Can I install snow leopard, using my original disk that came with the computer, on my mac that has mavericks as its OS?

I recently had a new hard drive installed in my macbook pro (2009 model). Previously I was running snow leopard and refused to upgrade as I knew it would cause my pro tools to become incompatible, however when I received my knew, hard drive due to my old one becoming corrupt, the apple techs had installed lion as the OS, I updated to mavericks on the off chance the incompatibility was just with Lion. However I my Snow leopard disk is also incompatible with the new OS, I would like to know if there is any way to install snow leopard onto my mac while it is using mavericks?

Restart the computer with the disk in the drive and the C key held down and install Snow Leopard onto a blank partition or drive. If needed, use the Disk Utility to repartition or erase the internal one.
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How can I install snow leopard on 2010 MacBook Pro that has no os?

I purchased a 2010 MacBook Pro on eBay and it was delivered with no operating system. It has disk utility recovery, but the choices listed don't apply. I don't have an time machine backup, nor can I restore Mavericks. I bought a copy of Snow Leopard to install, but can't figure out how to do it. Hoping someone out there has some suggestions.

In his usual diplomatic, understated way, Ogelthorpe has told you the truth.
MacBook Pro
Date introduced
Original Mac OS X included
(see Tips 1 and 3)
Later Mac OS X included
(see Tip 1)
Mac OS X Build(s)
(see Tip 2)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)
Apr 2010
10.6.3
10.6.4
10D2063a, 10D2094, 10D2101a, 10F2108
The version on the "Full Retail" 10.6.3 DVD is likely to be build 10D575, which is too early to Install and run on that MacBook, which shipped with one of the custom versions listed in the box above.

Will it work to un-install Snow Leopard (booting from original disks) and then reinstall, then upgrade without erasing hard drive on iMac?

I have both a bootable backup exernal hard drive and the original system disks. I have read on these support pages that you cannot get snow leopard freshly installed without erasing the whole whole drive since the original installation disks are older than the current updated version. I have also read here that it is possible to get the system newly installed (though it's wise to have a back up of the rest of your files). I need to know which can work. Is there an un-install function after booting from a different source? If I can get the system filess off the main hard drive and then install Snow Leopard from my original disks, then go through the upgrades, and end up with the rest of my files intact, that would be wonderful. I have all the adobe design premium software on the system with their updates and would like to not spend hours and hours restoring it all. And since I don't know where all the little bits and pieces of the Adobe programs get installed, perhaps it won't work anyway?
thanks,
Kahty

I have read on these support pages that you cannot get snow leopard freshly installed without erasing the whole whole drive since the original installation disks are older than the current updated version.
That is incorrect. You can install an older version of the same OS over itself. With Snow Leopard and later, unless you intentionally select to erase the drive, the OS removes and replaces all remnants of the current OS and leaves all of your third party apps, personal files and settings intact.
I have also read here that it is possible to get the system newly installed (though it's wise to have a back up of the rest of your files).
That is the correct information.
Is there an un-install function after booting from a different source? If I can get the system files off the main hard drive and then install Snow Leopard from my original disks, then go through the upgrades, and end up with the rest of my files intact, that would be wonderful.
No, there is no way to remove just the OS files from a drive. At least, not in any manner you could call easy. There are thousands of hidden files and folders related to UNIX. Many apps won't even run correctly, or at all, if they're not on the same drive you are starting up to. So trying to separate your third party apps from the drive the OS is on is not a good idea.
I have all the adobe design premium software on the system with their updates and would like to not spend hours and hours restoring it all.
If your end goal is to simply get the contents of the external drive onto a new internal drive in a bootable form, you can use Disk Utility to clone the drive, or use one of two excellent third party apps; SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner.

I can't install Snow leopard on my hard disk which has 10.4.11 on and lots of space.

I can't install Snow leopard on my hard disk which has 10.4.11 on it and lots of space, I run the snow Leopard install disk and it says it cant be installed on my hard disk, which has 160 GB of space.

Which iMac? If it's a G5, the highest OS you can run is Leopard. Are you using the full retail copy of Snow, or a grey, machine specific disc from another computer? If it's the latter, that's the reason.
Message was edited by: WZZZ

I can't install Snow Leopard on a brand new hard drive with a brand new optical drive.

