"Previous Systems" Installed - may I delete?

I had a problem with StuffIt crashing every time I opened it. So, I reinstalled OSX, but kept the previous version. During installation, it told me that the older system would be filed in the "Previous Systems" folder on my HD. Thankfully, verything works post-reinstallation. My question: can I delete the previous system without messing up the entire computer? How do I delete it (it takes up about 10GB of space on my harddrive!)?

Hi Willowmoor,
Yes, you can safely trash that folder anytime you want. The only reason to keep it around is that sometimes files that applications you installed need get moved to the "Previous Systems" folder, breaking the application. You then have the option of moving the missing file(s) back to the new System folder if you know which one it is. But if everything appears to be working, then go ahead and delete it.

Similar Messages

Previous Systems? Can I delete it?

When I first got my Mac I had a couple of problems, so I had to re-install Leopard because iMovie '08 was nowhere to be found. Now fast forward almost a year later. I want to clean out my Mac, so I can gain some extra memory back. I see something that says "Previous Systems". I presume this was all the information saved from when I had first booted up back in January because it has some applications, and some my system information that is currently present in the Macintosh HD( except for some of the apps which have a cross through them and it doesn't have my more recent installations in it like Logic Pro 8 or Reason 4.0), but the date on the file says January and has not been modified or even touched since. I don't want to touch it cause I'm afraid that if I do I will mesh up my Mac. I have things like Logic Pro set-up and that would be a real downer if that was lost.

Hi SpeAker-HeAd;
Once you are satisfied that the system is running correctly and you no longer need anything from the Previous System folder then you can delete it without have any impact on the system.
Allan

Previous System -- What can I delete?

I recently had to perform an Archive and Install on my system, which results in the creation of a Previous System folder. This thing is taking up about 6 Gigs of hard drive space, which is an awful lot for something that appears to do nothing for me. It was more efficient just to reinstall all my software than to try to find all the hidden files that caused problems after re-installing the system.
My question is, what can I safely delete at this point? Things have been apparently running fine for a couple of weeks, and even if they weren't, it seems that it would be a bad idea to copy anything from the corrupted old system, rather than just re-installing again from disk. I'm afraid to just delete anything out of the Previous Library or System folders without knowing what I'm doing. What sort of things might cause problems that I'd actually need the OLD files for? And what is the "Private" folder? Can that be safely deleted now?
[I have to say, up to OS 9 I knew what almost everything in the System Folder did, and what could be deleted, or turned off, and how to fix it if I deleted the wrong file. But I can't begin to fathom the depths of OS X. It's like the Directory in a PC. I don't know any more what anything is there for, and I'm afraid to touch anything.]

So if my applications all launch, that's enough to satisfy myself that the Previous System folder is no longer necessary? That is, (a) none of those files will affect anything other than my ability to run applications? and (b) none of those files will affect how an application runs, but will by its absence prevent it from even launching? I'm hoping that's so, since that would be relatively easy to verify.
I'd just archive this previous system off disk, but even that seems like a waste of space if it does nothing for me any more.
Also, how does a FWHD preclude the need for doing an A&I? Sure, I could boot from that other OS, but if the one on the main internal drive goes corrupt, wouldn't I still need to re-install either as A&I or as a clean installation?

Archive and reinstall - can't find previous system and want to delete

Hey everyone,
I just did an archive and reinstall with OS 10.5 and now am running out of disk space. I've been trying to find the "previous system" folder but can't locate it with finder. Any ideas?
Is it in the system folder? What can I delete without killing my computer?
Noob here, thanks a bunch!

Current system is OS 10.5
previous was the latest update - 10.5.6?
I have about 10 GB less space now that I need to recover!
I'm running this: MacBook Pro 2.4Ghz, 2GB 15", 160GB
Thanks.

Archive and Install Leopard - questions about "previous system" folder

now that i have done an archive and install for leopard I have a "Previous system" folder. In it is "Applications", "Library", "Private", "Users", and "System" folders.
Which can I delete and which must I save??

Hi DrAndy;
It is my understanding that after testing the installation done with an Archive & Install once you are certain that everything is working correctly the "Previous System" folder can be deleted in it's entirety.
Allan

Previous systems folder -- what can i delete?

i had to archive my old system and now, in my hard drive, is the "previous systems" folder with the old library and whatnot.
i have moved my personal files (desktop, itunes, word files) into my new system and i'm wondering if i can just delete the entire "previous systems" folder -- or if there are things in there that i should be sure to transfer (like any program or application files), or if deleting that folder might cause any problems.
also, should i just delete the inner "previous system 1" folder (the only folder inside "previous systems") or can i delete the whole folder, prev systems? i don't think it was there before the archive so i assume i can delete it but i wasn't positive.
help! thanks.
Mac OS X (10.4.7)

emillie
There are some things that might need moving: printer software that you added and so on. I suggest that you use the machine for a week or two and if you're content that all is working normally then you can trash it. That's what I did.
Regards
TD

Do I need my previous system folder?

