Wiping HD except osx

Hey all. Long story short I'm trying to wipe out pretty much all the junk on my sister's old lapetop that's the same as mine Powerbook g4 15 in. I had a HD failure and want to use her laptop temporarily to save all my photos online.( I have many time machine backups that I can restore from, just not enough free space) The HD is practically full but there really isnt much on it ( 150 pictures, maybe 150 songs, ect.) and of course osx 10.5.8. Is there a way to wipe everything off the internal HD except the os? Her optical drive is broken, and I have an external one. I tried booting from the disk but it just wouldn't let me. I'm afraid if I wipe out EVERYTHINg I wont be able to reload leopard. Thanks!

Do you have any of the original or retail OS X 10.5.x installation disks? If not why not manually discard to trash all the unwanted stuff.
You could get an external hard drive (beg, borrow, or buy) with firewire connection and make a bootable clone from which you can run
Disk Utility to wipe the drive.
It will probably be less expensive and a lot less trouble to get a retail 10.5.x install disk off eBay and don't buy an gray colored Mac OS X install disks.

Similar Messages

HT1222 why is my iPad wiped clean except for the basics because of this 'update'. Don't tell me Apple getting like Microsoft.

tried to update tp the latest OS on my iPad and exverything is gone except the basic apps. Tried to verify my e mail address and thsi didn't work. What gives. Don't tell me MAC is becoming microsoft and sending out updates untested......please say it ain't so.

It ain't so. Millions of people have downloaded and installed the update with no problems. Yours got messed up somehow.

Wiping everything - except I want to keep everything!!

I am re-formatting and partitioning my hard drive. I have no external drive, just 50gbs worth of SMB storage (over airport). I either need to be able to
1. take a .dmg of my whole boot drive (all attemps so far have failed)
2. know which files and folders to back up individually.
Any help would be greatly appreciated as I would love to be able to dual-boot TIger and Panther or Tiger and SuSE!

Couple options:
(1) Use non-destructive partitioning software, e.g.. iPartition
http://www.coriolis-systems.com/iPartition.php
(std disclaimer, better make a backup, but if you do, then you could use destructive partitioning anyway:)
(2) You can make a full image of your boot drive using the free Carbon Copy Cloner:
http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html
Copy to your SMB share. Only prob is how to reimage your newly created blank partition. For this, you could make a bootable Mac OS X CD with CCC on it, mount the SMB share, and restore your image...
or, if you can get it on an HTTP server, possibly use OS X's built-in asr (apple software restore)--just open a terminal and type:
man asr
for details (haven't tried this myself)
Don't know of a way to directly network boot off SMB share, but can boot off of a TFTP server from Open Firmware or holding "n" while booting
Another option--if you are going to make multiple partitions anyway, use the second partition (e.g. Panther) to restore the Tiger backup to the first partition.

Boot Camp "No Bootable Device" after OSX Partition Resize

I have a MacBook Mid/Late 2007. I started out with a 500GB drive that I partitioned 100GB for Windows 8 in Boot Camp (yes, I know only 7 is officially supported, not the point as it worked fine.) I wanted to try Mavericks so I resized my OSX partition down 100GB to make a new 100GB Mavericks partition. After I installed it and played around, I noticed when I booted with the option key, my Boot Camp partition was missing. I thought i was becaus eI had too many partitions, so I deleted Mavericks and resized my main OSX back to where it was when I started. The Boot Camp partition still won't show up when I hold option on boot, but when I run Boot Camp manager on OSX it wants to remove it, so it knows it's there. It also shows up in the startup disks pane, but if I select it and reboot, I get a "No Bootable Device -- insert boot disk and press any key" message. If there a way to bring back Windows?
Here's the kicker: My optical drive DOES NOT work. I installed Windows 7 off DVD long ago before it quit working and the only way I got Windows 8 on was through a downloaded upgrade. I know I should get it fixed, but I don't have the money (and I never use it, and this is 2 that have died on me in this laptop.) My system can't boot anything other than OSX off flash drives or external DVD drives (I tried, and I tried reEFIt, neither worked.) So I need a solution that doens't require a boot CD if at all possible.

