OSX Time Machine - Backup up (and restore) users - How?

[james_tigerwoods]

I've upgraded my MacBook to OSX Snow Leopard and I've now got Time Machine - I've got a backup question (I'll post this in a Mac Forum later).

I want to rebuild the MacBook so, my question is - How do I back up my (and the OH's) user profiles and then restore them to the rebuilt MacBook?

[CommanderJameson]

Firstly, why do you want to "rebuild" the computer in the first place?

Secondly, just blat the OS on and plug the TM disk in. It'll get seen.

Run the Migration Assistant and use that to pull in the user accounts you want.

ETA: to back up, just choose "Back up now" from the TM menubar menu.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Wednesday 3rd February 21:37

[james_tigerwoods]

Thanks

I want to rebuild it as it's gotten clogged up and slow and it's something that I have always done on a periodic basis for Windows machines.

And I'm just doing a backup now as I stumbled on an article about the Migration assistant to restore users:

• Back up
• Rebuild
• Restore from TM backup to put the users back

[CommanderJameson]

james_tigerwoods said:

Thanks

I want to rebuild it as it's gotten clogged up and slow and it's something that I have always done on a periodic basis for Windows machines.

Unnecessary for OS X boxes.

Just have a look in the Login Items bit of the Accounts system preference pane to see if you've got a pile of cack running at startup, and clear out anything you don't want from /Library/StartupItems.

Also, consider running AppleJack, as well as scrubbing the contents of ~/Library/Caches.

ETA: This here iMac has not been "rebuilt" but upgraded from OS X 10.4 to 10.5 to 10.6, and it's running just fine.

Edited by CommanderJameson on Wednesday 3rd February 22:17