Installing Snow Leopard over Mavericks

I messed up my Mavericks installation by using CleanMyMac, and cannot user software update, download from the App Store, use Preview or a number of different apps. System Restore does not work for some reason, maybe CMM messed that up too.
I am going to reinstall Snow Leopard, then redownload Mavericks. And never use CleanMyMac again!!!
I cannot erase my hard drive, the button is grayed out. Can I just reinstall Snow Leopard over Mavericks - I don't care about backing up any data.
Thanks

If you have the Snow Leopard install disks you can proceed as described above. It makes no difference that the Mac came with Leopard (you just can't install a system older than the one the Mac came with). However you will need to erase the disk: you can't install an older system over a newer one.

Similar Messages

How to install Snow leopard over mavericks?

I bought an old computer in the fall, and tried to install MAvericks on it. It allowed me to do it, but now an error message always comes up saying that there is a compatibility issue. I read that I could buy and install Snow Leopard and then move on to mavericks once that was installed. I have purchased that, but now I am not able to install Snow leopard. I get an error message that says I cannot install snow leopard over mavricks.
My question is: how do i get rid of mavericks so that I can install snow leopard (and then eventually move on to mavericks).
Thanks

First, you installed Mavericks (10.9.x) so YOU DON'T NEED TO BUY OR INSTALL Snow Leopard (10.6.x)
That its for people whith older systems (10.5.x as example) in order to download and install Mavericks.
As you could download and install Mavericks your system was already 10.6, 10.7 or 10.8.
Second, you have installed an application that its not compatible with Mavericks, so you need to rip that only app.
That app its Quay Menu in the web, you can download the new compatible version, or manually uninstall it in order to stop that errors:
If you're upgrading to Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), you must update Quay to version 1.1.5 first!
If you've upgraded without uninstalling, you'll see a repeated error popup. To stop this, first paste this line into the Terminal:
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/net.brockerhoff.QuayMenu.plist
and then trash the file "/Library/Application Support/Quay.quay".

Can I install Snow Leopard over Lion to install old software after hard drive crashed?

My hard drive crashed and I lost everything. I have a new hard drive, but when the repair shop installed my operating system, they installed Lion and I no longer have my prior updates. My computer had been updated a few times. I have a lot of software that only can be installed up to 10.7 such as Adobe Photoshop Elements 10, Office Mac 2011, etc. I was wondering if I installed Snow Leopard over Lion, would I lose Lion? Should I install Snow Leopard and then Lion again? I don't want to damage my like new computer and I don't want to have to go out and buy all new software. Is there a solution? Thanks in advance!

Sounds complicated! If I repartition the drive and install Snow Leopard onto the blank volume, will Lion still be there? Or, will the computer basically have two operating systems that I have to go back and forth from. Is this something a novice like myself can do?

Trying to re-install Snow Leopard over Lion and Macbook Pro is beeping like a memory failure

I installed Lion on my work 15" MacBook Pro i7 to give it a go, and it's not working with the system we use for Active Directory login, so I need to roll back to Snow Leopard.
I don't have a Time Machine backup, but I have pulled all the data I need from the machine, and have wiped the hard disk ready to reinstall Snow Leopard.
I have a retail copy of Snow Leopard that I've recently used successfully for fresh installs on other machines, but now once I insert the DVD into this machine that's had Lion on it, it's not responding and just making alarming BEEP BEEP BEEP noises.
I googled that and it might be bad RAM (possible, but unlikely? the machine has been running very well up until now)
I've wiped the PRAM, but the instructions for wiping the SMC are a bit cryptic for these machines ...
Does anyone have any clues as to what might be causing this? A firmware issue of some sort?
Maybe the hidden EFI partition on the drive won't let you install Snow Leopard over a disk that's had Lion?

Might be some useful info here:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1175934
" I used target disk mode to install Snow Leopard on its partition. I used a friends Macbook Pro, but I put my machine into target disk mode and ran the installer from his user account and optical drive. From a couple things I read online, it seems that Apple recommends putting the other machine in target disk mode and doing it the other way around. I guess some critical files might not have been installed? I also used a retail copy of Snow Leopard instead of my grey recovery disk, so that might be it too. "
"Your machine is newer than the retail copy of Snow Leopard. Use the restore disks it came with.
The installation will need to be done from your machine. You may need to do a net install, so look at "Remote Install Mac OS X" in Utilities."
I'm currently installing from the macbook firewired to the other machine as recommended so hopefully that might help

I accidentally downloaded lion. I did a timemachine back-up and tried to reload snow leopard. It will not accept. How do I re-install snow leopard over lion?

I accidently installed lion on my mac book pro. I did a time machine back-up. When i try to re-install snow leopard, it won't take. Any suggestions on how to install snow leopard over lion?

Accidentally, eh? How, might I ask?
Downgrade Lion to Snow Leopard
1. Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area. If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing. SMART info will not be reported on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1.
If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions. If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.