Nhammake wrote:
I can get to and boot OSX (it's what I'm using now as this is my only laptop), I just can't boot Windows. All my files show up fine on both partitions.
You can't add/remove or alter the partitions if Boot Camp is installed, Windows will cease to boot.
To fix it, erase all paritions except OSX. Start over, 2 partitions only (OSX and Boot Camp)

Does anyone know of a good genealogy program for OSX?

Most of the offerings in the app store whilst being relatively cheap really do not come anywhere near the quality of software such as Family Historian or even Family Tree Maker. The graphics are at best "jazzy" and quite often hard to understand. Quite often they concentrate on pretty pictures which most genealogists don't need - they need a good database! Gramps is the only package that comes up to my expectations and runs on practically everything except OSX - and it's free!
Any suggestions would be most welcome as I continue to use a PC and windows for my genealogy pursuits.

Reunion
Not cheap, but extremely robust. The company has been producing and supporting it for as long as Macs have been in existence.
If you ever need support (you probably won't) don't be surprised if Frank Leister picks up the phone himself.

HT4527 My computer crashed and did a system restore. All files & programs were wiped out. The music I had on itunes is also on ipad & ipod. How can I restore my music back to the computer itunes folder?

My computer crashed and I did a sytem restore. All my files and programs were wiped out except for Windows. How can I restore my music back to the itunes folder on my computer from either the ipad 2 or ipod nano?

Read turingtest2's User Tip:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3991

The FAT32 parition i created in windows vista is not shown in Leopard

I installed Vista(NTFS 110 GB on HD) using bootcamp through leopard(50GB on HD) and i booted through vista in my macBook and shrinked my vista partition to 60GB and created two FAT32 partitions of size 25GB through disk management of vista.
when i booted my macBook through leopard, i see only the mac parition and vista partition. I dont see the two FAT32 partitions i created throgh vista.
please let me know how to solve this problem.

Format the drive into the number of partitions you need, and create 3 DOS and one HFS+ it sounds like.
Use Vista to reformat one to NTFS.
I had the same thing happen when creating and deleting but not resizing partitions that some won't show up if created in Vista.
Could you be a little more specific on the above process please? I would love to do exactly what was accomplished in this post but am sort of new at this whole thing, in fact I just wiped out my OSX side of things trying to do this myself before I read this post.
Did you create the DOS partitions using Vista's drive manager?
Was Vista installed in the first place using the normal Boot Camp procedures?

