Sev I think the complete reinstall of everything is the best way to go, even if it is a hassle, and it will take you more than a week of elapsed time.
I've just got a new machine after years of one which was really clunky. I have made sure that I reinstalled everything, and copied only the preferences files which were really essential. Everything else I've installed from scratch. Over the previous 7-9 years, I've tended to just upgrade/ migrate everything, and I fear that all the old prefs files I had slowed things down. Two weeks after the upgrade, I'm still finding things which I need to install, but I think it'll be worth it. Make sure you have a backup of the old system files. Ideally, you would still have the old system running on a separate machine, but that may not be possible. The other helpful factor will be an idea of where 'settings' for a particular application are stored. :-\ I'm sure you'll be able to do this before you kick the bucket. After all, it's Mac not Windows! Rob On 21/02/12 5:10 PM, Severin Crisp wrote: > I am running Lion 10.7.3 on a 21" iMac and apart from a couple of minor > annoying but not life threatening ongoing glitches everything is perfect. > However, I am aware that everything on my iMac is the result of ongoing > update installs and runs of Migration Assistant dating back to 10.3 Tiger on > my G5 at least, may be further. Recently I have taking to using Clean My Mac > on a regular basis and always when I uninstall software. However, this is > only recent and prior to that my uninstall technique was lax and incomplete > unless there was an actual uninstaller. Inspection of Preference files and > the like reveals many obsolete and irrelevant items which I remove when they > come to light by chance or by intention. I am sure however that there is > much unseen junk and debris that is not easily spotted and that is causing my > minor problems. I have done the usual run through all my StartUp items and > eliminated them as possible problems. > For my own satisfaction I would like to clean up but see no easy way other > than a fresh install of Lion, followed by all my documents and then all > applications, settings for internet and Mail from zero. Migration Assistant > is great but does allow the user to be very selective, it is more or less an > all or nothing for Applications, Documents, Settings etc, which of course is > sensible. > Is there any easy way to avoid just doing the whole thing from baseline up? > The thought appals me - I am acutely aware that I do not have that many > hears to go and I would like to bequeath a sanitised iMac! Maybe there are > other software "cleaners" out there though I have always treated such items > with extreme caution. > Advise me! > Severin Crisp > > ________________________________________________________ > Assoc Professor R Severin Crisp, FIP, CPhys, FAIP > 15 Thomas St, Mount Clarence, Albany, 6330, Western Australia. > Phone (08) 9842 1950 (Int'l +61 8 9842 1950) > email mailto:[email protected] > ________________________________________________________ > > > -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- > Archives -<http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> > Guidelines -<http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> > Settings& Unsubscribe > -<http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug> > -- Dr Rob Phillips Convenor: Moore-Cowan Regional Group of the Greens WA Meetings: 1st Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm Woodvale Community Care Centre, 5 Trappers Drive, Woodvale (behind the Woodvale Library). [email protected] 0416 065054 If you think, vote Green -- The WA Macintosh User Group Mailing List -- Archives - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/archives.shtml> Guidelines - <http://www.wamug.org.au/mailinglist/guidelines.shtml> Settings & Unsubscribe - <http://lists.wamug.org.au/listinfo/wamug.org.au-wamug>
