Will an archive and install solve account problems?

I want to remove old accounts and create a new one. Currently, I have to authenticate whenever I want to save any of my files. Somehow I fouled up the user library. Will an archive and install of the OS (10.5.8) correct this on my iMac PPC?

Backup all of your data before starting anything.
If you go with Niel's solution, be sure to get a copy of all your data.
There are several way of proceding:
1) fix permissions on your account.
2) You could copy all your files to a flash drive. Delete on the hd. Copy files back to hd. This will adjust the permissions.
3) create a new account. copy old data to flash drive. Copy data to new account.
I'd create a new account.
Download BatChmod 1.51. Will allow you to change your permissions.
Works on 10.5 and 10.6
I am using 1.51 on Mac OS 10.4.11
Download BatChmod 1.37
(for previous system versions as 1.5 has not been tested on any other system, though may work.)
http://www.macchampion.com/arbysoft/BatchMod/Download.html
Create new Account
blue apple > system preferences
clicks on accounts icon
click on lock icon if locked.
enter logon password
click on + icon ( left side of screen just above the lock icon )
after creating new account, you need to logout of your current account.
blue apple > log out ... current count name ...
log on to new account. see if problem goes away.
if it has gone away, some preference file got messed up on your account. Rename the appropriate Preference file. You will have to figure out the name. They are .plist files. Look for these files in Preferences folder which is in your Library folder [ more formally ~/Library/Preferences ]. ... reboot.
Post back for more help.
More tips on creating a new account
http://pondini.org/OSX/Transfer.html

Similar Messages

Will an archive and install help me?

Since installing a new hard drive on my first gen macbook last year, and especially since installing Snow Leopard last summer, I have been plagued by beach balls and freezes and even the occasional kernel panic (OK, only one of those). Sometimes my computer works fine for several days or a week; sometimes, like today, it freezes three or more times. I've done everything I can think of - tech tool pro says the hardware is OK, as does disk utility on the Snow Leopard disk, PRAM and SMC have been reset time and again, I repair permissions nearly every day. Is there any reason to believe an archive and install might help me? Any other ideas?

dobes918 wrote:
Is there any reason to believe an archive and install might help me?
no, but there is no reason either to believe that with SL there's something like an "archive & install". it's either erase & install or an upgrade install.
after backing up my precious data, i would opt for the former.

After Archive and Install 10Gb of disk space has disappeared!

I was having various minor problems which I have mentioned elsewhere and out of shear frustration I decided to stop wasting any more time and do an Archive and Install - preserving accounts etc.
After the subsequent Software Updates I was horrified to see that my main disk was 10Gb down on what it had been just prior to doing the installation. It was moreso because unlike the original installation I had not installed all the Languages, Fonts and Printers which I would not be using, so I hoped to gain some space - not lose it.
Anybody any ideas where this drive space has gone?
And please nobody suggest the Previous Systems folder - I dealt with that.

Alf Megson wrote:
Do you really want me to answer that question?
yes. I had to ask. I don't know you and I've seen way too many posts by people with similar problems who don't know that one has to empty trash to actually reclaim the missing space.
Boot from the leopard install DVd and repair the startup drive (not permissions). reboot and see if that makes a differences. if not try to find out what's taking all the space. see this post for tools for that.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=8188595&#8188595
10GB should not be hard to find.

Mac OS X archive and install?

will an archive and install preserve microsoft word docs, my folders, pictures, etc.?

I recommend that you use a program like SuperDuper or CarbonCopyCloner to do a clone of your HD and do a format/install and then migrate your data back.
This way you get a clean install instead of just installing on top of the old OS.

I want to archive and install...

I'm currently using OS 10.5.8...I want to install Snow Leopard...I bought the dvd 10.6.3 and when i put it in my computer I'm not getting an 'archive and install' option...it goes right to 'installing OS X' on my computer...
will the 'archive and install' option and 'preserve...' come up in a few minutes or something?...
all i did was pop in the dvd and clicked on Install mac OS X...
okokok, i know, this is easy...i just want to make sure i don't screw up my settings, applications, etc...thanks...

