Want to keep system preferences when updating OS

Hi, I need to update from OS X 10.5.8 Leopard to OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard on my MB Pro. (2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB SDRAM) Before I begin, can anyone tell me if there is a good way to keep my system preferences and applications preferences without having to "start over" after the system upgrade? Will I have to reinstall every piece of software? Thanks in advance for any help.

How to Install OS X Updates Successfully
A. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions:
Boot from your current OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. Then select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
B. Make a Bootable Backup Using Restore Option of Disk Utility:
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
C. Important: Please read before installing:
If you have a FireWire hard drive connected, disconnect it before installing the update unless you will boot from this drive and install the update on it. Reconnect it and turn it back on after installation is complete and you've restarted.
You may experience unexpected results if you have installed third-party system software modifications, or if you have modified the operating system through other means. (This does not apply to normal application software installation.)
The installation process should not be interrupted. If a power outage or other interruption occurs during installation, use the standalone installer (see below) from Apple Downloads to update. While the installation is in progress do not use the computer.
D. To upgrade:
Purchase the Snow Leopard Retail DVD.
Boot From The OS X Installer Disc:
Insert OS X Installer Disc into the optical drive.
Restart the computer.
Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "C" key.
Release the key when the spinning gear below the dark gray Apple logo appears.
Wait for installer to finish loading.
E. If updating:
Download and install update(s)
Use Software Update, or
Download standalone updater(s).
Updating does not erase anything except operating system files.

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Hello everyone,
I have been using a Mac for a good 8 years now and I'm a happy user. I recently found out about Automator ('hey what is this little robot for?') and what it can do, yet I lack the knowledge of finding out what I must do to make a script to perform the following thing:
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The short answer is that it's not easy to do directly, unless the application itself supports launching scripts on startup/quit (hint: few do).
Fortunately, a little difference in thinking can give you the same effect.
Rather than trying to have your script trigger AFTER the app launches, rethink your process to a script that FIRST changes the preference, THEN launches the app. You get the same result but about 14 billion times easier to implement.
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on idle
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Hi there. This is my first time posting.
This is a small issue. I'm curious to know if this type of thing is possible, and how I'd go about doing it!
When I launch a certain program (various games, certain audio applications) sometime I need to enable the "use all F1 F2 etc keys as standard function keys" option. However, when I am not using these applications, I would prefer it to be off.
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Want to keep system preferences when updating OS

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