I need help please. I have a 2009 MacBook Pro. The hard drive crashed a while back so I bought a new one. The original Snow Leopard disc that came with it was scratched so I bought a new one of it as well. After trying/failing to install Snow Leopard on the new hard drive about a dozen times I bought a new optical drive as well. I installed the new optical drive today, tried to install Snow Leopard again and STILL got the same installation error messages. Any help that anyone might be able to provide would be greatly appreciated.
Last error message:
Install failed: The Installer could not copy the necessary support files.

Did you partition and format the new drive first?
Drive Partition and Format
1. Boot from your OS X 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. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
7. Upon completion quit Disk Utility and return to the installer. Complete the Snow Leopard installation.

SuperDrive is broken, can I install Snow Leopard using Firewire?

A relative gifted me a new computer, so I'm wanting to sell my old 21.5" mac. I've done all the basics - backed everything to an external hard drive, secure erased all data, and bought a retail copy of Snow Leopard (since I'd bought it with all software preinstalled, I didn't have any install disks).
Now here's the problem: the SuperDrive is broken, and I've already tried using a Samsung external CD/DVD drive to install the OS - no dice. I was told that instead of relying on install CDs, I could make a USB stick with the install on it. So I took my Macbook Pro and partitioned it, set it to GUID, selected "Restore," etc. After that, I stick the USB into the old mac, hold the "Option" key in startup, and see the "Install CD" icon. I click on it, and the screen shows the Apple logo. Nothing else. I thought to leave it like that for a few hours, and still nothing happens. I can't even see the cursor.
Now, what I want to know is (apart from the fact that now is the time to panic), is there any way I can install the OS via Firewire and the Macbook Pro's SuperDrive? If not, is there ANY way to install that doesn't require a SuperDrive? All articles on the topic seem to be written in cryptic shorthand, so it would be greatly appreciated if any info was broken down for my 2nd-grade reading intellect.

If the 2 computers have the correct cable connections, try the Target Disk Mode.
Target Disc Mode

How can I install Snow Leopard on my 15" MacBook Pro without using its DVD drive?

How can I install Snow Leopard on my 15" MacBook Pro without using its DVD drive?

I'm assuming your dvd drive is broken? if you have a thumb drive large enough (8GB or better), you can use another computer to make a bootable image from the install dvd to the thumb drive. then you can install from the the thumb drive.
Ihttp://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
that's a step by step walkthrough.

How can i install snow leopard on my mac G5 using a command line and booting from an external usb rom, since my disk i have is not a bootable media

How can i install snow leopard on my mac G5 using a command line and booting from an external usb rom, since my disk i have is not a bootable media

Hi.
You simply can't. Snow Leopard is compiled in Intel binary only.
Good Luck.

I have a new time capsule, want to use it in conjunction with iMac G5 and MacBook; laptop runs Snow Leopard but G5 can't install Snow Leopard, is stuck at OS 10.4.11. Am I doomed? Can anyone advise me? Thanks..

I have a new Time Capsule, want to use it in conjunction with an iMac G5 and a MacBook. MacBook runs Snow Leopard, but G5 (lacking Intel processor) can't install Snow Leopard, is stuck at OS 10.4.11. Am I doomed? Will appreciate any advice. Thanks.

you should still be able to get a copy of Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), which should run on your G5.

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

Can't install Snow Leopard on MacBook Pro - DVD won't mount

I am unable to install Snow Leopard on my MacBook Pro as the DVD won't mount. This is an early 2008 vintage MacBook Pro, intel core duo...
I'm using a OS X Snow Leopard install DVD (family licensed). This DVD has been used to install 3 other Macs in my house without a problem (about a year ago), but cannot be used to upgrade my MBP. Actually, this disk mounted on the MBP exactly once - inserted with system up, the disk mounted. Upon running the installed (a year ago), the computer restarted but hung in boot. After getting the disk ejected and the computer restarted, the disk would never mount again. I've defered upgrade for a year but at this point need to upgrade my MBP at least to Snow Leopard and possibly Lion.
The problem doesn't seem to be with the DVD, since it continues to mount fine in other computers, and in fact a borrowed Snow Leopard DVD also will not mount on the MBP.
BUT ... the problem also does not seem to be with the optical drive in my computer, as it can read & mount the install/restore disks that came with the computer as well as other CDs and DVD ROMs. Only the Snow Leopard install DVDs fail to mount.
I've also tried mounting the 10.6 install DVD on my Mac Pro desktop, making it available over the network (ethernet) with DVD/CD sharing. I can mount the remote disk from my MBP that way, but when I launch the installer, the application launches (its own menus are displayed, I can quit from menu, for example) but does nothing -- no windows open, nothing.
I've also tried "Remote Install" (again with the DVD made available with the Remote Install MacOS X application on my desktop), but when I boot the MBP with option held down, the remote disk is not available as a startup disk.
Zapping the PRAM did not help.
Am off to the store to get an optical drive cleaning kit and a blank DVD big enough to burn a new disk image, but would appreciate any further ideas at this point....

