Another Snow Leopard question.

I currently run 10.5.6 on my iMac, having been deterred from upgrading by some of the comments about 10.5.7 and further deterred by the reaction to 10.5.8. I will buy Snow Leopard but I'm wondering if it will require me to install 10.5.7 and 8 beforehand or if anyone knows if Snow Leopard is likely to incorporate these upgrades as a matter of course. If it does, I'll wait a while to see the market reaction though I have learnt from experience that posts in these columns should not be viewed as negatively as they are sometimes presented.

seventy one:
(Good age, that is )
I got to 10.5.6 by a blind leap of faith
To a certain extent much of what we do involve an element of blind leaps of faith, even in the realm of computer technology. All computer systems are not identical, even with the same make and model, and the same version of software. However, there are certain practices which can help smooth the leap, or assure a softer landing. My recommendation is that you go ahead install 10.5.8. I suggest that you download the Mac OS X 10.5.8 Combo Update. Make sure you have a recent and reliable backup/clone. Then, to be sure you are not installing to a problem volume, boot from the install disk and Repair Disk. Once that is done, Repair Disk Permissions, install the update and Repair Disk Permissions, again.
That will give you a little breathing time before Snow Leopard. In addition, with the release of a new version of OS X it takes a little while for some of the initial wrinkles to be ironed out. With an updated version of Leopard you can wait that out comfortably.
Good luck.
cornelius
PS: Thank you for leaving feedback in Apple Discussions by marking the "helpful" and "solved" posts.

Similar Messages

Upgrading From Tiger to Snow Leopard Questions

I might upgrade my Mac OS X Tiger 10.4 on my iMac to Snow soon and was wondering if there was a way I could have Snow be on an external drive. I was at my local Apple Specialist store and one of the employees hooked up an external HDD to my computer with I think either Snow or Lion on it. Don't know which. My question is, would it be possible to run Snow on an External HDD while also still having Tiger on my iMac? I like Tiger, and would like to continue using it, but the person told me it would be good to upgrade since my OS is older. I would like to continue using Tiger but at the same time want to use Snow too. So would it be possible to run Snow Leopard on an external HDD while keeping all my files/etc on my Tiger?

If we keep this strictly as a theoretical discussion, the answer is "yes" or "maybe". But I need to explain some context or qualification on that answer in the way I have my system set up.
I set up my system so my home dir is always on its own volume. The boot volume is always separate. That way I can switch to any boot volume and continue to use my same home dir. So if I upgrade my system I can always fall back on the older system or use a backup of the current system if it fails in some way.
Now here's where I qualify that answer. I always recommend never upgrading a system without having backups to fall back on. So, say for example, I go from 10.6.5 to 10.6.6 I always can just boot from my 10.6.5 boot drive for comparison purposes and to revert to it if the update is total disaster. In all cases I am still using my same home dir because it is on a different drive (and of course it has backups too). But these kind of updates are all within the same version of "cat", 10.6.x in this case (all Snow Leopard updates). So that is why I answer "yes".
Going from one "cat" to another is why I say "maybe". So if I update 10.5 to 10.6, or 10.6 to 10.7 IMO, all bets are off. There's no way to know for sure except by trying (which is no big deal since I always have backups). This is due to possible file system changes, finder changes, and who knows what else changes. Hence, "maybe".
If you want to keep two systems with your home dir on those respective systems, of course you can always do that. It's your choice. But then keeping them in sync is a pain. So for this kind of setup it's probably simpler to just bite the bullet and upgrade and use only a single OS.

Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard question

Hello,
I just preordered Snow Leopard from Amazon for my Early 2008 white MacBook, I know the system is not released yet but I'd like to ask a general question about Mac operating systems.
Once I get Snow Leopard, do you recommend me to update my current 10.5.8 Leopard OS or do you recommend me to do a erase and install to my actual OS?
I'm asking this because I didn't have a Mac yet when the update from Tiger to Leopard was made, and I'd like to know what did you guys do back then.
I know in Windows world an update like this is unthinkable, it makes the operating system inestable, full of useless files and so on. Does this happen on Mac too, or is the upgrade easy, smooth and recommendable?
Thanks for your answers,
Mauri

UndergroundRiver:
I plan to erase and install when upgrading as I come from the Windows world and just can't understand the concept of not erasing and installing.
Comparisons between Windows Operating Systems/machines and Macs and OS X are not necessarily apt. Even though we may not know exact details about Snow Leopard, we do know that Mac OS X offers several installation options, and the OS is designed to work within those parameters. In other words, an erase and install may not be appropriate or necessary under every condition.
In terms of backing up, one is well advised to maintain an up-to-date and reliable backup at all times, of course. However, this is even more critical whenever one contemplates undertaking any major procedure, such as installation of the OS. If you would like specific suggestions about backing up, please do ask. You don't have to know where all the files are on your HDD. There are several excellent utilities that will do the work for you.
cornelius

Upgrading from 10.4.11 to Snow Leopard - Questions needing answers..

