Clean installing mountain lion while keeping snow leopard?

Hello, I have a question...
I newly buy an SSD and at the same time I am thinking to upgrading to Mountain Lion... My operating system is snow leopard now.
I am thinking to download Mountain Lion and make a bootable flash disk. Then cleanly install it to the SSD. I dont want to touch my Macintosh HD... I am not a good technician... is it possible? I am doing this becuase if I dont like performance of mountaion lion, I will re-install the snow leopard to SSD... is it possible? Or After I boot from SSD, will I able to boot from again Macintosh HD (Snow leopard)??

When asked which drive or partition you want to install Mountain Lion to, pick one other than the partition containing Snow Leopard. The installer won't be deleted from the drive if the installation is done this way; it also won't interfere with the ability to boot Snow Leopard.
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  • How do I install mountain lion but keep snow leopard as a bootable os

    I'm caught in a vicious circle.
    I need mountain Lion to be able to use iCloud and to be compatible with a couple of apps on my iPad. However some of my major apps on my mac Pro won't work under Lion or mountain lion.
    SO the answer is to have both Snow Leopard and Mountain Lion on my Mac Pro.
    Does anyone know of any instructions on installing Mountain Lion onto one SSD, whilst leaving Snow Leopard on another, allowing me to boot from either.
    Also - any advice on the cleanest way of installing my apps under Mountain Lion (those that are compatible). I'm confused to how I can install my apps twice, especially if I have all ready registered Unser Snow Leopard.
    Thanks

    I'm assuming that you currently have an SSD with Snow Leopard on it, and another SSD with no operating system. Is that correct?
    What I would do is use the Snow Leopard DVDs to install a fresh copy of Snow Leopard on the SSD that currently has no operating system, and "migrate" your data and applications from the other SSD. (alternatively, you could use something like Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate one SSD onto the other - but that's probably only an option if one SSD is completely blank or you're willing to erase it).
    Then upgrade to Mountain Lion on the original SSD.
    When you're done, hold down the option key when you start up to select which OS to use.
    For many applications, it won't matter which SSD they're on - you'll be able to run them from either system without worrying about where the app is installed (each will have it's own preferences, stored on the current startup drive). But some applications are more complex, and rely on additional files that are scattered around the Library folders on the startup drive. Since you migrated your applications and data, you should have everything that's needed on both systems, including license keys, etc. I did this for a little while with Quicken, and I actually left the Quicken app on the Lion drive - it worked just fine even though I started up from an external Snow Leopard drive (I skipped the migration step entirely, and reentered my Quicken license code when starting up from Snow Leopard).
    How successful this will be depends on exactly which applications you're using. Most of them will be OK, but if you're using something that has some esoteric copy-protection mechanism, you might run into a little bit of trouble. Consider upgrading the "new" Snow Leopard install to Mountain Lion, if that's the case, so you're original system SSD will remain Snow Leopard, with no changes.

  • How do I install Mountain Lion - I have snow leopard ?

    I am completely confused
    I have Snow Leopard - Mac OS X 10.6.8  on my Macbook 7,1
    I have XCode 3.2.3
    Want to upgrade to Mountain Lion 10.8
    Downloaded a huge dmg - about 1.7 GB from iOS Dev center ( am a registered user here after I paid USD 99 )
    Clicked on ' Technical Resources and Tools ' >> Clicked on 'Downloads' under ' Resources for iOS6 ' >> See a XCode 4.6.1 option to download
    It also says :
    Posted Date: March 14, 2013
    Build: 4H512
    Included iOS SDK: iOS 6.1
    Included Mac SDK: Mac OS X 10.8
    Finally got the download complete ( have very poor network connectivity at home )
    double clicked it and it opened a window where I dragged and dropped it
    something happened and in 'Applications' XCode is shown but with a prohibitionary image on the icon
    If I double click it - it says :
    "You cant use this version of the application Xcode with this version of Mac OS X - You have Mac OS X 10.6.8 The application requires Mac OS X 10.7.4 or later "
    which is fine - I downloaded this dmg because it said it had Mountain Lion
    The way I thought this would work is the installer would upgrade to Mountain Lion and then XCode - but I dont see anything apart from XCode
    Please help
    satish

    Firstly, you cannot get Mountain Lion as a developer for iOS. You have to become a registered OS X developer. Secondly, if you want Mountain Lion then open App Store, sign in with your Apple ID, purchase and download Mountain Lion.
    XCode is not Mountain Lion and Mountain Lion was never included with XCode.

