Migration Assistant - how to CREATE a backup of settings?

[peanutismint]

I'm in the process of installing a brand new hard drive into my Macbook, and the anal-retentive in me wants a clean start, completely re-installing the OS but if possible keeping some of my user settings and what have you. So before I swap to the new HDD and install Leopard again, I want to back up only my settings and a few files/folders, but lose all of my applications and other such things (that I've probably allowed to get WAY too cluttered over time...).

But when I load up 'Migration Assistant', hoping to have an option such as 'is this the OLD computer you want to transfer settings FROM or the NEW computer you want to transfer settings TO?', there is no such question. It only assumes that this must be the new computer and asks for the location of stored settings etc from an older computer to impose upon this OS.

Maybe I'm not using it right, or maybe I'm just not able to use Migration Assistant in the way I was hoping, but could somebody maybe tell me where I'm going wrong and how (if it's possible) to back up my user information and other settings before migrating to my new hard drive?

 

[peanutismint]

Thanks mate, will give it a try! Import the data with the migration tool, correct? Or import with the same backup program?

UPDATE: Okay, I downloaded 'Backup' but it wouldn't let me do anything, even offline backup (to a DVD or disk or what have you) because I didn't have a .Mac account. I had registered for a trial in the past but would never use something like that.... any ideas if it's mandatory to use this Backup program?

 

[peanutismint]

Cheers mate, will give it a go!