How do I install Snow Leopard over 10.5.8

I have just recently acquired a MacBookPro from a friend of mine who's father has passed away. I am able to access the computer without a password but the admin is still set to his father and he doesn't know the password. I have the Snow Leopard OS and want to do a clean install like it came from the factory with no personalization. This is the first time I have owned a MacBookPro so I am unsure how to do a clean install of Snow Leopard over the exiting OS 10.5.8 and if I have to delete that OS first. How do I do that?

Insert a retail DVD, restart with the C key held down, use the Disk Utility to erase the internal drive, and install Snow Leopard.
While the retail DVD can be used to create a fully functional OS, it can’t perform a true factory restore; it won’t install any of the iLife applications.
(111513)

Installing snow leopard over lion

I just bought a MBP two days ago with Lion preinstalled and i want to install snow leopard.
i have the retail dvd of SL but after it starts booting from DVD it appears the "You need to restart your computer. Hold Down the Power button for several seconds or press the Restart button"
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/7792/pict0017lo8.jpg
the dvd works ok in another older MBP 2008.
how can i install SL?

Two things,
First Mac's can't c or option boot off install disks that the OS isnt' designed for it or doesn't have the hardware drivers required on the disk.
Second the grey disks are machine model specific, meaning you can only use them with another exact model machiine.
Thrid Apple restricts booting off of earlier OS X install disks in the firmware, but if the OS gets on the drive and it works for the hardware, it will run. But not well on all machines, but yours is likely going to be fine.
So you want to get 10.6 on a factory 10.7 Mac, it's possible if Apple hasn't done any changes lately, your likely going to need another Mac that can boot off the 10.6.3 disks and apply the 10.6.8 combo update together so the drivers are together, then imaged to a wiped hard drive or partition using Firewire Target Disk Mode and another Mac.
"The Proceedure" is here and there are links to discussions and updates all over the web.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3264421?start=0&tstart=0
You also may need to read my post about restoring Lion before you erase the disk, you need to copy the Lion Recovery Partiton first with the Lion Disk Assistant. Cloning will also help a LOT.
https://discussions.apple.com/message/16276201#16276201

How to re install Snow Leopard with Mavericks running?

Hello,
Not long after it was introduced I upgraded my Macbookpro from Snow Leopard to Mavericks.
(Apart from that it also has a Bootcamp partition with MS Windows 7)
But Compared to any other Mac around me, mine has been extremely slow and the Mavericks upgrade did not solve that.
It has Microsoft Office for Mac and Mackeeper and I suspect either of those could have something to do with it.
To see if that helps I want to do a complete reinstall of the OS X.
I already made a full backup of both the Mac and the Bootcamp side.
But when I load the original Snow Leopard install DVD it says it can't do the install because it there is a later version (being Mavericks) running.
What should I do?
Thanks,
Sander

Thanks a lot for your quick responses.
I was able to do what Mende proposed and have also removed Mackeeper.
I don't know what the cause was but the Mac appears to be back to it's normal speed now.
However, stragely enough, when I start up using the option key to choose between the MacHD and Windows partition, I suddenly have three partitions to choose from.
Mac HD, Windows and a new one called Recovery which of course I would like to get rid of without damaging anything.
Do you know how to do that safely?
Thanks again

Can't install Snow Leopard over Ethernet

Hello,
I'm trying to install Snow Leopard remotely on my Macbook Air. I don't have a wireless connection, but was told I could do it using the Ethernet connection. I've connected my MacBook Air to my wife's MacBook using an ethernet cord and the apple USB-ethernet adaptor, but unfortunately when I boot the MBA using ALT it doesn't recognize the disk on the other computer.
Any suggestions?
-Grey

DId you turn off wifi on your wife's computer. ( to force the ethernet connection )
did you open the remote install app on the wife's macbook?
was there a pulldown menu at the EFI boot screen?
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2129

Cannot install Snow Leopard over 10.5.8 because "can't boot from" boot disk

I closed all my apps.
I ran the installer.
I agreed the terms.
I am ask where to install Snow Leopard.
Only one disk is available - my boot disk.
It has a yellow triangle on it.
Selecting the disk tells me "Mac OS X cannot be installed on "Macintosh HD", because this disk cannot be used to start up your computer.".
Rebooting and attempting an install direct from CD yields the same results.
My machine is a six month old aluminium MacBook, and the only difference between it in the shop and today is that it has a customer-installed 500GB hard drive and ditto 4GB RAM in it.
Help.
Neil.

Hi Mike,
Sorry you're having the same problem. It's very frustrating! I'm making some noise about it because as a consequence of being in the software biz for years, I keep machines as vanilla and default as possible whilst serving my purposes as best I can - so I hopefully tread a very well worn QA path. That I am suffering problems probably means a great many more are doing the same.
Unfortunately your solution isn't a good one for me - I simply don't have 400GB of space anywhere nearby. I do have Time Machine backup to a Time Capsule so maybe a solution is to do a vanilla install and clean disk and then a restore. I don't fancy this much though.
I can't help feeling that this is a simple defect in the installer disk detection though, that it uses some custom code rather than systemwide routine to detect bootability.
Neil.

