Wipe Disk, install new OS, import some items from Time Mach.

Question

Wipe Disk, install new OS, import some items from Time Mach.

I read in another thread to use disk utility to zero my hard disk in the following manner:

Creat another Admin User
Use "erase" function to delete the space where my curretn user lives
This is the best way to rid one self of legacy root junk that may be glomming up the OS's performance?

I'm pretty sure I want to do this as my Mac-mini has never performed well in the almost two years I've had it.

My main concern is I can't stream video from some sources with out pauses:

Cable company has come out,
Signal is good to my cable modem,
Burst speeds in brower speed tests are 55 Mbps down.
I don't havev any shaping of my signal going on
I'm thinking the poor streaming behavior might be the Mac Mini?

(I know this is a can of worms and I'm not giving a lot of info on why the Mac-mini is not running well or on the other item presenting poor performance, however, my goal is smply to wipe the drive and re-install. Not to spend time disagnosing the Mac. Please see below)

I suspect the poor performance is because I installed an archived OS/User from a previous iMac.

Could this in fact be the case?
I am planning on only importing from Time Machine what I need and not doing a full install of my back up
Can I easly isolate, in the Time Machine back-up:
- Bookmarks
- Autofilled passwords
- iTunes library and audio files
- Documents
- Applications

I'm guessing I then somehow have to download the OS from the App. Store?

Your tips, experience and input are greatly appreciated.

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.7.5)

Posted on Apr 7, 2013 5:31 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eustace Mendis

Level 7

25,416 points

Apr 7, 2013 6:27 AM in response to Joshua Nelson2

1. Wipe the drive and reinstall the OS using Internet Recovery. Do this first, before you import anything from TM.

http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4718

2. Once you have a functioning OS you will be asked if you want to bring data in. Select the source (your TM back up) and designate what you want imported - Settings will bring in your personal settings that were saved.

3. With bookmarks you can use the import function in the browser.

4. For iTunes, see here: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527

5. Applications - same as 2.

6. Individual files and documents - you can drag and drop from TM to the new drive.

Time Machine creates a duplicate of your files. You navigate through TM to find stuff in exactly the same way as you navigate through your main drive. Suggest you use column view - navigation is much easier this way.

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Answer 2

Apr 7, 2013 6:35 AM in response to Eustace Mendis

Eustace - thanks so much.

I understand that TM will present a view and navigation similar to simply being in the HD. My concern is that with bookmarks and iTunes items, there are root files I am not familiar with. I was not clear if I would encounter problems because of this.

So, with using the browser bookmark import function, I simply target the browser app. in the TM back up?

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Answer 3

Apr 7, 2013 7:20 AM in response to Joshua Nelson2

Safari bookmarks are in Users / your home folder / Library /Safari. The file you want is bookmarks.plist

In this case easier than importing would be to find that file - you have to do that anyway - and drag and drop it in the same relative location on the new drive. You will be asked if you want to replace an existing file. Say yes.

Importing iTunes from one drive to another is amply covered on the internet, including videos. Here's Apple's help page: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4527

The target is not the app itself, but the file (folder) where the info is saved.

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