Can I install Lion over Snow Leopard without erasing and restoring hard drive?

Been reading a lot about downloading Lion. Recommended to back up hard drive to ext. drive, erase hard drive, install Lion and then re-install apps and files from ext. drive. Can I just install Lion over Snow Leopard without erasing all apps and files on hard drive?

If you do an upgrade install then be sure to do this first:
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
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. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro to repair the drive. If you don't have either of them or if neither of them can fix the drive, then you will need to reformat the drive and reinstall OS X.
2. Make a bootable backup just in case. Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

Similar Messages

Can I install 10.6 Snow Leopard to a New Empty Hard Drive?

I could use some help.
*I simply want to boot off a 10.6 retail install DVD and install to an empty hard drive on my Mac Pro 8-core (it came with and currently runs 10.5).*
I will be pulling my 10.5 hard drive (for back up), installing a new drive for SL to start over from scratch.
After talking to Apple pre sales, I was told the $29 disk — MC223Z/A — was an "Upgrade" disk and would require an existing 10.5 install on the target hard drive.
The Apple rep also told me if I wanted the "Full Retail version" to install on an empty drive that I would have to buy the boxed version to get the Full Retail install disk.
Confusion at the store caused me to by BOTH the $29 disk MC223Z/A and the boxed version MC209A/A (it contains iLife and iWork which I don't need).
After scratching my head here and searching Apple and Google — I have concluded both MC223Z/A and MC209A/A are Upgrade disks.
I've upgraded many Mac OSes and thought I knew their terminology and between "Upgrade" and "Full Retail" but it is unclear on the retail boxes I purchased and their is no requirement noted for having a previous 10.5 installed.
Can anyone please take a moment explain how the Upgrade installer works (if 10.5 needs to be installed on a HD before the 10.6 installer can run on it)?
Lastly, what Apple part number is the actual Full Retail 10.6 SL Install CD?

-g wrote:
V.K. wrote:
the actual SL disks in mac box set and in the upgrade set are EXACTLY the same. you can do it with an upgrade dvd without any issues whatsoever...
Thanks for confirming that, I have my 8-core "OEM" 10.5 disk and a "Full Retail" 10.5 disk.
Has anyone actually tried to install MC223Z/A or MC209A/A to an empty hard drive?
Does this work?
Definitely yes. I definitely have done it. All three Sno DVDs do exactly the same thing; everything.
Or do I need to have an existing 10.5 install on the target hard drive?
I want to remove my 10.5 HD so their is zero chance SL can modify it.
You do not need to have 10.5 installed. All 3 Sno DVD's will install on a clean drive.
I don't mind spending extra for Full Retail as long as I can confirm the >correct model number...
The two disk you mention both are "full retail." The up-to-date DVD that was mailed to those entitled to Sno because of their new-machine purchase dates is called an upgrade disk. But, as indicated, it will do anything the other two will do.

I can not install Lion or Snow Leopard on my mac book pro

I can´t install Lion or Snow Leopard on my mac book pro. I tells me that it can not install because :can not get the extra components required to install mac os x.

Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: @(#)PROGRAM:Install PROJECT:Install-686.2
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: @(#)PROGRAM:IA PROJECT:InstallAssistant-209
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Hardware: MacBookPro5,3 @ 2.80 GHz (x 2), 8192 MB RAM
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Running OS Build: Mac OS X 10.7.2 (11C74)
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: PATH=/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: PWD=/
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: SHLVL=1
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: __OSINSTALL_ENVIRONMENT=1
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: CI_DEFAULT_OPENCL_USAGE=0
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: OS_INSTALL=1
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: _=/System/Installation/CDIS/LCA.app/Contents/MacOS/LCA
Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using distribution archive from /Volumes/Image Volume/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product <OSInstallDVDProduct> based on media at /Volumes/Image Volume at distance 10
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product <OSInstallESDProduct> based on distribution at /Volumes/Image Volume/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg at distance 5
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Checking Software Update catalog URL http://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-lion-snowleopard-leopard.m erged-1.sucatalog
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ->T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: inUDS=0x1144acc30=disk0s2=Mac os X
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMBootable=1            (bootable right now without any further action)
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMBootCapable=0         (bootable if you call MKCFPrepareBootDevice)
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMBootSurgeryRequired=0 (for primitive MBR on BIOS, add boot block and loader)
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMFSSurgeryRequired=0   (for primitive MBR on BIOS, add boot block and loader)
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMNewfsRequired=0       (bootable with MKCFPrep but it will rudely carve)
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM <-T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: MKerr=0 out=4=0x4
Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: No available package ref for compatibility update. Ignoring.
Dec 31 22:57:04 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product <OSSoftwareUpdateCatalogProduct> from product keys 11C74_ServerEssentials at distance 25
Dec 31 22:57:06 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Created IATool object:15d114d0
Dec 31 22:57:08 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Preventing machine sleep.
Dec 31 22:57:08 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product IA_PKSecureNetEnabledProduct <file://localhost/Volumes/Mac%20os%20X/Mac%20OS%20X%20Install%20Data/> at distance 5
Dec 31 22:57:08 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using mutable product path: /Volumes/Mac os X/Mac OS X Install Data
Dec 31 22:57:08 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Retrieving 50 packages (3.766 GB)
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Failed to verify Danish.pkg: xar_verify failed
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Retrying file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg after 1 failure(s)
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Retrying file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg after 2 failure(s)
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Retrying file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg after 3 failure(s)
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Failed to retrieve file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg (Error Domain=com.apple.PackageKit.PKFileDownload Code=3 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.PackageKit.PKFileDownload error 3.)")
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Failed to download package from file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg and no alternate source.
Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Stopped operation queue with Error Domain=IAErrorDomain Code=402 "Kan ikke hente de ekstra komponenter, der kræves til installering af Mac OS X." UserInfo=0x115d8b540 {NSLocalizedDescription=Kan ikke hente de ekstra komponenter, der kræves til installering af Mac OS X., NSUnderlyingError=0x117362000 "The operation couldn’t be completed. (com.apple.PackageKit.PKFileDownload error 3.)"}