Hi guys,
I reinstalled OSX a month or so ago, but retained my 7GB "previous system" folder. Do I need it? Does my current system use it at all? Or can I erase it to reclaim some free space?
Thanks!
Alec

Alec,
After an Archive and Install, the Previous Systems folder contains the prior OS X system. You will never be able to boot from this previous system folder, and therefore from that aspect it is completely useless. The Previous Systems folder may contain third party items, but when you are satisfied with the performance of your new system it is unlikely that anything of value will remain.
I got rid of mine after a couple of weeks. Be aware that the mere presence of this folder may lead to problems in the future.
This is what Apple says about the Previous System folder: You might wonder, "What do I do with the Previous System folder?" It may contain items that you need. To determine this, once you've finished configuring, installing, and updating your applications, compare the Previous System to the new System. If there are things in the Previous System folder that aren't in the new System folder, just copy them over. If you're not sure what some items are (and don't seem to need them), leave them in the Previous System folder. Once you're comfortable that you've got everything you need out of it, you can delete the Previous System folder (or leave it around if you're not low on disk space).;~)

Restore "Previous Systems" after 'archive and reinstall'.

Hi,
Long story short, I moved a crucial file and couldn't reboot... so I performed an 'archive and reinstall'.
This failed the first time, and worked the second time.
Now I can boot (into a fresh install), I moved the file back into the correct folder inside the "Previous Systems" folder.
Is there any way for me to revert/re-bless/boot back into this 'fixed' "Previous Systems" install?

Neither one of those files should affect your system and should be automatically rebuilt when you restart. There's no need to move them back. If things work properly in a newly created admin user account, then I suspect further plist corruption in the original account and suggest the following:
While logged into the newly created admin account, backup the bad account's folder, delete the bad account, selecting the save data option, recreate the bad account using the same username/password combo, log out and back into the recreated original account. If the problem's solved, open the saved data dmg file in /Users/Deleted Users/, open the /Library/Preferences/ folder from the saved data, open the current /Users/restored account/Library/Preferences/ folder, and slowly copy plist files from the saved data folder to the current one that don't exist in it. Log out and back in to ensure there's no conflict and things still work correctly. Resolving conflicts or identifying corrupt plist files is a laborious process. Good luck.
See http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4703015 for more details on this process.

Problem Deleting Previous System after Archive and Install

Earlier in my time with this wonderful iMac, I did an Archive and Install to try and resolve a slight problem. I read all the docs beforehand and knew it would save the previous system in its own folder and saw that I could likely delete that folder afterwards.
I have waited months since then, (almost forgotten about this folder) but have never had reason to want anything there, so today decided to delete it.
I dragged the entire previous system folder to trash and tried to empty trash. It deleted most of the stuff, but kept one package DownloadReader7.pkg complaining of locked files.
I have used Pacificist to look at the contents of this package and it says it is a receipt. It contains elements of Adobe Reader Download Manager.app
I have looked on my present working system and can not find an equivalent.
So two questions...
1. Is it safe to delete this package (if I knew how)?
2. If it is safe to delete it, HOW do I, when it appears to have locked elements when I try to empty trash?

It's safe to delete any files in the PSF.
Usually all you need do is press the OPTION key before selecting Empty Trash. If that doesn't work the next thing to try is restart the computer after you've dragged the file to the Trash. If neither works then visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on resolving Trash problems.
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After archive and install--I have a previous system folder

Hello, I had a corrupted system file and I had to do an archive and install, which used the system discs I got with my laptop to reinstall OS X.
Now I have a previous system file on my hard drive. Is this still needed? Can i just delete it? What can I do?
Thanks

This is simply an archive of your previous system.
Although system was corrupt, you may be able to look through the folder and retrieve any data which you would like to keep.
But the answer is no, you definately don't need it.
Dave

Are "Previous Systems" files important or can they be deleted?

There is a file in my the hard Drive of the MacBook entitled "Previous Systems.localized" which is taking up 9.72GB of space. Is this important or can I delete it to create space on the start up disk?

Hi -
Did you recently do an 'Archive and Install'? If so, that file may be leftover from your previous system. If things are working smoothly after a week or so I'd go ahead and delete the entire prev. system.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107120

OS re-install; previous systems; recovered files #1, #2....