No Audio or USB Ports after Recovery on Satellite L505D-S5983

I have recently done a system recovery with disks I created when I originally got my Satellite L505D-S5983. Which put the laptop back to an "out of the box" state...supposedly... I have been asking on a Microsoft forum for help with my problems, with limited luck.... It is still not working. I'm pasting my original posts here hoping that maybe somebody on here can help me.
POST 1:
My Toshiba Satellite L505D is running 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium. After about 4 months of downtime I recently started it back up. There were roughly 37 updates to install when I turned it on, as expected. The updates were downloaded and installed, but when the system was restarted the system froze as soon as the desktop loaded. I booted multiple times and every time it completely freezes immediately after start up. I am not even able to open the task manager (ctrl+alt+del). They system boots perfectly fine in safe mode, and I ran what diagnostics I could find and nothing shows up....according to Windows everything is fine.
After Going through this multiple times, I got sick of it and decided to do a system recovery. Not a system RESTORE...it was a system RECOVERY. The HDD was completely wiped, and the system was supposedly returned to its original form as it was out of the box. Getting my hopes up as it finished its process... The system worked fine through the initial setup (language, time, etc.) and then as soon as the desktop loaded it froze again!
So here I am with a completely wiped HDD (except for the factory toshiba software), and a Windows OS that will only work in safe mode... I would like to avoid reinstalling Windows, I don't have any disks or anything. So any help would be appreciated
P.S. let me elaborate on what I mean by "froze". The system is completely non-responsive. No cursor movement at all, touchpad, keyboard, USB ports, nothing. When I did the restore the cursor, touchpad and keyboard worked through the initial settings only. Even when the desktop is loading i get movement for a second or two before everything freezes.
REPLY I RECIEVED:
Hi,
Since the computer is working in safe mode, I would suggest you to start the computer in clean boot to check which third party program is causing the issue. To configure your computer to clean boot follow the link
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929135
Note: After you have finished troubleshooting, follow step 7 in the article to boot to normal startup.
If the issue does not persist in clean boot then refer ‘Step 3’, ‘step 4’ and ‘step 5’ from the following link to narrow done the issue and find out which service or startup item is causing the issue.
MY RESPONSE POSTING MY CURRENT ISSUE:
Thank you, and yes that's exactly what it was. It turned out to be an ATI program for my AMD graphics card that was not installed properly. It makes me wonder if I had to do the recovery in the first place lol.
However now I have a whole other issue. Windows is now telling me that "No audio output device is installed".....
In device manager the yellow "!" is there (High Definition Audio Controller), it tells me that it is not working....yet it says that the best drivers are installed! So yeah...I have no audio now. The only info windows gives me for the sound card is that it from Microsoft... with a driver version of 6.1.7601.17514....which naturally doesn't really help me since I have no idea what card or mobo I have . Is there any way for me to find out what I need other than opening up my laptop?
//--> Toshiba Satellite L505D-S5983_AMD Athlon II Dual-Core M300 2.00 GHz_3GB RAM 32-bit OS   <--//
RESPONSE FROM SOMEBODY ELSE:
Hi,
Check with Toshiba Support, their on-line documentation and drivers, and ask in their
forums about known issues.
Toshiba - Forums
http://laptopforums.toshiba.com/
Toshiba - Contacts
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/navShell.jsp?cf=su_contact
Toshiba - Drivers - navigate to your model
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/home.jsp?nav=Download
Toshiba - Support
http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/support/jsp/home.jsp
========================================
First run SFC /scannow and checkdisk (chkdsk) as the cause of these issues might
be some sort of corruption.
Start - type in Search box - CMD   find at top of list - RIGHT CLICK - RUN AS ADMIN
sfc /scannow
How to Repair Windows 7 System Files with System File Checker
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html
Then run checkdisk (chkdsk).
How to Run Disk Check in Windows 7
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html
Then use this troubleshooter :
References to Vista also apply to Windows.
Fixing a customer problem: “No Audio Device is Installed” when launching sndvol on Windows Vista
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/larryosterman/archive/2009/01/06/fixing-a-customer-problem-no-audio-device-i...
Also update or re-install the driver.
Control Panel - Device Manager - SOUNDS - look for HD Audio - Mine says RealTek High
Definition Audio (that is an example and yours may have an entirely different name/maker).
Write down description make and model - double click on it - drivers tab - write down version.
Now Click UPdate Drivers which may not do anything as MS is far behind certifying drivers.
Then RIGHT CLICK on it and UNINSTALL - REBOOT - this will rebuild the driver stack.
1st go to system maker's site and look for latest driver Download - SAVE - go to right click on
and RUN AS ADMIN (This is your fallback.) REBOOT after each driver installation.
NOTE : Sound drivers often rollback so check the version after installation and the
reboot to see if the version you installed is there, if not repeat the install - reboot
until it is. It can take several tries depending on how many rollbacks it does.
Then do same for Device Maker's site.
Manually look at manufacturer's sites for drivers - and Device Maker's sites.
http://pcsupport.about.com/od/driverssupport/ht/driverdlmfgr.htm
Installing and updating drivers in Windows 7 (updating drivers manually using the methods above
is preferred to ensure the latest drivers from System maker and Device makers are found)
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/43216-installing-updating-drivers-7-a.html
Error “the Audio Service Is Not Running” When Opening the Volume Mixer in Vista
http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/error-the-audio-service-is-not-running-when-opening-the-volume-mix...
Also Right Click Speaker near clock - Playback Devices - right click in the box area -
check Show disable and disconnected devices. Highlight speaker and on the lower
Right click Properties check settings for Device Usage enabled and so on. Also do
same for Configure on Lower Left of that box.
In Control Panel you can also look for an Audio Manager along with the Sound Settings.
Open the Playing Audio troubleshooter
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Open-the-Playing-Audio-troubleshooter
Problems with sound and audio or no sound - a Mr Fixit
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/no_sound
No sound in Windows
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/help/no-sound-in-windows
Tips for fixing common sound problems
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Tips-for-fixing-common-sound-problems
Speakers and other audio output devices
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/a43f3a31-6d9f-49d1-be22-e2f47b8b1f2c1033.mspx
How to Enable Hidden Audio Devices in Vista
http://www.vistax64.com/tutorials/143447-audio-device-enable-hidden-devices.html
Hope this helps.
===========================================================================================
Ok...so I have installed all of the appropriate drivers that I thought I may need from this website. I have tried ALL of those system analysis programs that were suggested. Every one of them lists my mobo simply as a Toshiba motherboard, with no audio card information. Which I'm assuming that is because it has an internal sound processor. My problem is that none of the properties, or ANYTHING I try, will give me information on what I need to fix this...
I would be more than willing to run the recovery again if I knew that I had everything I actually need... When I created my original recovery disks it created a third disk with "apps and drivers". I installed all of them...and still here I am... And I haven't even STARTED on my USB port issue yet...those don't work either, and they don't even show up in my Device Manager...sigh...
And please, a response that doesn't look like an automated response to try and sell software like the last one I recieved from the Microsoft forum would be appreciated
Thank you for your time, and apologies for the lengthy post, but I wanted to provide as much info as possible.

