<sigh>

[MIDI Life Crisis]

About 12 hours later... I managed to retrieve all my files INTACT and tame the Leopard. But how I got here is a trip.

In short, it would install on one disk but not on another. (All internal drives). All my important files (emails, prefs, authorizations, etc.) were on the drive that wouldn't install and the installer effectively locked me out of the drive for the purposes of migrating the data via Migration Assistant.

Went thru a similar thing going from OS 9 to OS X Panther, so I knew what to do this time.

Copy EVERYTHING manually to the Leopard operating disk - including all preference files, pref panes, iTunes libraries, and everything else that Leopard DIDN'T install (as well as back up everything on a series of DVDs while booted in Leopard). All my emails and iTunes, etc. came over fine and I'm a happy camper. I'll have to format the old drive and I'll use it as my Time Machine disk.

I realize most of you don't really care, but perhaps someone will run into a similar situation and be able to use this info. BTW, Creative Suite 2 from Adobe does seem to be working fine. That's good, since Adobe won't be fixing anything that goes wrong unless you're using CS 3. Good to know. All MOTU stuff working. M-Audio work around for the FW 410 is to use the latest driver and analog INs if the SPDIF doesn't work.

My Matais OS X keyboard lost it's shift and caps lock, so no uppercase ANYTHING. Apple's older model Bluetooth keyboard works just fine and I'm sure others will work as well. Logitech MX1000 wireless was a trooper, although I'm not sure about Steer Mouse yet.

Sleepy time... zzz

[Frodo]

I realize most of you don't really care, but perhaps someone will run into a similar situation and be able to use this info.

Are you kidding? Hats off to you for your determination to work on it and willingness to talk about it. Better to have the info and not need than to need it and not have it. So, at least you've got a clan of hobbits cheering for you, fwiw.

For me, it's a bit of inspiration if for no other reason than just to have the thought of another trouper spending hours hammering away at the problem and have it pay off-- even if I don't have the same technical problem. Even better to have the solution in case I do!

So, thanks again!

[emulatorloo]

I realize most of you don't really care

OH MLC, I care. I care a lot. THANKS FOR POSTING THIS.

Especially good to hear that you got it going eventually and that all the MOTU stuff is working. That is great info to have.

--

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I realize most of you don't really care

OH MLC, I care. I care a lot. THANKS FOR POSTING THIS.

Especially good to hear that you got it going eventually and that all the MOTU stuff is working. That is great info to have.

--

And your not going to shake your finger at me for manually moving all my pref, plst and user files... Had I NOT done that I wouldn't have my emails or keychain passwords, or porn... I mean graphic files.

[emulatorloo]

And your not going to shake your finger at me for manually moving all my pref, plst and user files...

Hell no, no finger shaking from me! -- By choice, I have manually moved my pref, plst and user and "graphics" thru the last 2 system upgrades -- I don't trust "migration assistant" to do it right.

If you want a job done correctly do it yourself!

---

[MIDI Life Crisis]

For all my bitchin' I have to admit, it was sweet hooking up the G4, running an ethernet cable to my router, turning on file sharing and dropping files into the G4 from the G5. If I was on a PC, I doubt the workaround would have been as easy, and sharing between two operating systems as painless.

So now we're in a holding pattern, waiting for the MOTU engineers. To quote the Beatles: please don't be long, please don't you be very long or I may be asleep <twang!>