Hello,
I am currently running Tiger, 10.4.11 on my MacBook and want to get it up to current Snow Leopard. My laptop is about 4 years old now and need to know if I can upgrade it.
Secondly I tried to install it with the Leopard system software I received with with my Mac Pro and when I started the install it hang for about 30 seconds and then I got an error message to inform me I could not install that version of OSX on my computer. Did this happen because I was trying to install it with a disc that came with another mac or simply it isn't possible to upgrade anymore? I would be surprised if the laptop is no longer upgradable. Is the problem memory?
Do I need to buy the Leopard software and will it work.
Look forward your replies.
Cheers
Sophia

Did this happen because I was trying to install it with a disc that came with another mac
Yes.
Do I need to buy the Leopard software and will it work.
Check the OS's system requirements prior to purchasing it.
(57357)

Time Machine & Snow Leopard Question

I am going to be doing a clean install of Snow Leopard and using my Time Machine backup to restore my data. The question is, after SL is installed and I have it working as intended, will it happily continue to back up to my current Leopard 10.5.8 Time Machine volume, or will it insist on erasing the volume and starting fresh again?
I don't want to lose about 10 months of backups, if SL is going to create a brand new TM archive. Perhaps those brave people who have installed SL could confirm what happens...
Many thanks
Sam.

There's nothing in the documentation about any significant changes to TM, with the single exception that initial backups will be faster. In fact, all the support articles in the Snow Leopard support area are the old Leopard articles: http://www.apple.com/support/snowleopard/
There have also been no reports of anything remotely like this from any of the Beta testers or preview articles; there's nothing about it in the SL installation guide: http://manuals.info.apple.com/enUS/Snow_Leopard_InstallationInstructions.pdf
And, of course, it would not be like Apple to intentionally blow away your backups with no warning whatsoever.
But, if you do an Erase and Install (there is no "clean install") for some reason, then TM will probably back up all your data again, just as it does under Leopard. If your TM disk isn't at least twice as large as the data it's backing-up, the backup will fail and you will have to erase the TM disk.

Reinstalling Snow Leopard Question

Hi there. I've noticed that my old macbook has been running rather slowly lately. So I ran the Disk Utility and chose to Verify the Disk, and about 5 minutes into it, it tells me that I'm missing a bunch of necessary files.
It tells me to backup my personal files and reboot/reformat my macbook from the Snow Leopard install disk that came with this computer.
So I backed up my personal files using Time Machine, but my Snow Leopard disk is nowhere to be found. I'd bought the Snow Leopard upgrade last year, as my Macbook came with leopard when i bought it.
My brother has a brand new Macbook Pro, & my mother has a brand new Mac desktop computer. I have the disks that came with those computers, but would it be safe to use them on my computer?
If not, how do I go about formatting my Macbook & reinstalling my OS?
Thanks in advance. =)

Nope you can't use the discs that came with the other computer. The original OS X Install Discs that come with Macs are specific to those computers and will not work on other machines unless they have identical specifications. If you want to use your original Install DVD's you can but that will only get you Leopard. I hope you haven't lost those too as they have software on the Install DVD and Applications DVD you will probably need at some point. Unless you can locate your copy of the SL upgrade you will need to buy another.
Going forward you should keep your original media in a safe place.
Roger

Safari 5.1 - iTunes 10.4 - Snow Leopard Question!

Hi Everyone!
I just have a few quick questions, since I am still a Snow Leopard user because my IT department recommends not to upgrade to Lion because of how some of the needed software might not be supported. I was fine with that, and am still happy with Snow Leopard, as it does everything that I want so fast, and I'm so used to my multi-touch settings the way they are. I just noticed that with my last software update, my computer installed Safari 5.1 and iTunes 10.4. However, when looking online, it looked like these two new software updates were made for the next operating system Lion. Now, I am assuming that the computer probably installed versions of the software that were made for Snow Leopard, but since they have been released for Lion, is there any chance that this new software (that is preferenced toward Lion users) will slow down my computer with Snow Leopard? I'm thinking the answer is no but I just want to check with what you all have seen (and my new versions of Safari and iTunes are seemingly just as fast as before).
Also, since I am waiting to install Lion until IT gives it a go (which could be a long time from now), I have the Lion download (ready to download) as a free download. If I wait too long, will Apple not allow me to download Lion for free.
Any answers are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

iTunes 10.4 and Safari 5.1 contain more than 'just' the OSX Lion-release but stability and security improvements as well.
For example, here is http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1070 what the Safari 5.1 contains.
In here http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/ I can't find an "end-date" for the download of the Lion installer.
Nonetheless, personaly I would download the Lion installer and then copy it (from your Apllications folder) to a secure place (backup harddisk, external hardisk etc.).
When your IT gives it a go you can then use te Lion installer from inside the Applications folder, but I would also say to make a bootable clone of your current OSX Snow Leopard before starting the Lion installation.
Stefan

Snow Leopard Question - No Forum for it so posting here?