  • I have an iMac mid-2010 running Snow Leopard. Is it possible to install Mavericks and Windows 8 on separate partitions while keeping Snow Leopard?

    I have an iMac mid-2010 running Snow Leopard 10.6.8. Is it possible to install Mavericks and Windows 8 on separate partitions while keeping Snow Leopard? If so, can you describe the steps?

    That should not be a problem as long as there is enough room on each partition for each OS.
    You would:
    Use Disk Utility to partition your HD
    Download the Mavericks installer and install it on one of the open partitions (when you run the installer from your 10.6.8 partition, it will ask you where you want to put Mavericks, and you will specify one of the open partitions).
    Use Boot Camp to install Windows on another of the open partitions. Mac Basics: Using Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp

  • How do I uninstall mountain lion and reinstall snow leopard

    If I had known that I would not be able to use my excel files I would not have purchased OSX Mountain Lion.  Is there a way to uninstall mountain lion and reinstall snow leopard?
    Thank you,

    To get more to the point the answer is the only way to go back to SnowLeopard is if you have a complete backup of your system from before the upgrade.
    If you do you would boot off your original SL DVD wipe the disk and install SL and then restore from your SL backups.
    Short of that here is no way to go back. But as the others have offered there are other less drastic means to deal with the problem.
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  • I recently downgraded from Mountain Lion back to Snow Leopard and I forgot to export my bookmarks.

    Unfortunately downgrading from Mountain Lion back to Snow Leopard means I need to wipe the hard drive and install everything from scratch. That takes hours, and I've already done the bulk of the work, twice actually since I forgot to back up my photos in Iphoto and had to start over from my Time Machine backup of Mountain Lion.
    Anyhow, I am curious as to whether or not there is a way to retrieve my bookmarks from the Time Machine backup and get them onto my downgraded OS, or will I have to start all over again, restore my system to Mountain Lion and go through the hours it takes to get back to Snow Leopard.

    You're missing the point. If you didn't make the /username/Library/ folder visible, then it's hidden on the TM backup. Getting to ii is beyond my ken. However,  Pondini's TM FAQs might have info on that madness.

  • HT3910 How do I erase Mountain Lion and reinstall Snow Leopard?

    Can anyone help me erase Mountain Lion and reinstall Snow Leopard. When I had installed Mountain Lion,I discovered that my music notation program, Overture was not working with Mountain Lion. Please help me, years of work is for now lost.

    Back up your data files.
    Use the Snow Leopard installer disc to completely erase your hard drive and everything on it.
    Re-install the SL operating system, then all your applications, then your data files.
    If you happened to make a bootable backup clone of your hard drive before installing Mountail Lion then you can just clone the backup back to your drive.

  • Why can't brand new MacBookPro9,1 (OEM Mountain-Lion) boot from Snow Leopard on external drive, or internal partition?

    Why can't brand new MacBookPro9,1 (OEM Mountain-Lion) boot from Snow Leopard on external drive, or internal partition?
    Is this because of hardware changes? Or firmware changes? Or is it just and Apple Inc. administrative fiat?

    @Steve Holton: Sorry Steve, but you're wrong about that one . I'm using 10.8 (purchased and downloaded) on the internal HD of this MBP8,3 (2.2 GHz, 17"), and I am also able to boot into 10.7.4 and 10.6.8 from external FW800 partitions.
    However, I DO have problems with my MBP9,1. It came with 10.7.4 installed and ran fine. Then I purchased and installed 10.8. It ran fine but could no longer boot from 10.7.4 on an external partition. I then reinstalled 10.7.4 on the internal HD and discovered that it is still unable to boot (even 10.7.4) from an external FW800 partition.
    One of Apple's Senior Support Advisors has done some remote troubleshooting but the case is still open and unresolved. An earlier Apple Support case suggested that when, I installed the downloaded copy of 10.8, there had been a "firmware update" (behind the scenes) that is now causing the problems with booting from my external partition(s). This apparently is "a bug": it is not what is supposed to happen.
    So - I believe - "the problem" really has nothing to do with hardware capability. It is strictly about Apple's strategy for "managing its future customer base". If you don't like it - use something else - I am seriously considering Ubuntu as an alternative.
    If there's a hidden caveat in all this it's probably "Read Appple's Licence Agreement VERY Carefully".