Satellite L505D-S5983
I would try another restore of the hard disk to its original out-of-the-box contents using Toshiba recovery media. Maybe something went wrong in the process. Make sure everything works before applying any updates and adding any hardware or software.
Then add things carefully, rebooting Windows and testing the USB and audio at each step.
Please note this.
The only info windows gives me for the sound card is that it from Microsoft... with a driver version of 6.1.7601.17514....which naturally doesn't really help me since I have no idea what card or mobo I have . Is there any way for me to find out what I need other than opening up my laptop?
Every one of them lists my mobo simply as a Toshiba motherboard, with no audio card information. Which I'm assuming that is because it has an internal sound processor. My problem is that none of the properties, or ANYTHING I try, will give me information on what I need to fix this...
All of the latest drivers for your model are easily found here. This one is for the sound.
   Realtek Audio Driver for Windows 7 (32/64)
-Jerry

Getting an Intel iMac up and running from G5 software and data

Towards the end of this year I will be updating from a G5 iSight to whatever mid-model new iMac is available. I will be doing this solely because I want to work extensively with HD video. I have spent an hour or so checking these forums for potential problems and have come up with this scenario. I don't need instructions on how to do things, just an indication on whether this process will work, and if not, where the problems will be.
*INSTALLING OSX*
Install the latest OSX with all security updates to an OSX-only partition of the internal drive of the new machine.
*INSTALLING SOFTWARE*
1. Install the Adobe CS5 suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, Acrobat and Premiere, though I may choose to use Final Cut instead of Premiere.
2. Install InDesign CS4. I'm pretty sure it is universal binary, but I'll have to check. I want the CS4 version of InDesign because I have a lot of files in CS4 format and don't want to convert them to InDesign CS5 format – I don't trust the conversion.
3. Go through every other piece of software I have (including Appleworks, but mostly shareware), and download the latest version, then install that latest version.
*CONNECTING TO EXTERNAL DRIVES*
All my data files are stored on four external firewire 400 drives (one original, three backups). To continue to use the same disks I will have to purchase a +Firewire 800 (9 pin) to Firewire 400 (6 pin)+ cable for each drive. To use them I will simply plug in the new cables, boot the new machine, and a minute later four external drives should appear on my desktop.
*CLONING OSX & SOFTWARE*
Use +Disk Utility+ to create a disk image of the entire OSX-only partition, and prepare the disk image for restore ( +Images > Scan Image For Restore+ ).
*RESTORING OSX TO AN EXTERNAL PARTITION*
Use +Disk Utility+ to restore the disk image to an OSX-only partition on an external drive.
*BOOTING FROM THE EXTERNAL DRIVE*
Set the +Startup Disk+ to the new OSX-only external partition, and restart.
*QUES 1*: Which of the above steps (if any) will be problematic on my new iMac?
*QUES 2*: If I buy a new Firewire 800 external drive and make it the first in the chain, but all the other disks are still 400, does that faster "first link" actually work faster? Or would it somehow be limited by the other "400" links behind it?
*QUES 3*: Maybe I only need to buy one new cable. An 800/400 from the iMac to the first disk; and after that use my existing 400/400 cables. Would that work?