Solution that worked: Copy the Install DVD to a USB flash drive and boot from that.
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
Up and running with Snow Leopard now and working on the updates.

Can't install snow leopard on partition after upgrading to lion

I rushed out too early to install Lion via Apple Apps store. Now, I realize that Rosetta is gone and so are my options to use older apps. As I was reading on the web and Apple Support, I have tried various things and get a window saying that I can't install snow leopard.
I have never partition my hard drive, but using disk utility I created a partition called "Snow Leopard." It divided my HD in half which is okay. I closed the disk utility window, rebooted holding down the "C" key, and saw the OS X Install DVD. When I select it a window pops up saying, "You can't use this version of the appl inst Mac OS X with this version of Mac OS X. You have installed Mac OS X 23.1.1."
Before downloading lion, I made a backup of my existing HD using Time Machine to an external HD. When I open up a saved version dated a month ago, I see that the applications that were working in snow leopard now have the icon circle saying that it is not supported by lion. This is strange since I used Time Machine to back up my HD, then turned off the app before downloading lion. Even older versions saved on the external HD show the circle.
I read about lion and the "Recovery HD," but when I hold down the Command-R key nothing happens when I restart my computer. It also talks about using the option key but that does not work. It talks about reinstalling lion using this system, but I don't see it working.
How can I install snow leopard on my new partition, then I would go to "Software Updates," to get the latest version, or use one of the versions on my external HD to have both operating system.
Thanks,
DaisyMay

Hi Scottiemn,
As I was trying different things to make a partition on my HD, I made notes as to what I did, and I finally got it to work. I will try to explain what I did.
Before installing “Lion,” I backed up Snow Leopard using Time Machine to my external Seagate HD. I installed “Lion,” and found out that I could not use some of my old apps, so I did the following.
Since I am running “Lion,” I opened up disk utility and selected my MacHD (1TB), then I selected partition, and it showed “Macintosh HD” under the partition information name. I believe I selected the plus, + and it divided my HD space in half, and I named it Snow Leopard.
I then installed the Snow Leopard DVD, and restarted my computer holding down the “C” key, I held it down for about 30 seconds or more and then took my finger off of the key. As I waited I finally saw that I was on the install DVD, and on the top menu bar I saw “Utilities.” I had my external Seagate HD mounted on my desk top before I restarted my computer, I selected the “Utilities,” on the menu bar and it gave me the option to back up from Time Machine, I selected my external Seagate HD to the newly created partition I named Snow Leopard and I said “Yes.” I followed the instructions and after it was done, I went to the menu bar and selected System Preferences, System, Startup Disk, and selected to start up with Snow Leopard. On my desktop, I can see two Hard Drives, one is Macintosh HD with “Lion,” and the other is Snow Leopard.
Then, I started up my computer and I was on the Snow Leopard partition and I saw all of my apps working. I then went back to the menu bar and selected System Preferences, System, Startup Disk, and selected to start up with “Lion,” and restarted my computer and I was running “Lion.”
I am not sure why I was not able to use the DVD of SL before, but somehow I got it to work, and I hope that I have explained what I did above.
One thing, when I installed “Lion,” from the app store, I did not make a bootable DVD of the application. I went back to the app store and downloaded “Lion” again and kept it in the dock until I got Snow Leopard to work. I burned a DVD of “Lion,” and so I have a backup of it.
Since my Seagate HD has only 250 GB of space and it is an EIDE HD 7,200 rpm using an OWC Mercury Elite FW400/USB2 with the Oxford chipset 911 enclosure which I bought in 2008, I decided that since I now have my 27 inch iMac quad core i5 with 1TB that I needed a larger hard drive.
I researched the web and decided to go back to OWC and just bought a 2.0TB OWC Mercury Elite Pro “Quad Interface” 64MB with eSATA/FW800/FW400/USB2.0 with 7,200 rpm speed for $219.00. I partitioned it for Time Machine, and Carbon Copy Cloner.
I ran Time Machine, and both partitions “Lion, and Snow Leopard” are on the Time Machine partition and both HD’s are under the Carbon Copy Cloner.
I am self taught on my many iMac’s over the years, and I go to the forums to ask questions and follow the helpful hints to resolve my problems. I carefully try different things and write down what I did so I don’t repeat things.
I hope that I have explained what I did, and hopefully it will work for you.
When I want to run SL, I select in the System Preferences to start up from that disk, when I want to run Lion, I go back and select that and start up my computer running Lion.
Since I have many old apps that Rosetta uses to open them up in SL I wanted to keep that operating system. I will go back now that I have everything working and see if I really need them. I won’t rush to remove my SL partition that I created, but in time if I don’t need the older apps then I may clean out my system and just run Lion.
I run Lion now all of the time, but when I need to go back to SL, I now have the option.
Good Luck,
DaisyMay