  • Is it possible ro clean install Mountain Lion over Mavericks on a brand new mac mini

    Is it possible to "clean Install" mountain lion over mavericks on a brand new mac mini

    Actually evrything I can find states that the last mini to run SL was 2010.
    It appears that the 2012 mini's shipped with Mountain Lion and later Mavericks. Link
    Also why would the OP need a bootable SL installation media when they want to install ML?

  • How can I wipe my hard drive and clean install Mountain Lion?

    Hi I have a 21.5 inch mid 2011 iMac running Mountain Lion, I want to wipe my hard drive and clean install Mountain Lion. I dont want all my stuff back, just photos and music, the rest I'll reinstall my self. I also dont have a exteranl harddrive. only two USB's one 2 GB and the other 8 GB. How do I do this? And I dont want to pay for mountain lion again. Thanks!

    I made my partition and am currently reinstalling mountain lion to put on my flash drive. I'm using Lion disk maker 2 thats compatible with mountain lion. I'm doing it right, correct?

  • Will it be possible to clean install Mountain Lion?

    Considering it is only going to be available on the Mac App store, will it be possible to clean install Mountain Lion?
    Any speculation/inside knowledge would be great!
    Ed

    Edward McMahon wrote:
    Considering it is only going to be available on the Mac App store, will it be possible to clean install Mountain Lion?
    Any speculation/inside knowledge would be great!
    Ed
    Speculation is forbidden on this site. You did read the Terms Of Use before agreeing with them didn't you?
    Pete

  • Is mountain lion compatible with snow leopard?

    is mountain lion compatible with snow leopard? can you use the same version of iTunes

    VMware and Toaster can be upgraded to versions that will run on Mountain Lion.
    I was not able to find anything on PalmPilot for Mountain Lion. Of course seeing as how it is at least 15 years old that doesn't surprise me.
    As I see you want to run two operating systems which means rebooting to use them just for PalmPilot. IMHO that is a lot of effort on your part for a very small gain.
    Allan

  • Why am I getting a white screen after downloading to OSX Mountain lion from OSX Snow Leopard. What caused this?

    I just upgraded to OSX Mountain Lion from OSX Snow Leopard, thinking this was the thing to do.  I have NEVER had any problems with Snow Leopard, but
    after just a few days after downloading OSX Mountain Lion when I turned the computer on, the screen was white.  Stayed white.  I had to go onto another
    computer to find out what to do.  What caused this and will this happen again?

    Did you see a circle made of light grey hash marks in the center/bottom of the screen?  My iMac is 5 years old and for every update until 10.8.2 I would get the same white screen and the first few times I paniced and thought the machine was broken!  Just let it play out until the desktop comes back up and it should not do it again until you do a system update. 

  • How to downgrade from Mountain Lion back to snow leopard with Time Machine

    The final straw was the horrible mouse sideways page wiggle while trying to scroll down and read safari pages. Even after turning the feature off, tech support said it will still wiggle a little. That and the HORRIBLE grey icons everywhere was enough to send me back to my beloved iMac I loved when I bought it. I'll give up the iMessage and the few new items ML gave me. But as many others said, what I got new was far less than what was taken away. 
    So what tech support had me do was this. Even though the apple engineers said it would not work, apple tech support had me try it and it worked for me so good luck. Engineers said that after you install mountain Lion, it messes with ALL your time machine back ups and won't revert back to snow leopard even if you select a snow leopard date back in time.  That didn't happen to me.  I have a 2010 27 inch iMac
    This worked for me but PROCEED AT YOU OWN RISK
    Export individually any email folders or photos or data you will lose between now and the date you are reverting back to.
    1. Insert Snow Leopard DVD that came with computer. The install disk not the applications. Make sure time machine external drive IS connected.
    2. Restart computer and when you hear The Mac chime, hold down the C key and then it will take several minutes to boot up from the DVD.
    3. Select the little blue triangle to continue in English.
    4. When it gets to the screen that says "continue" stop. There might be a screen or two before this one I can't remember but either way stop at the word continue.
    5. Go up to the top left and find the UTILITIES pull down menu and select disk utility.
    6. In the window that opens up, Select the Apple drive which should be the very top one in the window.
    7. Select erase.. it should be Mac OS extended journaled
    8 select erase and maybe a password. It only takes a few seconds
    9 go back up to UTILITIES in upper left and then select restore from time machine or backup or whatever it says. It's the last choice.
    10. Select the external time machine drive and navigate to the date you last had Snow Leopard running and that will be the date it restores to. You will lose any data between now and then but you can export your mail, export photos, and other items separately. I only stayed on ML For a few days before hating it enough to go back so I had no loss of data except a few emails.
    11. Hit RESTORE. And then it will take several hours. When you restart it, it should come right back to that day you selected as if ML  was just a bad thought on someone's drawing board.   If for some reason it still comes up ML, Then they said to erase HD Again (steps 1-8) and then manually drags back USER folder or individual folders with Mail, photos etc.   if this way doesn't work, have another plan printed out so that you are not stuck by this one.
    Good luck. Proceed at your own risk..

