Installing a new hard drive and using Time Machine to Restore system

Question

I just upgraded a Macbook (2006) hard drive and had problems importing the Time Machine backup. The problem was that the initial install discs were for Tiger, which did not support Time Machine. After numerous attempts at a work-around I solved this problem the following way:
I connected the 2006 Macbook (with new hard drive) to a newer Macbook (with Firewire port) - one with install discs for Leopard (which supports Time Machine).
I launched the newer Macbook with the install disc (#1)
I connected the two Macbook via firewire cable.
I launched the 2006 (new hard drive) Macbook in the Target Disc mode.
I connected the USB external hard drive containing the Tme Machine data to a USB port in the newer Macbook.
Next I went to the Utilities Menu on the Macbook (operating from the Install Disc) and selected Time Machine. I followed the prompts to match the source and destination. The process worked fine.
The above assumes that a new hard drive is properly formatted using Disc Utility per Apple's guidance prior to the Time Machine restoration described above.
Cheers.
Bill

Answer 1

Bill,
No, the glass is half full!! In this case, we (collectively) have three things to brighten our day:
1) That I was mistaken, and that your usage is completely legitimate. I definitely prefer this to what was inherent in my erroneous assumption, and I do not mind being wrong (not in the slightest).
2) That we can be clever enough to overcome obstacles, then go out of our way to share our newfound knowledge with others. More specifically, that you have done so.
3) That we are willing to police ourselves, if and when one of us might go astray. Even if I was wrong in this case, isn't it nice to know I am willing scold someone for being less than honorable?
Perhaps my greatest mistake was the assumption that, if you had the proper disks at one time, you would still have them, or would have said so in your initial post. My apologies. Technically speaking, the media for a given OS should always be somewhere in your possession when running that OS. In practice, however, I strongly believe that some "wiggle room" exists, guided by common sense. In this case, I believe that the fact that you purchased said media gives you a pass, regardless of whether or not you know off the top of your head where it is.
There. Are you still saddened?
Scott