Downgrading from Tiger to Panther

I installed Tiger on an old Powerbook about six months ago. Since then, it has been very noisy, and always seems to be gasping for life. The old powerbook is 867 mhz with about 640 ram -- not ideal specs for Tiger, I guess. My question then is -- how do I downgrade to Panther? Do I need to completely wipe everything off the computer before putting in the Panther discs? If anybody has any experience with downgrading, it would be great to know. Thanks.

You're welcome.
For quite a while though, I had been running it at less than
1 GB of disc space.
Copied from Problems from insufficient RAM and free hard disk space.
As a general rule of thumb: if the Available space on your Mac OS X startup disk is less than 5 GB, it is time to free some disk space. We suggest 5 GB as an absolute minimum as it generally requires that much free space to perform an Archive and Install of Mac OS X and still preserve some free space for VM swap files. However, more free space is better.
Although your Mac's specifications are plenty adequate for Tiger, this noise and potential hardware problem might be a coincidence that you are blaming on Tiger. Although most computer hardware can last a long time (especially Macs which is a factor in Apple's annual market share percentage for all computers sold since they generally don't need to be replaced as often as PCs), they don't last forever. It isn't a matter of if but when your hard drive has a partial or complete failure and although most don't experience a processor failure, it can occur.
Did a Hardware Test CD ship with this Mac when purchased? If so, I would boot the computer from the Hardware Test CD and run the Extended Tests to rule out a potential hardware problem.

Similar Messages

Upgrade Safari 1.2 to 1.3.1 after downgrade from Tiger to Panther

I wished to restore performance to my G3 iBook by downgrading from Tiger to Panther, and have been successful with that and have restored all apps to Panther versions except for Safari. The downgrade (archive and install) left Safari 2.0 on my HD for some reason, which of course wouldn't launch under 10.3.9. I dragged Safari 2 to the trash, downloaded Safari 1.2 which installed fine. However when I try to upgrade now to 1.3.1, I am told by the installer that the software cannot be used with the disc volume (the system volume) I choose to install to.
(BTW, invoking Software Update says my software is all up to date, even though I'm only on Safari 1.2.)
I've seen the other threads which have suggested removing Safari pkg receipts from /library/receipts, but this hasn't helped me in this case; I can't find any thread that had a successful resolution yet. Anything else anyone can suggest? Many thanks.
iBook 12" G3 800 Mhz Mac OS X (10.3.9) downgraded from Tiger
iBook 12" G3 800 Mhz Mac OS X (10.3.9) downgraded from Tiger

Mark:
Welcome to Apple Discussions.
You can try using Pacifist to extract Safari from your install disk and install it. You may then be able to upgrade it more easily, although I can't promise that for sure.
Unless you are absolutely wedded to Safari, I find Camino to be at least as good (I think better) as Safari, and looks almost identical, so that there should not be much of a learning curve. I also use Firefox and especially like it for the measure of security it provides.
Please do not hesitate to post back with further questions or comments.
Good luck.
cornelius

Need to Downgrade from Tiger to Panther

I'm selling my iMac and need to downgrade it from Tiger to Panther, which originally came with the system. How do I go about doing this? In the process I also need to erase everything on my hard drive. Can I perform the downgrading from the original Panther installation cds, or erase the hard drive using those cds and reinstalling Panther from there?

Hello Kelly.
You need to backup all data first and use the Panther install package that shipped with this Mac and reformat the hard drive zeroing all data. Be sure to select HFS+ (or extended) with Journaling enabled when reformatting the hard drive. Instructions for zeroing all data included with this link.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=107437
After doing so, re-install Panther and all software included with the Panther install package that shipped with this Mac when new. When completed, do not proceed with the computer setup assistant and shut down the computer.
When the buyer starts up the computer for the first time, he/she will be greeted with the computer setup assistant and you should include the Panther install package that shipped with this Mac as part of the sale.

Downgrade from Tiger to Panther?

Hi All,
Is it possible to downgrade a Tiger Server back to Panther? We upgraded to Tiger on one XServe to see if there were any issues. Because we have one lisence we need to downgrade that server so we can install Tiger on the good one.
TIA - Vijay

Archive and install is only for OS X Client.
If you really want to do this, the only way might be to export your OD Data using the "Archive" function in Server Admin. This puts the data in a format that looks just like when you do a command-line export of OD Data in Panther. You may be able to command-line import it to Panther Server. If you're interested in going with that, you can look up the info in the Server Documentation, or Apple Support files. I believe they have step-by-step instructions on command-line export/import of OD Data.
Besides the OD data, though... you're pretty much on your own. I don't know of a way to save all of your other services' settings.
Good luck.

Downgrading from Tiger 10.4.11 to Panther 10.3.5?