I am happy and excited for Snow Leopard. I know the upgrade will be $29 for all Leopard users. Usually for all my apps inluding the operating system, I would always buy the full product, so if I had Aperture 1.0 I would sell it and buy the full version of Aperture 2.0. My question is: Will Snow Leopard be sold as a standalone full OS (not just an upgrade?).
Is the upgrade just the same as the full software when installing, it just detects if you have the previous software and installs as if it were the full? Or does it just "patch" things depending on what's different from previous versions? How do they work does anyone know? It's all about doing clean installs and starting fresh!

We don't know. Speculation about future product is forbidden here. We can only discuss what is publicly available. For such information see Snow Leopard.

PSE6 for the Mac and a Snow Leopard question.....

Hi- I am beta testing Snow Leopard and would like to test my PSE6 app in Snow Leopard but I am having an issue with what I need to copy over from the working version in Leopard over to Snow Leopard. Just dragging the folder is not enough since I get a message saying something like it's not authorized- sorry I can't remember the exact wording but I am hoping someone can tell me what files I need to copy over to SL. Thanks! Judy

For any time, any version of OS X you must totally reinstall PSE rather than moving it. The PSE installer puts things in far too many locations for the migration assistant to find them all and many are at a system level where only Root could move them. Far easier just to run the installer again.

Snow Leopard Question

I bought my macbook October 2007 and qualified for the Leopard update disc for around £7, as I just missed out on Leopard being pre-installed.
I notice that Snow Leopard is available for £25 if you already have Leopard installed. What I want to ask is will my macbook be eligible for this with it originally having Tiger on? It has all the specifications to handle Snow Leopard, and there is nothing to say I can't,-it just says must already run Leopard.

The MacBook will be able to have Snow Leopard installed on it.
As long as you have Leopard installed on it, you can purchase the £25 Snow Leopard. People who haven't purchased Leopard and installed that on their machines need the Mac Box Set Snow Leopard installation. But according to your post, you already did.
Only those who purchased Macs after June 8, 2009, qualify for an 7.95 pound Snow Leopard:
http://www.apple.com/uk/macosx/uptodate/
And those that purchase Macs after August 28, 2009, if they shipped out of the factory should normally get Snow Leopard free.

Os X 10.6 Snow Leopard question

So i just bought the 2.53ghz macbook pro and i am curious when they release the 10.6 Snow leopard will this be a free upgrade or do you have to pay for this upgrade? Do they Tend to charge for their larger software updates?

Since 10.6 isn't even official yet there are zero details as to what Apple's plans are regarding price. Since 10.2 the only people allowed "free" upgrades were those who bought their computer after the official announcement. Everyone else had to buy a full version copy. Discounts were available for Edu customers, gov employees, and developers only.
That said since 10.6 isn't going to contain any new major features, but will mostly be bug fixes and performance enhancement of 10.5 it's hard to say whether Apple will also give a discount to 10.5 owners. Stay tuned to MacWorld '09 I'd say.

Upgrading Multiple Systems to Snow Leopard Question, HELP PLEASE

Hey guys,
I have 2 macs in my house, 1 that is running leopard, and 1 that is running tiger. I want to upgrade both of them to snow leopard, and I saw that in order for me to upgrade the one on tiger to snow leopard I must buy the box set. If I were to buy the Mac Box Set Family Edition for $229, would I be able to put the iwork and snowleopard on both my computers, the tiger one as well as the one on leopard? Or should I buy one box set for the tiger one, and the 29 dollar upgrade for the leopard one I got, is Iwork worth buying the family set for?
-Adam

If you get the box set family pack, you can upgrade both machines to Snow Leopard with iLife '09 and iWork '09. If you instead get the Snow Leopard Box Set and the Upgrade, you cannot, per the license, upgrade iLife and iWork to the '09 machines on the system that is currently running Leopard.
Hence, the former solution is probably recommended.

Yet another Snow Leopard Upgrade Query

I've bought upgrades before, like Windoze XP from 2000 - and whenever I had to wipe a disk or have a disk go bad, reinstalling XP has always meant crawling up to the attic and hunting for the Win 2000 install disk in order to install from the XP upgrade disk.
Is the Snow Leopard upgrade on a blank disk (say a hard drive failure, or a giant gorilla breaks into my house with this huge degausser) going to require me to hunt down the old leopard install disc? I see nothing on the apple site regarding this, yet lots of chances to pre-order the disks. I have the 5 seat family pack edition of Leopard, so $49 vs. $229 is an attractive difference. What if I keep a copy of the original leopard disc, as my original is rather scratched - is that acceptable?
Also, since of only used 2 of my 5 leopard installs, does that mean I can still install Snow Leopard on a total of 5 machines (3 future ones)?

