... Anyway I cleared up 24 GB of space....no thats not a typo, lol

So after that, I said screw risking to have to reinstall, dozens if not a hundred applications, and I just archived installed

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it.