Install Lion over Snow Leopard on third party SSD.

I am currently running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on a third party SSD (Intel 510 series), and am using Trim Enabler 1.2. Everything is running well.
Regarding installing Lion 10.7.2 on the same SSD drive, I have some questions: Should I simply install Lion over Snow Leopard, then either switch to Trim Enabler 2.0 beta 4, or use Grant Pannell's tips here http://digitaldj.net/2011/07/21/trim-enabler-for-lion/. I have read in places that it is best to perform a wipe or some type of reconditioning of an SSD before installing Lion on it. Thanks for any advice you all may have.

I would do the following:
1) buy an external disk enclosure with USB and/or FireWire interface
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817146604
2) buy a cheap traditional hard disk at least the same size as the SSD or larger
3) Clone the SSD to the external hard disk inside the enclosure
4) Download Lion from the App Store and copy the installer to a USB Flash Drive
4) Delete the partitions on the SSD (don't bother formatting)
5) Install Lion cleanly with a boot USB Flash Drive
6) Connect the external disk and use the Migration Assistant to move your data back
7) Once you are sure all is good (take a few weeks to be sure) then you can format the external disk and use it as a Time Machine drive. Or use it for other purposes.
Give it time to index everything with Spotlight.
That would be the most clean way to upgrade. Some have been lucky with Lion upgrades but if you have a ton of legacy stuff installed as well as custom tweaks, etc. Then you are likely to run into issues. Best to start clean and neat and migrate your data over. I would even re-install the Apps individually.
Make sure you are not running any PowerPC Apps which rely on Rosetta because that won't work in Lion after the upgrade.

INSTALLING LION OVER SNOW LEOPARD

I am getting set to install Lion over Snow Leopard (10.6.8).
Is there anything I need to know about this? I plan on doing a complete time machine back up before I do the install, on a HD that is internal, anything I need to know about that? I just want it to go smoothly, any direction and/or suggestions is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

any new Apple kB articles
http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=articles
Me, I think clone backups are more useful, and only use T.M. as secondary.
Using Cloning as a Backup Strategy
I'd assume that professional apps may need to be tested still; and of course check to see what you have that depends on PowerPC code and Rosetta first. That has some in a tither.
A clone lets you still be able to boot Snow Leopard. Check out Carbon Copy, SuperDuper.

Install Lion over Snow Leopard Server

I have a mac-mini that was purchased with Snow Leopard Server (the server model from just over a year ago).
Turns out, I haven't used any of the server functionality that wasn't already in the base User/Consumer version of OS X, so I want to just install Lion and not waste $50 on the Server Add on.
I've tried this via the Mac App Store _AND_ via the USB dongle. It wont install. When you try to run the Lion installer, it gives a "waiting for the App Store to download the Server Add-on" dialog. It gives you the option to cancel if you don't want that ... but cancel doesn't do what a reasonable person would think: skip the server add-on. Instead, it cancels the entire installation.
Anyone had this problem? Anyone know how to work around it? or if there's a work-around at all?

instead of that, I just told it to erase my time-machine partition, and install there. (it refused to install over the top of my "server" partition). Since I had recently done a full backup to an external drive, I wasn't worried about that path. It has taken a bit more work to get fully up to speed, but it at least worked.
But, either path (downgrade to SL client, then upgrade to Lion sans Server-add-on vs blow away an install and install elsewhere) are both ****-poor user experience designs in my opinion. Though, I doubt it matters now, since all future stuff will be via the Mac App Store, and you can just tell that to uninstall Server.

