Restoring from fresh OS help needed

[intaminfan628]

Hi, i just bought SD today and need it already. I have all my files on master boot recordpartition scheme external firewire drive. I need to install the OS first, do the updates, THEN restore the files from the old OS (i was having issues with an update, so i need to update first and then put the unknown problem file back on). I am not sure how to go about this since i can't use the migration assistant. I am having issues booting up from it, i set it to be bootable, but does it have to do with the master boot(can i change the scheme without erasing the drive?) Thanks for the help

[dnanian]

Yes, you can't start up from a Master Boot Record drive. If you had a problem with an update, the thing to do is to archive-and-install over your existing drive (which will preserve your files and applications) rather than restore...

[intaminfan628]

i have already done that, and so i tried the update a second time and the same failure occurred so obviously it was some software on that OS because when i did a clean install i could install all the updates with no issues, and i already performed the clean install so i need to restore it now.

[dnanian]

Are you sure the Migration Assistant won't work from the backup? It certainly should...

[intaminfan628]

i didn't bother to try it since it would probably load the same problem files back on and i would be back at square one. I transffered all the files from the drive onto another one i have. Can i reformat the firewire and boot from it? the only problem is that it says some files have special restrictions and couldn't be transfeered over.

[dnanian]

OK, you definitely need to try it. You cannot transfer the files by drag and drop -- that really won't work, so PLEASE do not erase your FireWire drive!

[intaminfan628]

great that did the trick, didn't know i could run the migration assistant after the OS was installed and running

[dnanian]

Yep. Glad you were able to get it done.