how to I restore JUST user files and NOT the OS?

[Dan Lester]

Because of some very weird problems involving system update, I needed (on advice from Apple Support), to erase my entire machine and reload the (updated) OS. That kinda sucks, but I did it, and things are now fixed. But now I want to know how to use my SuperDuper backups (of which I have several, actually) to restore EVERYTHING *except* the OS. How do I do that?

[dnanian]

You clean install the OS and then, when prompted to restore during first boot, select the backup. That brings in everything but the OS.

[Dan Lester]

I do a clean install of the updated OS, and the machine does an automatic restart when done. Then I'm asked to login. No "restore" options presented. I can boot to a Startup Options, and that offers me disks to boot to, but that's not going to do what I want. OK, looks to me like I need to use Migration Assistant.

[dnanian]

Then that's not a clean install - you have to erase the drive, then install. During first boot, like with a new Mac, you're asked if you want to copy from another Mac or restore - before creating accounts, and after language selection.

[Dan Lester]

Yes, I did erase the drive and do a clean install, but then, not knowing how to restore, I spent a little time moving stuff over manually. That wasn't satisfactory, and then I heard from you, so I did another clean install, but without erasing. That probably mucked things up. Can I presume that Migration Assistant, pointed at my backup disk, will do what I want? That's what's happening now. I can always go back to square one, do another erase and clean install, if that's what I need to do.

[dnanian]

You can try. Sometimes migration messes up permissions/UIDs.

[Dan Lester]

OK, it seems to have worked. Logging in as Administrator required a few diddles, but everything is fine now. Thank you very much. I was concerned that, to the extent SuperDuper allowed such migration, once you erased the disk, SuperDuper wasn't there anymore! But Apple provides. Thank god for backups.