Tips and help with re-installing Lion over Snow Leopard

I had MAJOR issues with my initial Lion install on my Mid-2009 MBP- so much so, that I had to wipe my hard drive and re-install Snow Leopard and all my applications. My major issues were as follows:
1. All my files were locked out- I could open them in most cases, but I couldn't overwrite them- Lion had aded some funky permissions scheme that I didn't recognize, and my user name wasn't present on any of them. In some cases, I couldn't even open files, even though they were resident on my hard drive (and in my own user folder) before the upgrade to Lion.
2. Apple's own Universal Binary apps wouldn't work after the upgrade. Final Cut Pro 6, in particular, came up with a message that it was a "PowerPC" app and wouldn't run- yet Shake 4.1 would run just fine!
3. Adobe Creative Suite 3- after the upgrade, my Abode Ceative Suite 3 apps worked just fine, for about a day- that is, until I tried to correct the file permissions issue by changing permission on a few of my folders in my User folder (and electing to change permissions in the files contained therein)- at which point my Adobe apps told me that they were damaged and needed to be reinstalled. Yet after uninstaling and reinstalling the entire Creative Suite 3 times, I still would get the same message.
My entire workflow is Adobe CS and FCS2- why chould I have to pay the upgrade costs just to use Lion? FCPX is completely brkoen for my workflow and eqipment, and Adobe can't even guarantee that CS5 works with Lion- so why does Apple insist on Lion when it's hardly even compatible with its own products?
I really want to use Lion, but I am looking for some tips on instalation to kep these problems from happening again. I didn' have ANY of these problems with upgrading OS 10.2 through 10.6. Any help with prepping my system/files for upgrading would be helpful. Thanks!

any new Apple kB articles
http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=articles
Me, I think clone backups are more useful, and only use T.M. as secondary.
Using Cloning as a Backup Strategy
I'd assume that professional apps may need to be tested still; and of course check to see what you have that depends on PowerPC code and Rosetta first. That has some in a tither.
A clone lets you still be able to boot Snow Leopard. Check out Carbon Copy, SuperDuper.

About installing Lion over Snow Leopard from an external Hard Drive

I was just talking with an Apple Representative on the phone a bit earlier and he said that if I connected up to a computer with Lion on it already, booted it into recovery mode, then installed Lion onto an external HD that I could then attach the external HD with Lion on it to a Snow Leopard machine and boot off of the Lion Partition (on the external HD) and then I could upgrade my sno leopard machine from this lion "image" on my external Lion drive.
My question is that will this keep all of my files on my Snow Leopard machine in place (so basically will this perform an upgrade) or completely erase everything off of my Snow Leopard machine?

To boot from an external optical drive:
Boot Using OPTION key:
1. Restart the computer.
2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "OPTION" key.
3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
4. Select the desired disk icon for the external optical drive. The DVD
should be in the optical drive before restarting the computer.
5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.

I have just installed Mountain Lion over Snow Leopard, I now can't open Photoshop?

Hi everyone, I have just installed Mountain Lion over Snow Leopard. The installation went smooth and woks well. Now I find that Ican't open either Photoshop CS or Microsoft Word. I upgraded in order to install Lightroom 5, obviously there is now an incompatability, is there a work around?

If that is the original Photoshop CS, and Word 2004 or earlier, then they won't open because Lion and Mountain Lion do not support PowerPC apps. They must be Intel code. Snow Leopard could run them because it included Rosetta, a PowerPC to Intel (and back) interpreter.
You have a few options.
1) Go back to Snow Leopard.
2) Update your apps to compatible versions.
3) If you have Mountain Lion because newer apps require it then:
a) Install Snow Leopard Server (currently being sold by Apple for $20) in a VM such as Parallels, and then run your PPC apps in the VM.
b) Install Snow Leopard on a separate partition and boot to that version of OS X when you need to use those older apps.

