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?

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HT3910 can i just install snow leopard over 10.5.8 without erasing my hard drive?

can I?

Yes.
But make a very good backup first in case things do go bad (they can, even if it is rare).

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.

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

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 can I reinstall snow leopard over Lion OS

Ever since I installed Lion OS, my Imac has been absolutely uncontrollable. Programs opening upon start up that shouldn't open, lock ups, freezing system. How can I uninstall Lion and reinstall my Snow Leopard?

You have to quit, not just closing open documents, the programs when you shutdown or they will Resume, by default, when you startup.
The feature can be disabled here by unchecking:
And uncheck when shutting down:

Can I install Snow Leopard on my Macbook with a Windows-formatted Hard Drive?

Well my macbook's screen broke and I need to wipe the data off my hard drive. I popped my hd out and deleted the partition using my PC. Formatted it with NTFS and proceeded to secure wipe it by using One Pass Zero technique. If i got my macbook screen on it, will I be able to freshly install a Snow Leopard on the hard drive?

Hi,
If your NTFS volume was formatted under a GUID partition, this drive should be selected as a valid destination during a Snow Leopard Install from the DVD.
Cheers

I have paid and downloaded LION and want to update my IMAC, can i just run install and it keep photos settings etc from Snow Leopard or is a full reinstall with wiped hard drive, anyone have any experience of this and do i need to run a backup beforehand?

I have paid and downloaded LION and want to update my IMAC, can i just run install and it keep photos settings etc from Snow Leopard or is a full reinstall with wiped hard drive, anyone have any experience of this and do i need to run a backup beforehand?

Always backup your important data before upgrading to a new Mac OS X.
Lion doesn't erase the drive but better to be safe than sorry.
And run Disk Utility (Applications/Utilities). Verify and if necessary repair the startup disk before upgrading.
Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks
Before upgrading read here > Lion upgrade questions and answers: Apple Support Communities
And here > What applications are not compatible with Mac OS X 10.7 "Lion"? What upgrade or substitute options are available for common incompatible applications? @ EveryMac.com

I have Leopard 10.5.8. How can i download and install Snow Leopard or Lion? Thanks.

Currently, I have Leopard 10.5.8. How can i download and install Snow Leopard or Lion? Thanks for your help.

You need to *call* Apple at 1-800-MY-APPLE, as Ralph already said.
But "since one week" sounds like a direct translation of French "il y a". You should call your local country's Apple suuport and ask.
Here is Amazon, from a "snow leopard buy" Google search: http://www.amazon.com/Mac-version-10-6-3-Snow-Leopard/dp/B001AMHWP8

Can't install Snow Leopard on Macbook Pro MC700 - 3 beeps after installer starts.

can't install Snow Leopard on Macbook Pro MC700 - 3 beeps after installer starts (10.6.3 retail). Lion installer starts normally. What's a problem?

I have the same trouble, I try installing rEFI but when I try start my Pro from DVD doesn't recognize.
Can I start from USB Memory? with files from SL DVD? or have some thing else?
I have original DVD of SL 10.6.3, if I buy the latest stable version, can I install? or the EFI firmware with Lion change again?
I try to use Lion, more than one week but I can't, and some app that I use for my profession, doesn't work, I really need downgrade to SL.
Really Thanks for any help.
Pablo

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".

Trouble With installing Snow Leopard on my 4 year old Macbook

I'm trying to install Snow Leopard to my 4 year old Macbook stuck on 10.5.8, but it keeps saying "The application 'Install Mac OS X' cannot be used from this volume." I've tried almost everything to solve this, but I can't find anything at really helps my situation. I've looked on some of these discussions, and they haven't really helped much. My Macbook has a: 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, and is stuck on OS X 10.5.8. Please give me your input and help

Are you using a Retail version of Snow Leopard that looks like this?
Or gray discs that look like this?
The gray discs are machine specific and will only work with the MacBooks that they were shipped with.

Computer iMac7,1 has been giving sundry problems for some time. Within the last six weeks I have reinstalled the OS (Snow Leopard), without affecting the overall contents of the hard drive. ±3 weeks later the problems became more serious and I again reins

Computer iMac7,1 has been giving sundry problems for sometime. Within the last six weeks I have reinstalled the OS (Snow Leopard),without affecting the overall contents of the hard drive.
±3 weeks later the problems became more serious and I againreinstalled the OS and installed OS 6.6.7 from the internet.
I used the option to restore from the external backup driveand went back some time as it was my intention to reinstall individualcomponent in an attempt to find out where the problem might lie. This hasintroduced an entirely new problem! If I open Time Machine from the desktop itappears that all backups from late 2009 to June 2011 are intact. But, in thiscase there are none of the restore functions &c on screen. The latter areonly shown if Time Machine is opened from the menu bar or from the dock but, inthis case, available are only backups in late 2009!
I also opened the Apple Hardware Test in an attempt toestablish the nature of the problem. The ‘quick’ version said there’s nothingwrong; the more detailed one reported “Error detected, 4HD/11/40000004.” I haveagain tried to employ this test but nothing I do can induce it to open!!!
What to do? I need help urgently and would appreciate anyadvice that offers solutions to the problem.

To check your S.M.A.R.T status open disk utility and click on your drive and then click on the info icon.

I am running Snow Leopard on my iMac and have partitioned my hard drive to run Windows XP. If I upgrade to Yosemite, will I still be able to run XP?

I am running Snow Leopard on my iMac and have partitioned my hard drive to run Windows XP. If I upgrade to Yosemite, will I still be able to run XP?

bobfromnorth battleford wrote:
...Now what happens if I upgrade to Yosemite on either my iMac or my MBPro?
If I install VM Fusion or Parallels, does Windows run all the time? How does that affect computer performance? and how much do I need to worry about hard drive corruption?
Current versions of Fusion and Parallels are compatible with Yosemite. Both are applications which you only run when you want to run Windows within them. As such, there's no effect on computer performance when they're not in use. Like any other software, there is some additional load on your Mac when both Windows and the Mac OS are running together, but any noticeable effect depends on what each is being expected to do and what resources (e.g. available RAM and the number of CPU cores) you can devote to each.
I think there's less chance of HD corruption with a VM than there is with running Windows natively on the Mac in Boot Camp. Consider that, with a VM, you can create Snapshots of the state of your VM at a given time, and then, if something goes wrong (virus, malware, software installations), you can simply restore the Snapshot in a matter of seconds and eliminate the problems in the process. Moreover you can make a backup copy of the entire VM file, and replace a later version if you wish. Also consider that you can assign, say, 100GB of HD space to the VM, but the actual space devoted to the VM is only what's actually used; as more is needed, more is made available and Windows can't tell the difference. So, for example, my Win 7 Pro VM has an 80 GB virtual HD but only takes up 45 GB on my SSD, and that's with XP Mode in VPC installed inside it.
Microsoft no longer supports XP, though virus signature updates are still being issued. But MS has installed a pop-up message about EOL that won't go away (it's installed with KB2934207). Even if you remove that KB in Add and Remove Software, the pop-up continues. But if you have a Snapshot or a backup which is prior to it's original installation, you can skip installing KB2934207, and suppress it's reappearance on a Software Update list.

How can i sync music from my phone onto my new computer without losing it all? my old computer's hard drive crashed so it is unusable.

how can i sync music from my phone onto my new computer without losing it all? my old computer's hard drive crashed so it is unusable.

If you do not have a back up of the crashed hard drive you can download an app to copy from the iPhone to iTunes on the new hard drive.
I have used Pod2Mac. There is also Pod2PC.
There are numerous choices, some free, some payed. Do a Google search.

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

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