Mountain Lion Archive & Install

ricede · 10-09-2012, 10:29 AM

Am i correct in assuming that this option no longer exists ? It would appear that one has to now do a clean install and then use Migration Assistant to copy files over. Or am i missing something here ?

benwiggy · 10-09-2012, 11:11 AM

The default installation is to Archive and Install, e.g. just put a new OS in the place of the old one, and leave the user data where it is. I think this started with Snow Leopard.

My 2009 MacBook came with Leopard, and I've put 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8 all straight over the top without doing a clean install.

ricede · 10-09-2012, 11:22 AM

Thanks benwiggy - I thought that it had changed with Lion because of the way the app was downloaded. Thats good to know.

DeltaMac · 10-09-2012, 03:33 PM

Yes, benwiggy is correct. The specific option for an Archive & Install in 10.5 (and older) became the default for later OS X versions. If no system exists on a volume, then it's a clean install. If a previous system already exists, then the install is the equivalent of the older Archive & Install - except it now (since 10.6) cleans up after itself. The older Archive & Install would produce a "Previous Systems" folder, which you had to manually remove. OS X installs no longer need to create that leftover folder. Likely that Previous Systems folder was rarely needed for any useful purpose - and I saw enough Macs where the user would do several reinstalls over time, and would continue to keep that (now enormous) folder, for no practical reason.

chabig · 10-09-2012, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeltaMac


	If a previous system already exists, then the install is the equivalent of the older Archive & Install - except it now (since 10.6) cleans up after itself. The older Archive & Install would produce a "Previous Systems" folder, which you had to manually remove. OS X installs no longer need to create that leftover folder.

Then it's not an "archive and install"! An archive and install kept the original system. Without that, this is just an update and it's wrong to call it "archive and install." You can't say, "It is the equivalent of the older Archive & Install - except it doesn't archive."

acme.mail.order · 10-09-2012, 07:58 PM

The "Previous Systems" archive was not useful to anyone other than the Unix power user - you could not, for example, choose the old one from a boot menu. And anyone capable of restoring a "Previous System" would have no problems archiving it to another drive in the first place.

ganbustein · 10-09-2012, 09:53 PM

Nevertheless, ghabig is correct. The "Previous System" was the archive. Some of the uses of the archive:

You could compare old vs. new (or, better said, archived vs. current) to see what had changed.
In a pinch, you could copy back individual components, in hopes that (for example) the old Safari would work with the new system, without exhibiting a bug introduced in the new one.
If you're really desperate, you could boot off a separate volume and then put the archived system back. Or copy the pieces of the archive to their proper places on a different volume in hopes of making it bootable. (Either option required above average computer skills, but neither was impossible.

benwiggy · 10-10-2012, 01:31 AM

From my recollection, I'm surprised to hear that the "Previous Systems" folder represented a complete OS that could be restored. Was that actually the case? I always thought it was just some choice bits.

I used to have to copy items over that the Installer had archived, including Creative Suite bits, printer bits and a few other third-party things.

Since Leopard, we've all been using Time Machine, or other backup software, so the need for an archived OS on the system disk is much diminished.

acme.mail.order · 10-10-2012, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by benwiggy


	From my recollection, I'm surprised to hear that the "Previous Systems" folder represented a complete OS that could be restored. Was that actually the case? I always thought it was just some choice bits.

If your Unix-fu, relationship with The Force, karma value and planetary alignments that day were up to the task, the previous system could be restored to bootability. Programs that upgraded their prefs file would usually complain.

10-09-2012, 10:29 AM	#1
ricede All Star Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 507	Mountain Lion Archive & Install Am i correct in assuming that this option no longer exists ? It would appear that one has to now do a clean install and then use Migration Assistant to copy files over. Or am i missing something here ?

10-09-2012, 09:53 PM	#7
ganbustein MVP Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Berkeley CA USA Posts: 1,011	Nevertheless, ghabig is correct. The "Previous System" was the archive. Some of the uses of the archive: You could compare old vs. new (or, better said, archived vs. current) to see what had changed. In a pinch, you could copy back individual components, in hopes that (for example) the old Safari would work with the new system, without exhibiting a bug introduced in the new one. If you're really desperate, you could boot off a separate volume and then put the archived system back. Or copy the pieces of the archive to their proper places on a different volume in hopes of making it bootable. (Either option required above average computer skills, but neither was impossible.

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10-09-2012, 11:11 AM	#2
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,041	The default installation is to Archive and Install, e.g. just put a new OS in the place of the old one, and leave the user data where it is. I think this started with Snow Leopard. My 2009 MacBook came with Leopard, and I've put 10.6, 10.7 and 10.8 all straight over the top without doing a clean install.

10-09-2012, 11:22 AM	#3
ricede All Star Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: India Posts: 507	Thanks benwiggy - I thought that it had changed with Lion because of the way the app was downloaded. Thats good to know.

10-09-2012, 03:33 PM	#4
DeltaMac League Commissioner Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 7,963	Yes, benwiggy is correct. The specific option for an Archive & Install in 10.5 (and older) became the default for later OS X versions. If no system exists on a volume, then it's a clean install. If a previous system already exists, then the install is the equivalent of the older Archive & Install - except it now (since 10.6) cleans up after itself. The older Archive & Install would produce a "Previous Systems" folder, which you had to manually remove. OS X installs no longer need to create that leftover folder. Likely that Previous Systems folder was rarely needed for any useful purpose - and I saw enough Macs where the user would do several reinstalls over time, and would continue to keep that (now enormous) folder, for no practical reason.

10-09-2012, 07:58 PM	#6
acme.mail.order League Commissioner Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Tokyo Posts: 6,050	The "Previous Systems" archive was not useful to anyone other than the Unix power user - you could not, for example, choose the old one from a boot menu. And anyone capable of restoring a "Previous System" would have no problems archiving it to another drive in the first place.

10-10-2012, 01:31 AM	#8
benwiggy League Commissioner Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 5,041	From my recollection, I'm surprised to hear that the "Previous Systems" folder represented a complete OS that could be restored. Was that actually the case? I always thought it was just some choice bits. I used to have to copy items over that the Installer had archived, including Creative Suite bits, printer bits and a few other third-party things. Since Leopard, we've all been using Time Machine, or other backup software, so the need for an archived OS on the system disk is much diminished.