Clean install Lion with Snow Leopard DVD

I want to perform a clean install of my Macbook Pro, currently running the latest version of Lion, upgraded from Snow Leopard via the App Store). When performing a clean install I have to use my Snow Leopard DVD. After this installation is completed, do I have to purchase the Lion upgrade again in the App Store?
I want to add a second hard disk (replacing the DVD with an SSD) in my Macbook Pro 17" (mid 2010). When I mount the root (/) on the SSD and /Home to my current hard disk, is it still possible to perform a restore instead of a clean install?
Any suggestions/remarks are welcome.

Not exactly. Time Machine looks for compatible Drive Partitions, it does not care what folders you have on that drive or what the current working folder is. When doing a recovery, TM will first install a virgin copy of Lion, then it will give you a list of all the backed up data it found on your backup drive so you can decide what gets installed (likely everything). Then you reboot, login and run Software Update.
You do not need that SSD. In fact, I don't reccomend it. All you need is a blank USB or Firewire drive. Jack it into your MAC and install Lion on it. Then you can boot from that drive and do whatever you want to your main disk.
Lion creates 2 partitions. One is small and holds the installer and the usual utilities. Great idea, but if your drive ever fails or has a partition problem your toast. So I always make a DVD. Use Google to find instructions on how to make it.
You don't need to install or boot 10.6 to do any of this.
There are reasons you would need to wipe your disk and start over. But these reasons are very few. Don't make a lot of work for yourself if you don't have to.

Similar Messages

Format/Reinstall Mountain Lion with Snow Leopard DVD

I began having problems with software freezing up this morning out of nowhere and decided to do a disk verify on the Macintosh HD partition using Disk Utility. Once it completed it stated I needed to restart holding CMD+R to enter Disk Utility outside of OSX (I guess) to repair some problems that showed up. After doing that, I recieved a message stating that it could not repair the disk, to backup as much as possible, reformat, and reinstall OSX.
I have been using time machine to back up that partition since the beginning. Backups should not be a problem.
So here are my questions:
#1 - Do I only need to select the "Macintosh HD" partition in disk utility and hit reformat?
          Will it even allow me to do that within OSX?
          And will it guide me through the process to reinstall OSX?
#2 - When I purchased the iMac it came with Snow Leopard, but have since upgraded to Lion, then Mountain Lion.
          If I reinstall using the DVD that came with the iMac, will I lose Mountain Lion?
          Or is that attached to my user ID or my Time Machine when I restore?
#3 - I use iTunes - A LOT - Am I going to lose the iTunes database (all my plays, dates, ratings etc...) after reinstalling or will those be safe on my restore from my Time Machine?
I have googled reformatting iMac and read several guides but all this "GUID" stuff is above my head. I just want a clean system like it was when I got it. I use external drives for most of my main storage other than itunes music, which is backed up but remains on the internal drive.
Thank you so much for any help you may be able to give me ahead of time!

#1 should allow that.
#2, no need to reinstall 10.6...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
Or restore from the TM backup once the Drive is fixed.
#3, If the TM backup is good you should be fine.

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

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.

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.)"}

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

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.

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.

I am in the process of updating the os of my macbook pro and have installed from the snow leopard dvd and did the 10.6.8 combo v1.1 as well and wis to update further but i now cannot get preview so i am concerned about going forward. how to get prev

I am updating the OS on my MacBook Pro from 10.5.8. I have installed 10.6.8 and the 10.6.8 combo v1.1. I cannot open my older version of Preview and do not appear to have a newer version which i thought would be on the Snow Leopard dvd. How can I get the correct version of Preview and is it advisable to upgrade to OS7 andOS8?

It is always installed with whatever new version of OS X is installed or appropriate updates. Since you plan to go forward your choice depends on your model. I would urge you to perform a clean install instead of continuing the upgrade path which may interject incompatibilities.
Upgrading to Yosemite
You can upgrade to Yosemite from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Yosemite can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for FREE.
Upgrading to Yosemite
To upgrade to Yosemite you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Download Yosemite from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Yosemite is free. The file is quite large, over 5 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
    OS X Mavericks/Yosemite - System Requirements
    Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Yosemite
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) - Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
     Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table - RoaringApps.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Yosemite, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion at the Online Apple Store. 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.
     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.
Before attempting a clean install you want to first download the appropriate installer application from the App Store. It will download into your Applications folder. You need to make a copy of it in your Downloads folder so you can make a bootable USB flash drive:
Make Your Own Mavericks, Mountain/Lion Installer
After downloading the installer you must first save the Install Mac OS X application. After the installer downloads DO NOT click on the Install button. Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the installer. Move the copy into your Downloads folder. Now you can click on the Install button. You must do this because the installer deletes itself automatically when it finishes installing.
   2. Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:
Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
After DU loads select your flash drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the leftside list. 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.
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.
Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to an hour depending upon the flash drive size.
Use DiskMaker X to put your installer clone onto the USB flash drive.
Make your own Yosemite flash drive installer using the Yosemite tool:
You can also create a Yosemite flash drive installer via the Terminal. Yosemite has its own built-in installer maker you use via the Terminal:
How to Make an OS X Yosemite Boot Installer USB Drive

Mountain Lion with Snow Leopard?