Install snow leopard over server.

I have an old MacBook Pro I installed the trial of Mac OS X server on. I just wanted to see how it worked, and decide if I wanted to purchase it. I have decided now to re-install leopard on this machine but it give mr an error saying I cannot install over the server OS..
What do I need to do to be able to Install Leopard?
Thanks
Matthew

After you reach the point in the install process where you select a destination, select the destination then click on the Options button. Select Erase and Install option, click on the OK button, then continue with the installation.
FWIW, this is the Snow Leopard forum, not the Leopard forum. If you are reinstalling Snow Leopard and simply misstated, then use Disk Utility to format the destination drive before installing OS X.
Message was edited by: Kappy

Need Help Installing Snow Leopard over Mountain Lion!!!!

Hey!!! I REALLY NEED SOME HELP!!! I had Mountain Lion installed on my Macbook Pro. I didnt like it and I wanted to downgrade to Snow leopard. I have the Install Disk with me. I went ahead and formatted my Macbook Pro. Now Im not sure what to do. Should I put the disk in?? And will it install?? And how should i install it??? All I can do as of now is boot into the Recovery HD.

Hi.
I have the same problem with an iMac - everybody gives the same response and none of the them work. Why? Possibly because the iMacs come with bluetooth keyboards and by the time the bluetooth connection has been made, it's too far into the boot sequence for "holding down the C" or "holding Option whilst pressing R", etc. to have any effect.
(Oh yeah, I've tried connecting USB keyboards and they don't work either. - possibly because they are usually Windows and I don't know which keys map to which).
It's bad enough being told to press the "Option" key on an OSX keyboard when there isn't one - at least not on English keyboards. If the Yanks mean the "Alt" key, then they should say so.
I do not get the Installer Utilities options to enable me to clear the old operating system from my hard drive, because I can't find the key combination to force a boot from my DVD drive.
I also get a message that I can't run "the (Snow Leopard?) Installer" on the current software (Mountain Lion) in order to start the regression to Snow Leopard.
So, how do I trash my current system and start again? I suppose that I could always install Windows and then OSX over the top of it. Or take the disk out and start from scratch - but I've done that once and it's a bit boring.
P.S. I was the "Backup Man" at a computer installation, so " Make sure you save this...." goes without saying.
Any different ideas guys?

Install Snow Leopard over brand new Lion based MacBook Pro

Dear Forum.
This is actually a hardware question plz this is not a meant as a discussion whether Lion beats Snow Leopard etc.
Plenty of threads around communities tells how to install 10.6.8 over 10.7 But there is a warning sign!!! :
I have a brand new top-of-the-line MacBook Pro (shipped with 10.7.2) and for some reason it won´t even start from a 10.6.8 DVD
I was thinkin´ go scratch the 750 GB HDD at one of my other Macs, but for some reason I´m afraid that Apple now have bugged the HW so it won´t be able to install 10.6.8 no matter how sofisticated changes are made??
Anyone knows or have any experience??
With love from Denmark, Thanks everyone for reading this

so it won´t be able to install 10.6.8 no matter how sofisticated changes are made??
Read here > Don't install a version of Mac OS X earlier than what came with your Mac

Installing Snow Leopard over old system OS

I just set up a new MBP by copying my old hard disk from another MBP to the new one. The old one was running OS 10.4.11. So the new one now has OS 10.4.11 on it. Can I simply put in the OS disk that came with the new one to update to 10.6?

I thought you could not install an old OS on a new machine; e.g., a machine that is intended to run Snow Leopard could not boot from TIger. That said, does the new machine actually RUN with the old OS?

Can I Install Snow Leopard over Tiger, without the Mac Box Set?

I've just spoken to an Apple advisor in Canada and he told me that I could buy the Snow Leopard CD and install it on my MacBook that has Tiger, and I wouldn't need to buy the Mac Box Set. He said that since the Mac Box Set isn't available anymore Apple put the full software on the CD instead of just the upgrade.
However I get a contradictory information on the Apple website.
What is true?
Félix

vitamine10 wrote:
Well, thanks everyone. ...So I've ordered the DVD (thank you) and will finally find out who's right and who's wrong.
Write to you later.
Félix
And we will all await your reply and your indicating which of us is "Correct" and "Helpful" as you suggest.
While you are awaiting shipment, you might enjoy reading the following that were published soon after SL arrived on the scene:
Scroll down to the last 2 paragraphs in the first section before the heading Installation - it's a bit of a way down:
http://allthingsd.com/20090826/apple-changes-leopards-spots/
And this which sites the above article:
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/08/27/apples_snow_leopard_disc_will_inst all_on_tiger_macs.html
Mrs H

Installing Snow Leopard over Mavericks

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