Morris Taub wrote:
will the 'archive and install' option and 'preserve...' come up in a few minutes or something?...
no.
there is no a&i option in Snow Leopard. by design, the SL install DVD only offers the upgrade option.
however, if you feel up to it, check out this article: Archive and Install Snow Leopard.

Can not Archive and Install

Older white imac with 10.4.11, PPC 2.1 white. Made a copy of the 10.4 install disc and i am somewhat glad i did now. The original disc has been broken and now i need to archive and install. The problem is when booting from the copied disc, i get a circle with a diagonal line through it. Same thing happens when i boot to the desktop and click install mac osx. I should be able to use the copied disc right? There are 0 scratches/marks on the disc for what it is worth.

About the only thing you can do is call Apple with the Serial# of that iMac Handy & see if thaey have original replacement Discs available.
What exactly do you need to A&I for?
It may be possible to install some things using Pacifist...
http://www.charlessoft.com/
then extract/install what you need from your Install Disc.
But I really don't have a good feeling about this Disc, it might make things worse.

Will Archive and Install fix my Print Problems?

Was running 10.39, all was fine.
Repaired Permissions, used Tiger Update DVD
to update from my 10.39 to Tiger 10.4.
Rebooted, repaired permissions from Tiger Disc.
Rebooted, installed OSX 10.4.4 Combo update to
get up to latest Tiger.
Ran all patches I need from Software update,
rebooted to Tiger Update DVD,
repaired all permissions.
Rebooted back, now I cannot print to my Canon i560 USB printer.
I get the dreaded "services-" error.
I re-downloaded the driver from Canon's Website
(disc is misplaced right now). Tried to load it, got to
a part in the installer, and hung. After half and hour,
force quit it, rebooted, tried the "Printer Repair Permissions" fix, Printer Utility now shows the Canon Printer as a USB printer, but the driver selection gives
me a lot of "BJ-Gimp" printer selections, but no "i560".
Now the kicker: I took the printer and disconnected it
from the Mac, and connected it to my wife's iBook,
which runs 10.4.3, and it found and connected flawlessly,
and I could get a PDF printed.
My other issues on this mac is that Compressor has stopped
working, but I have got it to the point of where it
at least run somewhat using a Terminal fix I found
on the forums. But I'm strongly thinking that to get this
baby into shape and running smoothly like the iBook
does, I should do an Archive and Install of OSX 10.4,
then patch up to 10.4.3, then possibly 10.4.4.
Any thoughts before I make the attempt?

Thanks, after a looooong night of re-installing
back from DVD to 10.4, then up to 10.4.3,
(why press my luck?)
then re-installing FCP 4 and DVDSP 3, and doing all patches, both my Compressor 1.21 works great as before, and I got my printer settings back. I did have a bit of a bout with the
"blue screen of death" but all is great now!

Archive and install problems

Hi:
After filling out the Apple troubleshooting form, I followed the advice and took my machine to an authorized reseller/service center. They recommended an archive and install, plus a new and larger HD(WD Caviar 750: he said it would not take a larger one), promised that nothing would change or be lost (the machine is used for 2 purposes only: 60,000 photos and email). With so many images, I have an extensive keyword list which enables me to find them instantly using Adobe Bridge (CS 2). Without the keywords, the images might as well be lost. Now, I have the new drive and the old 250G drive.
The technician called to say he was installing Leopard at no charge, rebuilding my library, defragmenting the hd, resetting my mail from pop to imap and that everything would work as before.
What doesn't work: mail notifies me constantly that the server has no certificate, that the server can't send the mail and sent mail often just sits. Mail(I am mobile me subscriber) no longer auto completes even though that preference is checked. Address book is empty.
Bridge lost the keyword master structure which is kept in an xml file. That file was empty. I dragged the original xml file with all the keywords from an external back up hd into bridge on the new drive but nothing happened. The words are there but bridge doesn't use the file. Bridge shows only the default keyword list. The images, however, retained their exif data and keywords.
When I open a folder of images, bridge now has to spend minutes rendering the thumbs.
I realize this is an apple not an adobe forum but perhaps these symptoms reveal the solution. In addition, I don't have any leopard install disc so see that I now have no way to use hardware test or safe boot if necessary. Even though I have my Tiger discs, the tech. insisted on installing Leopard from whatever disc he has, I guess. I thought all the discs are registered to this machine and to me so not sure how that is ok.
Thanks for any suggestion. I've searched the adobe forums but can find nothing for my version of the software, only for newer versions.
sorry this is so long. I will be very grateful to anyone willing to take the time to wade through it.