Hi,
A while back I was one of those people who had problems with the Intel iMac hanging and never being able to boot up again after installing system updates.
I reinstalled the operating system twice...(and since then learned to download the system update from the site first and installing locally).
Couple question:
1) I have a two "Previous System" in my Macintosh HD, from the two re-installations, naturally. Is it safe to delete these folders?
2) I notice that I often have "Recovered Files" appearing in my trash bin. They just appear, and if I don't empty it out, they start piling up like Recovered files #1, #2, etc. Why is this happening?
3) Oh and a side question...the scroll on my Mighty Mouse doesn't work anymore. Any idea how long these are covered under warranty...and to answer my next question, should the warranty be short...is there another recommended mouse that has the same funcionality as the might mouse that can load the dashboard and zoom out to see all open windows at once?
Thanks!

1. Yes, you can delete the PSFs.
2. This will explain the recovered files in the Trash.
3. If you don't have an AppleCare warranty the mouse is covered for 1 year. Any multi-button mouse can replace it. One of the very best (but expensive) is the LogiTech MX Revolution. It retails for $99 but can be found cheaper if you shop. Get the shareware utility SteerMouse (VersionTracker or MacUpdate) to use with it to program the various controls. Avoid using the LogiTech software which can be problematic.
Why reward points?(Quoted from Discussions Terms of Use.)
The reward system helps to increase community participation. When a community member gives you (or another member) a reward for providing helpful advice or a solution to their question, your accumulated points will increase your status level within the community.
Members may reward you with 5 points if they deem that your reply is helpful and 10 points if you post a solution to their issue. Likewise, when you mark a reply as Helpful or Solved in your own created topic, you will be awarding the respondent with the same point values.

Previous System folder vs. system folder after archive and install

Hi there - I am very new to mac but love the products and am excited to be a part of the culture.
Because I am having battery-type problems I was told to do an archive and install to see if it was a software problem.
My question is, I followed the instructions apple gave for doing the archive and install. And it says that you can delete the previous system folder if everything is the same or you can move stuff over.
The problem is I want to delete the previous systems folder but it is very different than the new one and I don't even know what I would copy.
Briefly, the new system folder just has one folder inside called library with a bunch of folders inside of that.
The previous system folder called previous system 1 has folders entitled application, library, mach.sym, private, system, and users. Why are they different and what can I do?

The previous system, in most cases can be safely deleted. You can't revert to it anyway, so there's no fall back option to worry about. If you've saved everything in your user folder (or home folder - same thing) your data is safe. The previous system may have some preference files for apps you run, perhaps even registration data for apps that require serial #'s when you install them. If everything runs fine, and your data is where it's supposed to be, you can safely delete the previous system. I'd suggest making sure everything runs OK for a week or so, make sure all your apps work and all your data is there, then delete the previous system.
Jeff

Deleting Previous System Folder

Hello again,
I'm upgrading from Panther to Tiger on my Power Book G4. After I finish making a clone of my current hard drive, I plan to upgrade to Tiger by doing a Clean Archive Reinstall, preserve all network and system preferences settings. What I want to know is can I delete my Previous System Folder once I have upgraded to Tiger 10.4.11?
Can someone let me know?
Thank you
Phil

Yes. However, you may find that some information in the /Library/ folder may not be moved automatically during the Archive and Install. In particular you want to check these:
/Library/Application Support/
/Library/Preferences/
/Library/StartupItems/
/Library/InputManagers/
/Library/PreferencePanes/
These may contain items installed by third-party software that you will have to move manually from the PSF.
If you have Palm software installed there will also be one or two Palm related folders that you will need to transfer.
Once you are satisfied that you have everything then drag the PSF to the Trash and empty. If you get any warnings then simply restart the computer and then empty the Trash.

"Previous System" - can I delete it?

at some point last year something went wrong with my macbook. it asked if i would like it to make a back-up of everything before moving on. i said yes.
i just noticed that in my HD folder, there is a folder called "Previous System", which i assume is a complete copy of the system i had last year before whatever problem i had occurred. thing is, this folder is over 10 GB.
id like to free up this space, since i have only 80 GB to play with. can i delete the folder without losing any valuable data or screwing my system?

Hi connectiwthdamien,
This from Apple's docs:
"After installation
You might wonder "What do I do with the Previous System folder?" It may contain items that you need. To determine this, once you've finished configuring, installing, and updating your applications, you can compare the Previous System to the new System. If there are things in the Previous System folder that aren't in the new System folder, copy them over or reinstall. If you're not sure what some items are (and don't seem to need them), leave them in the Previous System folder. Once you're comfortable that you've got everything you need out of it, you can delete the Previous System folder (or leave it around if you have enough free disk space)."
Hope that helps to clarify some,
littleshoulders

"Previous Systems" Installed - may I delete?

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