I recently went through the process of upgrading my iMac (Mid 2007) from Leopard to Snow Leopard without problem using a SL Install DVD.
I then made the mistake of upgrading from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion via the app store.
I did not make a backup of my Mac HD prior to upgrading because the external HD I have is too small ( a problem that was to be resolved by a new 2TB External HD which I have bought but it will only run in Lion or Mountain Lion)
The upgrade to ML went fine with no loss of data, however I now can't use legacy software that needs Rosetta, which I really need to have access to.
After a very long search through dozens of forums the best option seems to be to run the legacy software from an external hard drive loaded with Snow Leopard.
After fully erasing an external drive and repartitioning with the neccessary GUID Partition Map
I have been trying to create a bootable version of SL on an external hard drive by booting the iMac now running ML direct from the SL install DVD and installing SL onto the external drive.
This process appears to go ok until the end of the initial part of the install when the process would normally require a restart before continuing to completion.
The process just seems to stop and the iMac starts up in Mountain Lion
When I look at what is on the external hard drive onto which I am installing SL most of the applications are greyed out with those no-entry signs.
If I try to boot from the new Snow Leopard HD it seems to try but eventually just launches ML from the iMac.
How do I complete the installation on the new SL HD?
Did the Mountain Lion upgrade from the app store make my machine unable to run Snow Leopard from an external HD?
Are there firmware upgrades that have occured that might be causing the issues?
And if so what can I do about it?

Another option is to install Snow Leopard Server into Parallels 8 in Mt. Lion and have concurrent access to your legacy PowerPC apps (instead of the dual-boot):
[click on image to enlarge]
Apple is now selling Snow Leopard Server for $19.99 + sales tax & shipping costs at 1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only).

Replacing Lion with Snow Leopard

Four months ago I downloaded the OS X Lion through the App Store.
I have nothing but problems with Safari ever since.
I have to reconnect to my wi-fi network every time I start the computer.
For some reason it won't remember my preferences.
Here is my quetstion...
If I purchase Snow Leopard software, can I reinstall it in my Mac and get rid of Lion?
I appreciate the advice.
Tim

If it came with Snow Leopard then you can reinstall Snow Leopard, per my instructions, using the original installer DVD that came with the computer. No need to purchase Snow Leopard if you already have it.
If you were willing to take the time and effort, then I would suggest reinstalling Lion from scratch. But that would require backing up your data beforehand, re-installing Snow Leopard then re-downloading Lion, erasing the drive, installing Lion, and finally, restoring your data.
Or, you can simply try reinstalling Lion which will not erase your files:
Reinstalling Lion
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alterhatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. 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 main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You can also re-download the Lion installer by opening the App Store application. Hold down the OPTION key and click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar. You should now see an active Install button to the right of your Lion purchase entry. There are situations in which this will not work. For example, if you are already booted into the Lion you originally purchased with your Apple ID or if an instance of the Lion installer is located anywhere on your computer.
Sometimes this fixes a lot of problems that may have been created by upgrading over a not so pristine Snow Leopard system.
I have two iMacs from 2010 working quite well with Lion along with several other Macs running Lion. But this is your decision to make. All I can do is to suggest alternatives or provide you with how to accomplish your goal.

Clean MacBook HD with Snow Leopard Disk?

I recently purchased a new MacBook Pro and want to give my 2+ year old MacBook (first gen aluminum, shipped with Leopard and upgraded to Snow Leopard) to a friend.
Can I clean the MacBook hard drive with a retail Snow Leopard disk or must I use the original Leopard disk that came shipped with the MacBook?
I'm asking because I cannot seem to find the original disks but I do have the Snow Leopard package.
I want to get rid of all photos, email, documents, etc. Basically my user account. Will it be possible to do this from the Snow Leopard disk?
T H A N K S

Prepare Your Mac for Sale
Boot from the OS X Installer Disc One that came with the computer. 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 the startup volume from the left side list then click on the Erase tab. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) then click on the Options button. Select the one pass Zero Data option and click on the OK button. Then click on the Erase button.
Note: You can skip the Zero Data option if you are not concerned about removing sensitive personal data from the hard drive. If you choose to skip this part of the process then it is possible for others to recover data from the hard drive. The Zero Data procedure will prevent others from getting access to your personal information.
This process will take 30 minutes to several hours depending upon the size of the hard drive. After formatting has completed quit DU and return to the installer. Now complete the OS X installation. At the completion of the installation do not restart the computer. Instead just shut it off. The next user will be presented with the Setup Assistant when they turn on the computer just as it would if new out of the box.
You can do this using the Snow Leopard DVD. Be sure to include the DVD with the computer. However, without the original discs that came with the computer the next user will not have access to the Apple Hardware Test dianostics or the ability to restore iLife.

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.

Idiots guide to clean install upgrade to Snow leopard to get lion

Hi- am a total novice and have had my Imac 9,1 (2.93 Ghz Duo core processor with 4GB RAM) for a couple of years and now I am on MAC OS 10.5.8 Leopard and really want to get ready for Lion when it comes. My Imac has an external hard drive (250GB) and a time machine, airport for itunes for music streaming, some Microsoft office suite. I bought the Snow Leopard 10.6.3 yesterday and want to clean install without losing all my docs and settings for all iphones/ipods etc. Anyone got an idea where I can find an idiot proof guide to doing this? I guess I will need to do this all again once Lion is available
Help much appreciated...

first of all, make a backup of your boot drive by cloning it to an external HD using e.g. Carbon Copy Cloner.
then simply pop in the install DVD and click on continue. the SL installer will upgrade OS X and leave everything untouched (unless it's incompatible) - it's that simple.
in case something does go wrong, you have your clone.

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.

Clean install Lion with Snow Leopard DVD

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