So my old IMAC G5 (17in 512MB ram running Panther 10.3.9) recently had service at the apple store to replace the motherboard and the power supply. As a courtesy, they installed Tiger 10.4.11 when my computer shipped with disks for Panther 10.3.5.
While running the software updater, the OS update errored out and wouldn't restart from the apple menu. I had no choice but to do a cold restart which I knew would be bad. Now the computer boots past the gray screen with the turny gear and then the OS screen loads but the load bar doesn't load.
It's my assumption that I should reinstall the OS but without the retail Tiger disk I am screwed (since all I have is Panther). Any thoughts here on downgrading operating systems? I read all about it in the support section. I just want to know if anyone has actually done it and the thought of having to buy a retail Tiger version on ebay makes my blood boil (oh, that includes leopard too!) All the machine is being used for is leisure at this point, internet surfing and the like. Thoughts anyone?

Hi Karen, and a warm welcome to the forums!
Don't run the Panther's Disk Utility on the Tiger HDD, unless you want to erase things and go back to Panther.
Tough without the Install disc, but some things to try...
Does it boot to Single User Mode, CMD+s keys at bootup, if so try...
/sbin/fsck -fy
Repeat until it shows no errors fixed.
(Space between fsck AND -fy important).
Resolve startup issues and perform disk maintenance with Disk Utility and fsck...
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Tough without the Tiger Disk problems, but try fsck...
To use fsck, you must run it from the command line. Unlike using your mouse to open an application to do something, you'll need to type a text command at the prompt (#) to tell fsck what to do. The Terminal application (/Applications/Utilities) and single-user mode are two examples of command-line interfaces in which you can type such commands. To use fsck:
1. Start up your computer in single-user mode to reach the command line. Hold CMD+s keys down at bootup. Note: If necessary, perform a forced restart as described in the Emergency Troubleshooting Handbook that came with your computer. On desktop computers, you can do this by pressing the reset/interrupt button (if there is one) or holding down the power button for several seconds. On portable computers, simultaneously press the Command-Control-power keys. If your portable computer doesn't restart with this method, you may need to reset the Power Manager.
2. At the command-line prompt, type /sbin/fsck -fy
(SPACE between fsck AND -fy important)
3. Press Return. fsck will go through five "phases" and then return information about your disk's use and fragmentation. Once it finishes, it'll display this message if no issue is found: 
The volume (nameofvolume) appears to be OK  If fsck found issues and has altered, repaired, or fixed anything, it will display this message: *** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED ***   Important: If this message appears, repeat the fsck command you typed in step 2 until fsck tells you that your volume appears to be OK (first-pass repairs may uncover additional issues, so this is a normal thing to do).
4. When fsck reports that your volume is OK, type reboot at the prompt and then press Return.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106214
Then Safe Boot from the HD, (holding Shift key down at bootup), run Disk Utility in Applications>Utilities, then highlight your drive, click on Repair Permissions, reboot when it completes.

Downgrading from tiger to 10.3.9. best way to do this ?

hello !
just got a new g5 dual 2.3 (not core) and i dont want anything to do with tiger ! (running lots of software that does not play nice with tigers..)
what is the best way to downgrade to 10.3.9 ?
thanks !

Hi csw, to "downgrade" to OS 10.3.9 you must first erase your entire drive, then install 10.3.x from the install disk and update to 10.3.9 with the 10.3.9 Stand Alone Combo Update
Do not use the disks that shipped with another Mac as these disks are model specific but rather the full retail Panther install disks.
-mj
[email protected]

Went back from Tiger to Panther and have really screwed up...

I have been unsuccessfully trying to get an HP Color Laser Jet 2600n to print with a GC iMac running Tiger, and finally decided Tiger just won't play nice with it, as I have another older G3 iMac running Panther that will print. So, I decided to go back to Panther on the first G3. And like a moron, didn't bother to read ahead of time online if there was anything I should do. And so I archived settings and preferences, and now cannot login to the computer. Is there anything I can do, or have I just royally screwed myself? I tried reinstalling Panther using the disk, and it installed again, but I still can't login- when I booted the computer using the disk, it didn't give me the archive option; it just installed the software.
Is there anything I can do? Anything at all? Oh, I'm so mad at myself!

Do you have another Mac? If so, you could boot your machine into target disk mode (hold down 't'), hook it up using a firewire cable to the other Mac and recover your stuff that way. Essentially, target disk mode turns the computer into a very expensive hard drive.
Alternatively, if you have an external drive you could boot from, you could install OS X on that drive, boot from that and try to recover the data that way.
The best option depends on what you have available to work with. If you post back details of what' available, somebody can help you figure out the best strategy.
- cfr

Transfer from Tiger to Panther

If I am trasfering my files from a computer that has Tiger onto a computer that has panther, will it work? Do I do it the same way? Also, will I be able to move the Microsoft Office (on the tiger) to the other computer? or will I have to buy another? Thanks.

