MAC Applications - Where is iCal and Address Book data stored!?

Author

Where is iCal and Address Book data stored!?

lavachickie@gmail.com

2005-10-27, 9:56 pm

I recently backed up my laptop HD using SilverKeeper. I made a
"bootable backup" thinking it would allow me to boot off the drive and
access the system and all application files just as I was currently
doing on the laptop. (Mistake number one: making an assumption and not
testing it.)

So I wiped my laptop's HD, reinstalled the OS (which I really needed as
SOMETHING was funked up). Now I'm installing fresh apps, cleaning
things up before I copy over data files, etc.

But WHERE on earth are iCal calendars and to do lists stored? And where
is the Address Book database stored?

Remember, I can no longer boot up the old system and open the
applications and just export the data, as I've seen advised in many Web
pages, forums, etc.

For instance with my e-mail, I just took the entire ~/Library/Mail
folder and copied that over, along with the related preference file and
voila, Mail was back and happy. I want to do the same with iCal and
Address Book.

Thanks for the help.

Amy

Neill Massello

2005-10-27, 9:56 pm

<lavachickie@gmail.com> wrote:

> But WHERE on earth are iCal calendars and to do lists stored?

~/Library/Application Support/iCal/Sources

> And where is the Address Book database stored?

~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook

Walt Basil

2005-10-28, 7:57 am

On 2005-10-27 18:50:08 -0600, lavachickie@gmail.com said:

> I recently backed up my laptop HD using SilverKeeper. I made a
> "bootable backup" thinking it would allow me to boot off the drive and
> access the system and all application files just as I was currently
> doing on the laptop. (Mistake number one: making an assumption and not
> testing it.)
>
> So I wiped my laptop's HD, reinstalled the OS (which I really needed as
> SOMETHING was funked up). Now I'm installing fresh apps, cleaning
> things up before I copy over data files, etc.
>
> But WHERE on earth are iCal calendars and to do lists stored? And where
> is the Address Book database stored?
>
> Remember, I can no longer boot up the old system and open the
> applications and just export the data, as I've seen advised in many Web
> pages, forums, etc.
>
> For instance with my e-mail, I just took the entire ~/Library/Mail
> folder and copied that over, along with the related preference file and
> voila, Mail was back and happy. I want to do the same with iCal and
> Address Book.
> Thanks for the help.
> Amy

From Mac OS Help:

Where is application data stored?
Most applications use special files to hold user data or preferences.
Before you erase or reformat your hard disk or update your system
software, be sure to back up these important files.

The data file locations for commonly used applications:
The tilde (~) character indicates your home folder.
Mail data and settings: ~/Library/Mail/
iTunes data and settings: ~/Music/iTunes Music/
iPhoto data and settings: ~/Pictures/iPhoto Library/
AddressBook data and settings: ~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook
iCal 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/
--
Walt Basil
http://www.basilweb.net
http://blog.basilweb.net

Matt Simpson

2005-10-28, 6:57 pm

In article < 2005102806140216807%firstname@lastnamewe
bnet>,
Walt Basil <(firstname)@(lastname)web.net> wrote:

> iCal data and settings: ~/Library/Calendars/

10.3 and earlier

n article <1h53ty0.15f3ax517hk7cwN%neillmassello@earthlink.net>,
neillmassello@earthlink.net (Neill Massello) wrote:

>
> ~/Library/Application Support/iCal/Sources

10.4

Format has changed, too. In 10.3, the Library/Calendars folder has an
ics file for each calendar, with a filename matching calendar name. In
10.4, there seems to be a folder for each calendar, with some
unrecognizable name.

G.T.

2005-10-28, 6:57 pm

"Matt Simpson" <msimpson@uky.edu> wrote in message
news:msimpson-64963F.09203728102005@sunsite.dk...
> In article < 2005102806140216807%firstname@lastnamewe
bnet>,
> Walt Basil <(firstname)@(lastname)web.net> wrote:
>
>
> 10.3 and earlier
>
> n article <1h53ty0.15f3ax517hk7cwN%neillmassello@earthlink.net>,
> neillmassello@earthlink.net (Neill Massello) wrote:
>
>
> 10.4
>
>
> Format has changed, too. In 10.3, the Library/Calendars folder has an
> ics file for each calendar, with a filename matching calendar name. In
> 10.4, there seems to be a folder for each calendar, with some
> unrecognizable name.

Why the change? It was so simple.

Greg

BreadWithSpam@fractious.net

2005-10-28, 6:57 pm

"G.T." <getnews1@dslextreme.com> writes:
> "Matt Simpson" <msimpson@uky.edu> wrote in message

>
> Why the change? It was so simple.

I'd guess for Spotlight.

In addition to the file/folder per calendar, there is also
a folder full of meta-data files one per event. Go to your
command line and try this:

mdfind SomeEvent

(where SomeEvent is a word you used somewhere in one ofy
your events)

You almost certainly don't need to worry about these
files - I'm pretty sure that iCal will recreate them as
necessary. But it's interesting to know that they are
there.

(mdfind can also do much more powerful searches than one
can put together directly with the Spotlight GUI, but
that's a whole different topic)

--
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