Thanks for the comments, David. I didn't realize you could buy a hub. Which method would result in the fastest overall transfer of data (assuming several of the "400" drives may be being accessed at once): a hub or daisy chain? Or wouldn't there be any difference?
I partition all my drives to have an OSX-only partition and a data partition. That way I can restore OSX if I ever need to (usually takes about 5-10 minutes from a disk image) and I don't have to concern myself about the data. None of my data is ever stored on the OSX partition. I do this because if I'm in the middle of a project, the last thing I want to be involved with is OSX or software hassles. I don't fool around when I have hassles. If OSX or the software plays up, I just restore from a clean OSX.
Reminds me of that old joke. Newly weds are in a horse and carriage on their honeymoon. Horse plays up so the farmer gets out and says" "That's once". Horse does it again a bit down the track and gets told: "That's twice". The third time the farmer gets a gun and shoots the horse. Wife is in shock: "Why did you do that?". The husband responds: "That's once."
Anyway, I treat OSX as the farmer treated his horse – except OSX doesn't get any chances at all. I just put an ailing OSX or software out of its misery and restore. Thus the OSX-only partition.

Install Issues, Bootable USB, 2011 13" MBA, "No Bootable Drive" Error

13" 2011 MBA
i5 Processor
4 GiB RAM, etc.
Running 10.7.3
I was forced to resort to wiping and reinstalling OSX after a rather catastrophic series of pranks from my brother. Yet, using the exact same methods, at least, on the software end, I was unable to reinstall the Windows Partition. Thus, I assumed that using the same .ISO file and a slightly larger partition, that it would be no issue reinstalling the Boot Camp Partition.
WRONG. After multiple attempts and several redownloads of the .ISO file(s) I am still getting the error message that "No Bootable Device -- Insert a boot drive and press any button"
I have also tried reformatting my drive again, and repartitioning the drive, to no avail. Could the issue be that I am using a proper thumbdrive, and not the externat HDD that I was using the first time?
Halp Plz?
KTHNXBAI.

13" 2011 MBA
i5 Processor
4 GiB RAM, etc.
Running 10.7.3
I was forced to resort to wiping and reinstalling OSX after a rather catastrophic series of pranks from my brother. Yet, using the exact same methods, at least, on the software end, I was unable to reinstall the Windows Partition. Thus, I assumed that using the same .ISO file and a slightly larger partition, that it would be no issue reinstalling the Boot Camp Partition.
WRONG. After multiple attempts and several redownloads of the .ISO file(s) I am still getting the error message that "No Bootable Device -- Insert a boot drive and press any button"
I have also tried reformatting my drive again, and repartitioning the drive, to no avail. Could the issue be that I am using a proper thumbdrive, and not the externat HDD that I was using the first time?
Halp Plz?
KTHNXBAI.

Shared Time Capsule - retrieving when laptop lost?

Hi. We've got one Time Capsule which holds Time Machine backups from 1 iMac and 2 MacBooks. Going back and retrieving your own files is easy, BUT if one of the MacBooks gets lost, how does one retrieve the vital document files from another computer - as each computer normally only sees its own backup files?