    The ultimate solution:
    You need an USB of at least 5 GB and the Snow Leopard Install DVD.
    1. make a bootable USB with Disk Utility in it:
         a. download the Mountain Lion Installer from the App Store
         b. quit the installer after download
         c. find the installer in the Applications folder
         d. option+click in it and select "Show Pakage Contents"
         e. go to Contents>SharedSupport to find there the InstallESD.dmg file and mount it by double-clicking it
         f. with the Disk Utility, restore its contents into your USB
    2. boot from the USB:
         a. restart the computer and hold-down the option key while booting
         b. select the USB and boot
    3. run the Disk Utility and format in ONE partition the HD of your computer
    REMEMBER: BACKUP YOUR HARD DISK BEFORE DOING ALL THESE, YOUR DISK WILL BE EREASED AND DATA BECOME UNRECOVERABLE OTHERWISE
    4. insert the Snow Leopard DVD and reboot from it
    5. follow the on-screen instructions to install OS X 10.6
    After this, you can, if you will, upgrade to Lion or stay in Snow... Good Luck!!

  • Upgrading to Mountain Lion possible from Snow Leopard 10.6.8?

    Hi,
    I have a MacBook with the following Configuration, which I bought in 2006 or 2007, originally and updated the hardware in the last years.  I want to upgrade to Mountain Lion 10.8 now.
    Is the Upgrade possible with the following configuration?
      Model Identifier:          MacBook2,1
      Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
      Processor Speed:          1.83 GHz
      Number Of Processors:          1
      Total Number Of Cores:          2
      L2 Cache:          2 MB
      Memory:          3 GB
      Bus Speed:          667 MHz
      Boot ROM Version:          MB21.00A5.B07
      SMC Version (system):          1.13f3
    Will I lose all other programs i have installed, once i install Mountain Lion?
    Thanks in advance. Looking forward to a qucik reply!

    SS_India wrote:
    Hi,
    I have a MacBook with the following Configuration, which I bought in 2006 or 2007, originally and updated the hardware in the last years.  I want to upgrade to Mountain Lion 10.8 now.
    Is the Upgrade possible with the following configuration?
      Model Identifier:          MacBook2,1
      Processor Name:          Intel Core 2 Duo
      Processor Speed:          1.83 GHz
      Number Of Processors:          1
      Total Number Of Cores:          2
      L2 Cache:          2 MB
      Memory:          3 GB
      Bus Speed:          667 MHz
      Boot ROM Version:          MB21.00A5.B07
      SMC Version (system):          1.13f3
    Will I lose all other programs i have installed, once i install Mountain Lion?
    Thanks in advance. Looking forward to a qucik reply!
    Mac Specs required for Mountain Lion
    iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
    MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
    MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
    MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
    Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
    Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
    Xserve (Early 2009)
    Your Mac needs:
    OS X v10.6.8 or OS X Lion already installed
    2 GB or more of memory
    8 GB or more of available space
    It seems your MacBook is too old to run Mountain Lion. But given the age of your Computer, Snow Leopard is still a very stable and excellent OSX. You can go to Lion (10.7) if you wish, but if I were you, I would be staying with Snow Leopard.
    Pete

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