While there are some discussions on this topic online
in other forums and blogs, some articles and a few
bits of gossip among a few facts, speculative dialog
is rather limited and the results unaccountable to fact.
The idea that someone could use a simple upgrade disc
if one should be available, and have it work to upgrade
all five computers running a previous version of OSX is
asking quite a bit; even if a new upgrade version may be
priced economically lower than previous OS X upgrades.
No way of knowing from our level, for sure, but there may
be an 'upgrade for the family pack' - you could try calling
Sales Support to see if they can find a part number for it
and you could ask & try to order that from Apple directly.
And pre-ordering has been happening, such as it is,
before the release date. There may be a part number
for a family-pack update; or a family-pack upgrade.
Defining the terms of any agreement, you have to always
defer to the legal and almost obvious wording in the
software, online or in paper copies of the documentation.
Since I own no hardware capable of supporting the latest
OS X version, my interests aren't too much involved to be
concerned about these aspects of it at this time; a new
computer or certified Apple Store special deal of the later
vintage hardware may be the most suitable upgrade.
Due to the lack of suitable hardware, I declined an offer to
do some beta testing of the latest OS X versions. A non-
disclosure agreement usually is enough to keep those who
know details quiet about them; honesty is more than paper.
In any event...
Good luck & happy computing!

Clean reinstall of Snow Leopard questions

Having major issues with IPHOTO and may have to reinstall Snow. I originally had Leopard and this is a Snow upgrade. A few questions, (1)am I able to back up the OS to another drive WITHOUT installing IPHOTO? HOW?- (2)if so, when I reinstall the OS do I have to install Leopard and then the Snow upgrade or just the Snow upgrade? Will zero out the hard drive and reinstall - want to make sure the back up of email, documents, address book, etc will be allowed so important to know if I have to install Leopard first. Hate to find out that the files won't install because of a version or OS issue.
Is it possible that the install disc may have a repair function??

Hello z:
I will attempt to answer your questions:
(1)am I able to back up the OS to another drive WITHOUT installing IPHOTO? HOW?-
Yes. Use either Time Machine or make a bootable clone (SuperDuper or similar). However, since I do not know what problem you have with iPhoto, I do not know exactly where you are.
(2)if so, when I reinstall the OS do I have to install Leopard and then the Snow upgrade or just the Snow upgrade? Will zero out the hard drive and reinstall - want to make sure the back up of email, documents, address book, etc will be allowed so important to know if I have to install Leopard first. Hate to find out that the files won't install because of a version or OS issue.
You do not have to install OS X 10.5. I would strongly suggest that (after backing up), you reinstall OS X 10.6 over your existing installation (upgrade). IMHO, an erase and install (there is no clean install) should be reserved for disasters. Too many bad things can happen.
Is it possible that the install disc may have a repair function??
Yes, but I have not looked so I cannot really know.
Also IMHO, I think I would try to fix the iPhoto problem. Jumping to an erase and install is probably not necessary. There are excellent people that post in the iPhoto forum if you want to go that way.
Barry

Windows 7 and Snow Leopard Question

Okay, sorry for sounding naive here, but i'm browsing through questions about Windows 7 and bootcamp... and its problems... Why would one install something that isn't even supported yet?
I mean, last I checked, Apple posted this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3920 about the compatibility of Boot Camp and Windows 7.
The reason why I ask is that, I'm planning on switching from a Dell (which is running Win7 on it)to a macbook pro. I actually really like Windows 7 but considered the idea of switching to a mac.
So I guess the first question, I'm curious about. The second question is... what other sort of problems have people experienced with installing Windows on a mac using bootcamp?

Resizing partitions isn't supported, though there is an over-priced utility or two, but I feel double what you need now.
Most people don't need Ultimate, Home Premium 64-bit if you have 4GB or more is fine. If you keep the Dell, you'll need another copy.
Updating drivers shouldn't be a big issue.
Having good thermal fan control is essential - and that has almost always been weak or non-existent.
Battery life in Windows is also shorter than on similar PC laptops I think even still.
Mac OS can always be booted off internal AND external hard drive (no limit to one boot volume) and is lighter on disk space. All depends on what you load up on each system.
And whether you plan to run Windows natively as it sounds like, and whether you want to run Windows inside Mac OS (Parallels and Fusion let you use your Boot Camp volume).

Another Snow Leopard question.

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