Great reply from Limnos, btw.
I'd be tempted to try a Tiger Install, but you'd have to erase one of the drives.
One way to test is to Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, Test for problem in Safe Mode...
PS. Safe boot may stay on the gray radian for a long time, let it go, it's trying to repair the Hard Drive
Reboot, test again.
If it only does it in Regular Boot, then it could be some hardware problem like Video card, (Quartz is turned off in Safe Mode), or Airport in 10.4 & below, or 3rd party add-on, Check System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items window to see if it or something relevant is listed.
Check the System Preferences>Other Row, for 3rd party Pref Panes.
Also look in these if they exist, some are invisible...
/private/var/run/StartupItems
/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/StartupItems
/System/Library/LaunchDaemons
/Library/LaunchDaemons

No User accounts after Archive and Install ?

Today I tried to salvage a 20" iMac G5 for a friend. He had done something that screwed up his hard drive. Disk Utility Disk Repair run of the startup partition always failed. Using an external FW disk, I was able to use Disk Utility Repair successfully, but drive would still not boot. Decided Archive and Install was the right way to go, did that and everything seemed OK but I found I could not log in to his account. Thought it was just a lost password, so tried using the OSX Tiger Install DVD to Reset Password. His *Macintosh HD* Startup drive shows only the "root" user available, neither of the two previous user account names appear.
I can think of nothing to do to recover except an Erase & Install (I have his User files saved). Is there an alternative?
I would assume performing another Archive & Install would yield the same result.

I continued work on this issue today. First, I checked and the three User account folders were present in the Users folder along with the one new account created as part of the Mac OSX Tiger A&I. For some reason, not one of these 4 was accessible from the Login screen; it acted exactly if there were no user accounts.
Purchased and installed DiskWarrior 4 on the FW drive and rebuilt the directory of the iMac's internal drive. Ran all other tests available w/ DW. Still no joy on logging in. I should NOT have had to see the Login screen at all if the new user had been created properly.
Punted. Copied everything I thought I would need to the external drive, then did an Erase & Install of OS X Tiger. Applied all updates, no problems logging in. Copied all the original User/username files and folders and restored a few apps.
Finally, after much wasted time, I have all but one App running and all data files, folders, pics, music restored.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 fails because I apparently failed to save a .plist file somewhere and now I learn too late that PE 3.0 will not install on a 10.4.x system. Sigh.

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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Syncing two iPhones with one iTunes account, archive and install

I had a blue screen and had to archive and install.
I re-synched my iPhone and at that time put my iPhone contacts in my address book with
my group name, that I just created. I created a group for her and now want to re-synch her iPhone
with my computer and with my iTunes account, like before. I get a message that the info on that her iPhone is synched with another user account. A choice to merge info from this user account or replace info from this user account. I want to make sure that her contacts go into the address book, under
her group. I don't want to lose her her contacts on the phone, when I re-synch her iphone.

I want to make sure that her contacts go into the address book, under her group. I don't want to lose her her contacts on the phone, when I re-synch her iphone.
You should select the Merge option. If you don't, the existing contact information in the Address Book on your Mac will replace all contact info in her iPhone's address book.

IBook G4 problems archive and install or erase and install?

I have been having problems with my iBook G4 (it will be five years old this thanksgiving and it got a new hard drive just before the 3 year applecare ran out). I tried updating safari in may and I think that somehow screwed up my system. I can no longer use safari or open any adobe pdf files. also, when I try to run software update, it will bounce a couple of times in my dock and then disappear.
I can still use word and firefox (although firefox has been quitting with more and more frequency recently, about 4 or 5 times a night). I ran the disc utility and the hardware test and neither of those identified any problems.
I didn't do anything major earlier like an archive and install or reinstall because I couldn't find my copy of word in order to reinstall that, but I found it over the weekend and I am ready to try to fix my computer.
So here is my question--should I do an archive and install or erase and reinstall? also, I have three apple install discs and five of the software restore, is that right? I don't want to get halfway through the process and realize I am missing something.
the iBook is almost five years old, if I start all over, am I going to run into the same problem--that some of the updates won't work on my system and might cause problems?
Thanks!

