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Luke
Level 1 (106 points)

Q: backup/restore home?

Hi,
I'm selling a computer and don't yet have a replacement computer.
The last time I replaced my computer I did the firewire-to-firewire connection to draw in the info.
This time I need to use an external drive. My external is not large enough to clone my current computer, but it is large enough to copy my entire "home" (in finder window).
If I copy the "home" does anyone know how I'd go about importing (restoring) that info into the new computer?
Thanks,
Luke

Powerbook G3 firewire, G5 IMac, PowerPC G4, Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Jul 20, 2006 7:24 AM

by Aaron Wyatt,Solvedanswer
Aaron Wyatt Aaron Wyatt
Level 1 (110 points)
A:
You can archive a user home directory in the Accounts Preferences Pane. Note that once you user this to archive the account, you will not be able to login to the archived account until it is restored.

Login to your Mac as a different user account (one with administror privileges) than the one you want to archive. In the Accounts Preference Pane in System Preferences, select the user home directory you want archive and click the minus button at the bottom of the accounts list (you may need to athenticate first by clicking the Lock icon).

Mac OS X will prompt you to confirm your removal of the acount and explain that if you click OK, the user home directory will be archived to a disk image in the folder /Users/Deleted Users/username.dmg .

Once this process is complete, you can copy the /Users/Deleted Users/username.dmg file to your external hard drive.

When your new Mac arrives, create an administrator account with a different user name than the one you archived. Login to the machine with this account and open System Preferences. Select the Accounts Preference Pane and create a user with the same full name and username as the user you archived.

Now mount the external drive, open the username.dmg file and copy its entire contents to the new user's folder that was created when you created the new account (/Users/username/). Mac OS X will ask you to Authenticate before you can replace the contents of folder with the archived user directory.

Log out, and log in as with your old username and all should be restored.

aaron

Posted on Jul 20, 2006 8:02 AM

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Luke

Q: backup/restore home?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Dr. Smoke,Helpful

    Dr. Smoke Dr. Smoke Jul 20, 2006 7:49 AM in response to Luke
    Level 9 (56,585 points)
    Jul 20, 2006 7:49 AM in response to Luke
    Hi, Luke.

    Basically, on the new computer, create the same account (name, short name, and password) as you used for that Home folder on the old computer. Then copy the contents of the folders within the backup of Home into the corresponding folders within the Home of that account on the new computer, e.g. copy contents of Documents in backup of Home to new Home > Documents folder.

    Frankly, if you can swing it, get a larger FireWire drive. If you create a bootable duplicate of your startup disk, you can then use the Setup / Migration assistant to move your old computers accounts and applications over to the new computer from the duplicate.

    Personally, I'd recommend waiting to conclude the sale until you obtain a replacement computer and can move everything over and test it. Otherwise, get a larger FireWire drive to make a proper bootable duplicate of everything.

    Good luck!

    Dr. Smoke
    Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X

  • by Aaron Wyatt,Solvedanswer

    Aaron Wyatt Aaron Wyatt Jul 20, 2006 8:02 AM in response to Luke
    Level 1 (110 points)
    Jul 20, 2006 8:02 AM in response to Luke
    You can archive a user home directory in the Accounts Preferences Pane. Note that once you user this to archive the account, you will not be able to login to the archived account until it is restored.

    Login to your Mac as a different user account (one with administror privileges) than the one you want to archive. In the Accounts Preference Pane in System Preferences, select the user home directory you want archive and click the minus button at the bottom of the accounts list (you may need to athenticate first by clicking the Lock icon).

    Mac OS X will prompt you to confirm your removal of the acount and explain that if you click OK, the user home directory will be archived to a disk image in the folder /Users/Deleted Users/username.dmg .

    Once this process is complete, you can copy the /Users/Deleted Users/username.dmg file to your external hard drive.

    When your new Mac arrives, create an administrator account with a different user name than the one you archived. Login to the machine with this account and open System Preferences. Select the Accounts Preference Pane and create a user with the same full name and username as the user you archived.

    Now mount the external drive, open the username.dmg file and copy its entire contents to the new user's folder that was created when you created the new account (/Users/username/). Mac OS X will ask you to Authenticate before you can replace the contents of folder with the archived user directory.

    Log out, and log in as with your old username and all should be restored.

    aaron

  • by Aaron Wyatt,

    Aaron Wyatt Aaron Wyatt Jul 21, 2006 6:46 AM in response to Aaron Wyatt
    Level 1 (110 points)
    Jul 21, 2006 6:46 AM in response to Aaron Wyatt
    *Correction*

    Don't do this:
    "When your new Mac arrives, create an administrator account with a different user name than the one you archived. Login to the machine with this account and open System Preferences. Select the Accounts Preference Pane and create a user with the same full name and username as the user you archived."

    Do this:
    When your new Mac arrives, create a user with the same full name and username as the user you archived and give him administrator rights. Login to the machine with this acccount and continue with paragraph 6 above.


    aaron