|  | Restoring files Macintosh OS X v.10.2 |
Restoring files on your OS X v.10.2 Macintosh
This document explains how to restore files onto a Macintosh with OS X v.10.2 from your Macintosh OS X back up disks.
The following topics are covered:
Restoring your files Restoring your bookmarks/favorites | Backing up your settings Restoring your miscellaneous files or applications Final check |
Restore your files
Important: Your account information must match your previous setup. You must have the same name on your account.
- Quit all open applications.
- Insert your first back up disk into the appropriate drive.
- Double-click on the backup disk icon on your desktop to view the contents of your backup disk.
- Copy the files and folders from your backup disk to your Home folder on your hard drive.
If you backed up your entire Home folder:
- Double-click on the Macintosh HD icon on your desktop. Find the Users folder but do not open it.
- Drag your user folder from your backup disk onto the Users folder in the Macintosh HD. When the Users folder icon turns dark, release the mouse button to drop the file into the folder.
If you have backed up multiple user Home folders: You must create an account for each user you would like to restore. Each user's account information must match his/her previous setup.
- Double-click on the Macintosh HD icon on your desktop. Find the Users folder but do not open it.
- Drag each user folder from your backup disk onto the Users folder in the Macintosh HD. When the Users folder icon turns dark, release the mouse button to drop the file into the folder.
- When you have copied all the files from your backup disk onto your hard drive, close the disk window and eject the disk.
- Continue until you have restored all your files.
- When you have finished, close all open windows and eject your backup disk.
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Selectively restore your Home Folder
If you selectively backed up your home folder, you will have to replace each folder individually.
- Double click on the backup disk icon on your desktop to open your backup disk
- From the Go menu, select Home
- Open the Documents folder.
- Open the Documents folder on you backup disk.
- From the File menu, choose Select All...
- From the File menu, select Copy.
- Select the Documents folder on your computer.
- From the File menu, select Paste.
- Continue the same process for each folder you backed up until you have restored all files.
- When you have finished, close all open windows and eject your backup disk.
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Palm user folder
If you do not use Palm Desktop and do not sync your Palm with your computer, you may skip this section. If you use Palm, you will need to download the Palm Desktop software for OS X from the internet and install it.
- The Palm folder is found in your Documents folder and should have been automatically backed up with your Users folder.
- If you selectively backed up your Documents folder:
- From the Go menu select Home.
- Open the Documents folder.
- Open the Palm folder.
- Open the Users folder.
- Double-click the backup disk icon to view the contents of your backup disk.
- Drag the folder titled with your username from the backup disk to the Users folder.
- If you are concerned about synching, please call the Faculty/Staff HelpDesk at x3333.
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Firefox Bookmarks
Note: If you have just installed Firefox for the first time, it will prompt you to import bookmarks from other browsers. Check the boxes that correspond to the browsers on your computer that currently contain bookmarks or favorites that you wish to import to Firefox. If you need to import more bookmarks later or if you have a bookmarks back up from another computer, use the following instructions:
1. Open Firefox. Go to Bookmarks and choose Manage Bookmarks.
2. Go to File and choose Import.
3. Find and select your bookmarks backup and click Save.
4. You have now successfully imported your bookmarks.
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Internet Explorer Favorites
1. Open Internet Explorer. Go to Favorites and choose Organize Favorites.
2. Go to File and choose Import Favorites.
3. Find and select your bookmarks backup and click Open.
4. You have successfully imported your favorites.
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Netscape Bookmarks
1. Open Netscape. Go to Bookmarks and choose Manage Bookmarks.
2. Go to Tools and choose Import.
3. Find and select your bookmarks backup and click Save.
4. You have now successfully imported your bookmarks.
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Safari v.1
Note: This process will delete all bookmarks currently in Safari.
1. Find and select the file called Bookmarks.plist that you have previously backed up.
2. From the Desktop, double-click on the Macintosh HD and then on Users.
3. Double click on your Home Folder, then Library, and finally Safari.
4. From the Safari folder, drag the Bookmarks.plist file to the trash.
5. Drag your previously saved Bookmarks.plist to the Safari folder.
6. You have successfully imported your Safari v.1 bookmarks.
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Dreamweaver Configurations
- From the Go menu select Applications.
- Select the Macromedia Dreamweaver MX folder.
- Drag the Configuration folder from your back-up disk to the Dreamweaver MX folder.
- Close all open windows.
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FirstClass downloads and saved emails
- Double-click the backup disk icon to open it.
- Navigate to the folder you saved your downloads and emails.
- From the Go menu, select the Home folder
- Select the folder you would like to restore your saved downloads and emails.
- Drag the folder from your back up disk to the open folder on your computer.
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Word X settings
- On your desktop, select the Go menu.
- Select Home to open your home folder.
- Double click on Library to open the Library folder.
- Double click on Preferences to open the Preferences folder.
- Double click on Microsoft to open the Microsoft folder.
- Scroll down until you find the file Word Settings (10).
- Delete Word Settings (10).
- From your back up disk, drag the Word Settings (10) file into the Microsoft folder.
- Close the Microsoft folder.
- On your desktop, select the Go menu.
- Choose Applications.
- Double click on Microsoft Office X.
- Double click on Templates.
- Delete the Normal file.
- Drag the back up Normal file from your backup disk to the Templates folder.
- Delete the My Templates folder.
- Drag the My Templates folder from your back up disk to the Templates folder.
- Close Templates.
- Close Microsoft Office X.
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Excel X settings
- On your desktop, select the Go menu.
- Select Home to open your home folder.
- Double click on Library to open the Library folder.
- Double click on Preferences to open the Preferences folder.
- Double click on Microsoft to open the Microsoft folder.
- Scroll down until you find the file Excel Settings (10).
- Delete the file Excel Settings (10).
- Drag the back up Excel Settings (10) file from your back up disk to the Microsoft folder.
- If you have saved toolbars in Excel:
- Select Excel Toolbars (10) file and delete it.
- Drag the backup Excel Toolbars (10) file from your back up disk to the Microsoft folder.
- Close Microsoft.
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Stickies
- If Stickies is currently open, go to the Stickies menu and choose Quit Stickies.
- Select the Go menu and choose Home.
- Double click on Library.
- Drag the StickiesDatabase file to the Trash.
- Click and drag the StickiesDatabase file from your back up disk to the Library folder.
- Close all open windows
Verify that your files have been restored
- Double-click on the Macintosh HD icon on your desktop.
- Open each folder into which you have restored files and check to be sure they are all listed.
- Close all open windows.
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Your files have now been restored. You may use your computer as usual.
- Erin Foti, efoti@wellesley.edu
- Information Services
- Created: February 12, 2003
- Last modified: May 4, 2007
- Expires: July 1, 2008