Can't install Snow Leopard on a MacBook

Hi guys...
A friend of mine brought me his Macbook to fix it because the hard drive was making sounds and now won't boot.
The drive in fact is bad, it barely mount, makes noises, etc.
I've replaced the internal hard drive for a Toshiba 320gb SATA 3.
The thing is that apparently the DVD doesn't recognize my drive and of course, i can't install Snow Leopard.
My question is, is this a problem with the new drive?. I believe that being a SATA3 could be causing the problem.
Second question... Can i install Snow Leopard (somehow) using my Mac mini?
Thanks so much and i hope you can help me.
Regards.
Francisco.

Hi!!
>I've used another internal hard drive and installs correctly<
Using the DVD installer?
Yes
So it boots with another hard drive in there but ejects when you put the Toshiba in there?
Yes but it only make sense if the DVD would create a temporary partition or something in order to install the OS.
>Could it be that the drive is SATA3? <
Even so it would be downwards compatible.
I though so too
>or maybe the hd is bad?<
That would make more sense.
I'm going to clone the installation that went OK in order to see if it's actually my internal drive the problem.
Could it be the manufacturer?
Thanks so much and i'll let you know.
Regards.
Francisco.

Can I install Snow Leopard on MacBook Pro 2013

Can I install Snow Leopard on my new MacBook Pro 2013. I'm so tired of the UGLY grey icons. I keep thinking that the mail or iPhoto window is not the active one because everything is grey. I use Snow Leopard on my 27inch iMac and love it. Nice RED delete button for mail, etc. Thanks

Firmware restrictions prevent directly loading any OSX earlier than what came with the system.
The *only* way around is to load SnowLeopard *Server* (not Client) into a virtual machine (Parallels, VMWare Fusion, VirtualBox). But that costs $20+shipping/tax for the disk and is a learning curve into SL Server. And you *still* need your host OSX to run it, and the VM will not most efficiently use the hardware resources.

Can I install snow leopard on an external hard drive so I can run quicken 2006, and put snow leopard on my imac harddrive

Can I install snow leopard on an external hard drive in order to run my quicken 2006, and install lion on the hard drive of my imac?

You don't need to erase the drive and repartition from scratch. You may be able to add a second partition on the fly. The caveat here is that once you do that you cannot create a Windows partition using Boot Camp. Of course if you have no plans for Boot Camp then it isn't relevant.
To create a second partition on your existing startup volume:
To resize the drive do the following:
1. Open Disk Utility and select the drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list.
2. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window. You should see the graphical sizing window showing the existing partitions. A portion may appear as a blue rectangle representing the used space on a partition.
3. In the lower right corner of the sizing rectangle for each partition is a resizing gadget. Select it with the mouse and move the bottom of the rectangle upwards until you have reduced the existing partition enough to create the desired new volume's size. The space below the resized partition will appear gray. Click on the Apply button and wait until the process has completed. (Note: You can only make a partition smaller in order to create new free space.)
4. Click on the [+] button below the sizing window to add a new partition in the gray space you freed up. Give the new volume a name, if you wish, then click on the Apply button. Wait until the process has completed.
You should now have a new volume on the drive.
It would be wise to have a backup of your current system as resizing is not necessarily free of risk for data loss. Your drive must have sufficient contiguous free space for this process to work.
Now, you cannot add a new partition that exceeds the amount of contiguous free space at the end of the drive. Disk Utility will fail to add the partition if it cannot find sufficient contiguous free space. If that's the case then you will need to follow your state outline - backup, boot from clone, erase internal, repartition internal, restore backup to one of the partitions (or both in your case.)

Can I install snow leopard, using my original disk that came with the computer, on my mac that has mavericks as its OS?

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