For individual items, you need the (badly named) +*Browse Other Time Machine Disks+* option.
Either hold down the Option key while clicking the TM icon in your Menubar, or right-click the TM icon in your Dock.
To restore from another Mac's backups, you'll have to select the item(s) you want and click the "gear" icon in TM's Finder window toolbar, and select the +*Restore <item> to . . .+* option. Then you'll get a prompt for the location.
To restore everything (except OSX) to a replacement Mac, when you first start it up you'll be asked if you already own a Mac, and have the opportunity to "transfer" your data, settings, etc., either directly from it or from it's TM backups.

Cam detection in mac OS X

I've succesfully plugged in my new webcam and it works
perfectly with IM applications.
But Flash Player doesn't recognize it for web based video
chat. It instead only proposes to use my integrated cam.
Any help is welcomed...

How do we get this request on the to-do list ? Either that or code it all on HTML and put it on the array as a web server. Like all the little $29.00 home routers do.
I can't believe this blew right by StorageTek. Supposedly 20% of the market uses Apple nowadays, and is by far the Unix guru's choice. But they've got a CAM version for Windows 2000 and Linux desktop? If any of you Mac users have to use CAM in a hurry, you're in for a rude awakening when you see about every desktop OS on the download list except OSX.
I got away without a PC for 7 years now, Visio being the only app that was missing- that was fixed with OmniGraffle. So now I'm going to have to go by a friggin Windows machine just to run CAM? nah, something's wrong here. An no, I don't want dual-boot anything on my Mac, especially hack-trolling Windows.
CAM is Java client code. I know someone has GOT to have made a few hacks to the installer to get it to run. Wouldn't the Linux versions be the easiest to modify? I know it's been done come on - speak up! lol

Clean Install and Restore from Time Machine

Hi All,
Just after some advice, I'm thinking of doing a clean install of OS X when Mavericks comes out. I've been a Mac user for 13 years and have always used Migration Assistant to move my data over whenever I've bought a new Mac. I've never done a clean install before, but I've noticed over the years all the crap that's floating around my hard drive from old Mac's and various files from software I've removed years ago. I'm sure there's tons of rubbish that's accumulated over the 13 years.
Someone suggested clean installing OS X and then using Migration Assistant to load all my data back on from a Time Machine backup, but customise what I want to restore. I was told that if I don't choose to restore System Settings or something similar then it should just restore all my other stuff such as apps, files, itunes and iphoto library, etc. but would leave out all the rubbish. Is that the case?

TJ Skywasher wrote:
Someone suggested clean installing OS X and then using Migration Assistant to load all my data back on from a Time Machine backup, but customise what I want to restore.
Largely agreeing with baltwo, it's probably not worthwhile.
I was told that if I don't choose to restore System Settings or something similar then it should just restore all my other stuff such as apps, files, itunes and iphoto library, etc. but would leave out all the rubbish. Is that the case?
No. If you transfer everything with Setup Assistant when the Mac first starts (preferred), or Migration Assistant later, and leave everything selected, it will transfer everything except OSX (which you just replaced) -- all your apps, user home folders, data, settings, etc. There's rarely a point to that.
With either Assistant, you can omit some broad categories of things, but you can't "pick and choose" individual items even if you knew which ones you wanted. See Using Setup Assistant on Mountain Lion or Lion. Read the first few paragraphs, then scroll down to the Transfer Your Information windows and the pink boxes below them for details. The windows and procedures for Mavericks may be somewhat different, but functionally the same.
If your Mac is just full of junk, be sure it's well backed-up just in case, then delete what you know you don't need.
If it's sluggish, after trying everything else, as a last resort you might want to do a clean install transferring everything except apps, then reinstall the extra and 3rd-party apps you want from the original discs or re-download them. If you have a lot (you probably have more than you think), that can be a daunting task. You''ll also need the serial numbers / purchase keys for them.

Time machine: worst program ever?

So before I tear all my hair out and liquidate all my family's apple stock, I figure I should make sure that time machine has, in fact, deleted all my data.
To reduce hard drive clutter I backed up all my data onto an external with time machine, then wiped and reinstalled OSX. After moving some of my essentials onto my internal HD and using my computer for a while I figured that I should start backing up the material on internal drive. Last night I turned time machine on, expecting it to create a second folder in the Backups.backupdb folder with my new internal hard drive name. I woke up to find that it had DELETED the other folder and ALL my business documents, pictures, music, text archive, email, music production files, and other backed up data!
Am I missing something here, i.e. my data is still somewhere? Or am I switching to another OS and company to invest in?