Welcome to the Forum.
Before that you might want to try running a repair disk routine on the HD, and clear the cache files too. Download ONYX, a free cache cleaner from here: http://www.titanium.free.fr/pgs2/english/download.html and clean the system and user files. Once this is done go to the next step.
Booting up while holding down CMD-S. Once the screen of code has loaded and the cursor stopped moving, type in *fsck -fy* (note the space after the 'k') and hit return. Repeat until it says the HD is OK. Type reboot, hit return.
Post back.

Problem with Archive and Install - Second disc won't complete

I'm trying to run an archive and install for my iMac, OS 10.4.11. I get through the first disc fine, but after I put in the 2nd install disc, it gets all the way to the "finishing installation" and then won't move past "running GarageBand Demo Songs Installer Script". it says less than a minute remaining, and the downloading bar is swirling, but there is nothing happening and it hangs here for hours. I've tried reinstalling, but it will only ask me to load the 2nd disk again, and the same thing happens over and over. I even tried a different install disc 2, and the same thing happened. Is there a way to push past this, or start the entire archive and install again? when i reboot to the disc drive with the 1st install disk, it ask me to put in the 2nd disc.
This all started because iTunes was acting up after I got an ipod touch, no prior problems with the computer. Can anyone help?

I've seen this reported before. What some have had some success with is to do a custom install so the second disk is not needed. See BDAqua's tip to someone with the same issue in the Tiger forum.
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9959537#9959537

HELP! Problem after Archive and Install

I need help. I did an Archive and install because I was having problems with my ical not opening. I did the archive and install without checking the "preserve settings" box. I want to know what I need to transfer from either the "previous system" folder that was created when I did the archive and install or a back up I have on a seperate hard drive so that I can get all of my info back (ie: mail, addresses, bookmarks etc.). I am also having problems with some 3rd party software. For instance, when I open password plus I don't have access to all of my saved info.
I am feeling overwhelmed right now and know I am not thinking clearly. Do I just copy and paste from the previous system folder to the new system folder?

No, making an image won't help. There isn't anything you really need to copy from the /Library/ folder unless it's in the /Library/Applications Support/ folder in which case you shouldn't have any permissions problems unless you reinstalled your OS and used a different username and password. In this case you will have to change to ownership and permissions to enable moving the folders. In some cases try moving the contents of the folder rather than the folder itself.

Archive and Install Mail Problem...could somebody please advise?

Hello,
I went to the "genius bar" today because my powerbook fan has been blazing like crazy. I had OS 10.4 on my computer, which I had installed from an upgrade about a year ago. I bought the computer a few months before and when it shipped with 10.3. So the guy at the mac store told me to re-install the system using the archive and install feature. He told me to re-install 10.3, which came with the computer, and then to run the upgrade that I have to get it back to 10.4.
I am having some problems. I have reinstalled X.3 and find that when I open the Mail application, all of my messages of the last year are gone. I can't find them anywhere. The most recent message is from May '05, when I upgraded from 10.3 to 10.4. I am afraid that if I do anything else, like install 10.4 that I will lose any chance of recovering these files. Does anybody have any advice on where I can recover the emails from my inbox and other folders? I will be very angry if they are gone for good, because the guy at the apple store assured me that everything would be saved by clicking the "preserve users and network settings" option in the re-install program. Furthermore, lots of older emails (pre-'05) have been saved, so it seems like the newer ones should be too. Or will they only show up when I re-install 10.4? I was holding off on doing this because I wanted to see if the fan would run less using the older system.
thanks for any advice!
colin

cdingler:
When you Archive and Install all your info is saved in a Previous Systems Folder. You cannot boot from this folder, but you should find your data and prefs there. Check out this article: Archive and Install.
Try this: Go to the Previous Systems Folder and to the User's Library. When you open the Library Folder, go to Mail. All your stuff should be in there.
PS: Never do any major procedure such as installation, erase and install, archive and install without a good backup of everything you can't afford to lose.
Good luck.
cornelius

Will an archive and install solve account problems?

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