Before you erase or reformat your hard disk or update your system software, you should back up your Mac. If you can’t back up your entire Mac, back up the files listed below, which are used by apps to hold user data or preferences.
The tilde (~) character indicates the name of your home folder, which is the same as your user name. (For example, if your user name is Anna, your home folder is named anna.)
| Data file | Location |
|---|---|
|
Your documents |
~/Documents and ~/Desktop |
|
Mail data and settings |
~/Library/Mail/V2 |
|
iTunes data and settings |
~/Music/iTunes/ |
|
iPhoto data and settings |
~/Pictures/iPhoto Library/ |
|
Contacts data and settings |
~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook |
|
Calendar data and settings |
~/Library/Calendars/ |
|
Safari data and settings |
~/Library/Safari/ |
|
Fonts |
~/Library/Fonts/ |
|
Keychain data and settings |
~/Library/Keychains/ |
|
Stickies |
~/Library/StickiesDatabase |
|
Other preferences |
~/Library/Preferences/ |
Apps not from Apple may store user data in different locations. For more information, check the documentation that came with your app.
If you moved app data, such as your iTunes or iPhoto library, from its original location, make sure to also back up that data.