To see the backups of a different disk (different name), select your computer name in the sidebar of one of the "cascade" of Finder windows -- one that should have had those backups. Then you should see a folder in the center for each drive that was backed-up.
If that doesn't work, you may need to hold down the Option key while clicking the TM icon in your menubar, and use the +Browse Other Time Machine Disks+ option. The name is a bit misleading in this case, but if the backups are there, you can get to them this way.
But what you're doing, deleting things from your internal and depending on TM's copies, is a *very bad idea* for two reasons:
First, those backups aren't backups any more: they're your only copies. When (not if) your TM drive fails, they're probably lost.
Second, TM will, as it's drive gets near full, begin deleting it's oldest backups to make room for the new ones. So sooner or later, depending on how "deep" your backups are and how long those files were there, TM will delete them.
You need other copies of those files. Archive them to DVD, or get a second external disk and let TM back up both your internal and that external. The whole point of a backup is to have two copies of everything, in two different places, so when (not if) one drive/DVD/etc. fails, you still have the other.

Reinstalled OS, now scared to irreversibly screw up iPhoto library (help)

I was having major freezing problems that didn't respond to disk utility or other fixes. Finally I decided to reinstall OS X. I have been pretty diligent about using Time Machine to backup. So, reinstalled using a version 10.5.2 Install Disk 1 (I forgot tofind the Snow Leopard disk). I didn't touch the time machine because I was afraid to overwrite inadvertently. So now I have updated to OS X 10.6.4, and reinstalled my iLife 09 and done all software updates. The issue is that I want to get all the iTunes music and iPhoto pictures and iMovie movies back into the libraries. I'm guessing the best way is to somehow get them off of Time Machine, but I don't think the current system considers my external drive as the time machine now. Also, they should all be intact in the Previous Systems libraries, but I don't know how to restore them either. Can someone advise me on what to do? I was hoping that I could just drag and drop libraries so it all goes back to exactly the way it was before with these libraries, but I'm scared to lose my data and backups. Thanks.

Busy busy Dad wrote:
I was having major freezing problems that didn't respond to disk utility or other fixes. Finally I decided to reinstall OS X. I have been pretty diligent about using Time Machine to backup. So, reinstalled using a version 10.5.2 Install Disk 1 (I forgot tofind the Snow Leopard disk). I didn't touch the time machine because I was afraid to overwrite inadvertently. So now I have updated to OS X 10.6.4, and reinstalled my iLife 09 and done all software updates. The issue is that I want to get all the iTunes music and iPhoto pictures and iMovie movies back into the libraries. I'm guessing the best way is to somehow get them off of Time Machine, but I don't think the current system considers my external drive as the time machine now.
The problem is, when you reinstalled OSX, you set up a user account. OSX probably doesn't realize you're the same user as the one on the backups, so it's not going to let you view or restore that "other" user's files.
If you ever again want a fresh copy of OSX, just install it from the disc. That will replace the current copy of OSX with a new one, leaving everything else intact.
Also, they should all be intact in the Previous Systems libraries,
Snow Leopard doesn't make +Previous System+ folders. Unless you created them somehow, or they're left over from an +Archive and Install+ of Leopard.
I was hoping that I could just drag and drop libraries so it all goes back to exactly the way it was before with these libraries, but I'm scared to lose my data and backups. Thanks.
The best way to do that is to start over.
Boot up from your Snow Leopard Install disc, erase your internal HD, and install OSX. When your Mac starts up again, you'll be asked if you want to transfer your data. Select +From a Time Machine backup+ and take all the defaults; that will transfer everything except OSX. See #19 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum), for details and step-by-step instructions.
Then download and install the "combo" update to get back to 10.6.4. Info and download available at: http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1048 Be sure to do a +Repair Permissions+ via Disk Utility (in your Applications/Utilities folder) afterwards.

Wiping HD except osx

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