You can use Firewire Target Disk Mode to transfer data between Panther/Tiger Macs (actually as far back as 8.6).
Applications tend not to move well in this respect as many need proper installation to install the relevant components in the different directories within OS X. I think Office may be okay but remember that unless you delete Office from the original computer you're probably bending the law (Read the End User Licence Agreement).
kind regards
mrtotes

Copying Mail folders from Tiger to Panther

I have an older iBook with 10.3.9 and an Intel iMac running 10.4.8
I had to re-install the OS on the iBook recently and want to know how I can copy the contents of my mail folders from the iMac to the iBook.
I copied the Mail folder from the ~Library/Mail on the iMac. My accounts are working and all the mail folders came over but they are empty.
In the folder: ~Library/Mail/Mailboxes/Saved Mail/ each folder in the Saved Mail folder is followed by an .mbox file. The various sizes of the files lead me to believe the messages are there but I can't view them.
iMac 2Ghz Core Duo Mac OS X (10.4.8) iBook G3 700Mhz, G3/BW OWC ZIF upgrade to 600Mhz

The file format used by Mail changed drastically in Mac OS X 10.4.8 (Tiger). Mail 2.x knows about the old data format and can import mailboxes created by Mail 1.x, but Mail 1.x obviously knows nothing about the new data format used by Mail 2.x and doesn’t recognize those files.
Although *.mbox packages appear to be files in Mac OS X 10.3, they’re actually folders just like in Mac OS X 10.4, but Mac OS X 10.3 treats them differently because of the .mbox suffix. Ctrl-click on an *.mbox package and choose Show Package Contents from the contextual menu to see the files it contains. Mail 1.x stores all the messages in a single mbox file, whereas Mail 2.x stores them in individual *.emlx files within a Messages folder that Mail 1.x knows nothing about.
You may try using something like emlx to mbox Converter or Emailchemy to convert the *.emlx files to standard mbox format, then import that as Other / Standard mbox in Mail.

Converting from Tiger and Panther to Leopard

I'm a relatively new Mac user and I am very impressed with what I saw in the Leopard. Because I have not had to deal with the upgrade process I do not know what I need to do for my machine. Can anyone help me out or pass on some hints and techniques possibly used when converting OS 9 to OSX?

Hello and Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Given the age of the iMac (Flat Panel) we cannot be sure that Apple will support Leopard on them. (As a new Mac user I suspect you actually have an Intel iMac and not an iMac (Flat Panel)).
However there is literally nothing to upgrading between versions of OS X; your Mac will do it all for you. Just insert the DVD and click "Upgrade". I would advise taking a good backup before hand just in case.
Moving between OS 9 and OS X was slightly more convoluted because Apple completely changed the OS and OS 9 software did not work natively under OS X, firmware had to be updated etc. Such architectural changes are not been made this time. The move from 10.4 to 10.5 will be very very easy.
mrtotes

Hi, I want to downgrade from OSX LEOPARD to OSX TIGER but I have a few questions regarding this. My iMac is originally from 2007 it came preloaded with tiger. I have original install tiger discs version 10.4.10. Is it safe to downgrade or not please help

Hi, I want to downgrade from OSX LEOPARD to OSX TIGER but I have a few questions regarding this. My iMac is originally from Sep 2007 it came preloaded with tiger. I have original install (2) tiger discs version 10.4.10. I want to know if it is safe and what are the necessary steps to do so. Also by downgrading im wondering if a lot of apps nowadays support tiger for example I have photoshop version 5 and 4 these are very important to me. One last question does anyone know of any reliable virus protection for mac that doesnt slow down your computer? because I have read that a lot of them do so. If anyone can help me I would greatly appreciate it! Here are the specs for my iMac
Model Name:
iMac
Model Identifier:
iMac7,1
Processor Name:
Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:
2 GHz
Number Of Processors:
1
Total Number Of Cores:
2
L2 Cache:
4 MB
Memory:
2 GB
Bus Speed:
800 MHz