I installed mountain lion over snow leopard and my macbook pro 13" taking time for login and logout,

i installed mountain lion over snow leopard and my macbook pro 13" taking time for login and logout.. any solution

Hi JoeyR. Well, according to this link at the Apple Store, OS X Moutain Lion became available in July and I downloaded it for $19.99. I figured I would do that before renewing my Norton security SW. Are we talking about the same thing?
http://www.apple.com/osx/

Macbook Air with no OSX (Mid 2011) ... cannot install Lion nor Snow Leopard

I have a Macbook Air with no OSX (Mid 2011) ... and I cannot install Lion nor Snow Leopard.
I purchased this Macbook Air 13" and found that the OS had been wiped off. Since then I've been able to get the Recovery Disk Assistant to get me into the Recovery Partition on the MBA... but when I try the "Reinstall Mac OS X" from within Mac OS X Utilities, the download fails after 30 sec. and I get the error message, "Could not find installation information for this machine. Contact Apple Care". This MBA is still covered under Apple's Applecare, but the nearest Apple Store is 3 hrs away and from what I've read, they may not be able to help me.
I know all about Build 11A2063 but cannot figure out where or how to get that.
Also, I've tried making a bootable Lion Drive from my Mac Mini onto a flashdrive, but this too did not work on the MBA (I assume because it isn't Build 11A2063).
I have a huge expensive paper weight with no idea of where to go from here. Any help would be much appreciated.

Where did you buy an MBA without an operating system? Was this from another individual who took the liberty to remove the Mac OS X before selling it to you?
You might try calling Apple customer support and have them walk you through the process, as they can figure out just what version of the OS should be on that machine.
http://www.apple.com/contact

I want to format my hard drive and install Lion, using Snow Leopard at the moment.

I'm running Snow Leopard at the moment, and would like to install Lion.
But I want to wipe my hard drive clean before doing so, is there a way of formating the hard drive as you install the downloaded lion?
Thanks for ur answers.

Not that I'm aware of. You can, however, grab the installer file and create a bootable USB thumb drive after downloading Lion and BEFORE you install it. Read here on how to do this.
After downloading, I would let it install. Then reboot with the USB thumb drive, use Disk Utilities to wipe the drive and then install Lion from the thumb drive. Do a backup first.

Installing Lion on Snow Leopard Server

I have mac mini server running snow leopard server. I want to install Mac OS X Lion on it.
I have purchased Lion through App Store, but while installing on mac server it asks for Lion Server.
I am not using any server features as of now, Can I downgrade snow leopard server to client and instal Lion on it?
or is there any better way of installing Lion on Snow Leopard Server...
Thanks,
K

No easy way unfortunately.
OS X Server gets its fingers into all parts of your computer. You'd have to go in an manually remove hundreds of files, and replace them with their counterparts from the non-server version.
It would be MUCH easier to back up your home folder and any additional files you need, then nuke and pave with Lion non-server. Restore your info, and you'll be back up and running.
HTH
-Graham

How do I downgrade from Lion to Snow Leopard without losing iWork 09? I upgraded my MBP from 10.5 (originally 10.4) to 10.6, then again to 10.7. Should I go back to 10.4, 10.5 or just to 10.6?

How do I downgrade from Lion to Snow Leopard without losing iWork 09? I upgraded my MBP from 10.5 (originally 10.4) to 10.6, then again to 10.7. Should I go back to 10.4, 10.5 or just to 10.6? I don't remember which system included iWork 09 and don't want to lose it. Thanks for any help.

Thanks for the information! My sister gave me the MBP for my daughter with Leopard installed. I purchased Snow Leopard and installed it, then my daughter purchased Lion. So I do have all the installers. If iWork wasn't included with any of those, I guess my sister purchased it while running Leopard. I'll have to contact her. Thanks again.

My iMac says I have 10.6.8 operating system now. Problem is I do not know if that is 'Lion' or 'Snow Leopard' ... and I wish to upgrade to 'Mountain Lion'

My iMac says I have 10.6.8 operating system now. Problem is I do not know if that is 'Lion' or 'Snow Leopard' ... and I wish to upgrade to 'Mountain Lion'

That is Snow Leopard.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service - this includes international calling numbers. The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will receive physical media - DVD - by mail.
Third-party sources for Snow Leopard are:
Snow Leopard from Amazon.com
Snow Leopard from eBay
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store.
Before upgrading check that you computer meets the minimum requirements:
Snow Leopard General requirements
1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
2. 1GB of memory
3. 5GB of available disk space
4. DVD drive for installation
5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may
apply.
6. Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.
Upgrading to Lion
First, you need to upgrade to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 as stated above.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service - this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
Before upgrading check that you computer meets the minimum requirements:
Lion System Requirements
1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or
Xeon processor
2. 2GB of memory
3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
4. 7GB of available space
5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
Be sure your computer meets the minimum requirements:
Apple - OS X Mountain Lion - Read the technical specifications.
Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
7. Xserve (Early 2009)
Are my applications compatible?
See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps - App compatibility and feature support for OS X & iOS.
Am I eligible for the free upgrade?
See Apple - Free OS X Mountain Lion upgrade Program.
For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Apple - Upgrade your Mac to OS X Mountain Lion.

Can I install Lion over Snow Leopard without erasing and restoring hard drive?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for