Most of the time a perception of general slow performance is the result of installing third party junk alleged to speed up, "clean" or "optimize" your Mac, or to look for viruses that don't exist. Ideally you would know what you installed so you can uninstall it, but if you don't know or aren't sure there are techniques such as Safe Mode and creating a temporary user account to confirm that suspicion.
If you open Activity Monitor it may show a process, or processes, that occupy a lot of your system's time.
Slowness confined solely to web browser activity is often the result of an inexorable progress toward websites that demand ever more processor-intensive tasks. If your slow performance is strictly limited to web browsing, you might try disabling Flash by either uninstalling it, or use utilities such as ClickToFlash that allow you to control what Flash content gets loaded. Flash in itself is not inherently evil, but there is nothing to stop websites or the advertisers who pay for them from writing horrible Flash code that can do everything from hogging 100% of your CPU's time to causing random crashes. You can watch Activity Monitor as in the above to correlate these troublesome web pages with performance degradation.
You are correct; if your computer shipped with Tiger you may certainly revert to it. I forgot that Tiger was shipping on new Macs as recently as five years ago. To downgrade it would be necessary to completely erase your hard disk and boot with the Tiger installation DVD, followed by installing it anew. Such drastic measures are not necessary and you are unlikely to be satisfied with the results anyway.
Assuming your system is free of third party parasitic junk attached to OS X in an ill-conceived attempt to improve upon it, that your hard disk drive is sound and the boot volume has enough free space to work with, by far the best performance-enhancing improvement would be to add more memory. Buy as much as your computer can use and that you can afford. 2 GB is not that much any more.
Read the following for some recommended troubleshooting techniques from Apple:
General purpose Mac troubleshooting guide: Isolating issues in Mac OS X
Creating a temporary user to isolate user-specific problems: Isolating an issue by using another user account
Memory limitations: Using Activity Monitor to read System Memory and determine how much RAM is being used
Identifying resource hogs and other tips: Runaway applications can shorten battery runtime
Starting the computer in "safe mode": Mac OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?

Downgrading to Tiger from Leopard on a mac mini 2.0ghz

I just purchased a mac mini 2.0ghz that came with Leopard.
Since I am relatively new to the MAC world, I assumed that I could immediately replace Leopard with Tiger on the HD using a set of mac mini install discs I had previously purchased on eBay (I'm doing this because this mini was going to be used exclusively to run ProTools - which isn't Leopard compatible)
From the little bit I've read, it looks like I may have made a $800 mistake. Most places are saying that it it absolutely impossible to downgrade from Leopard to Tiger on this late model.
Is that really true? I just find it so hard to believe that the hardware and software are so tied together that you can't ever go 'backward' even if you want to.
Could someone please state clearly once and for all if there is any possible way to downgrade or do I need to throw my new mac mini in the proverbial trash can and chalk this one up for the experience?
Thanks.

Welcome to Apple Discussions!
This issue was raised by another poster very recently (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1497891&tstart=0). Typically Macs cannot be booted from MacOS versions which predated the release of the hardware, or subsequent firmware update perhaps, but since Leopard was not released until after the current Core 2 Duo minis, it goes without saying that at least some of these systems did in fact have Tiger installed.
If Apple have made no hardware or firmware changes to the mini (and it's a big if, because typically that information is not made available), then Tiger should install and run fine on your system, proving only that the Tiger installer you have is actually from a 'late 2007' Intel mini.
The only way you'll know is to insert the Tiger installer you have, and boot the system holding the C key down (you will need a wired USB keyboard which is NOT one of the new aluminium type). If the system boots, then you should be able to do an install. Bear in mind that you will almost certainly get an error stating you cannot install that version of MacOS on the system because it will detect that you have a later version of MacOS already installed than on the install disk. That's normal. You can get around that by clicking the 'options' button on the installer and selecting 'erase and install', which wipes the hard drive and installs MacOS.
If the system will not boot from the Tiger install disk, then in effect that would confirm that you will not be able to regress the macOS version - at least not by any conventional means. There are always some who investigate and find ways to work around some of these limitations, so there may be an unofficial and unsupported workaround out there, but there would be no way to know how stable it would be, and whether you would be able to successfully update it.

Downgrading Tiger to Panther

I've just resurrected my old G4 iBook. I have Tiger 10.4.11 installed.
Issues:
a. The machine seems a little sluggish.
b. I'm missing Garage Band.
My specs are:
1.33 GHz PowerPC G4
768 MB DDR SDRAM
55 Gigabyte
I have (I think all) the install discs for 10.3.2 -
Install Disc 1
Install Disc 2
Install Disc 3
My questions are
a. Do I have even have all the discs that are required?
b. Will it be worth downgrading? Will I gain performance? Is Garage Band even included in 10.3? I think I came from 10.2 originally.
c. Will there be any problems installing/downgrading from 10.4 ---> 10.3
Thanks, Kirk
P.S. Good to be back to the Apple Community after such a long time!

General loading of pages and scrolling seems sluggish to me. Launching apps too. I seem to remember after upgrading to Tiger noticing a general slow-down. I probably need more RAM. I will look into that. Is there a good way to profile the machine to see if RAM will even help? I've been running Linux for a few years BTW.
It's kinda hard for me to track the Garage Band issue because this G4 was a replacement for an original one that was broken, then lost on a delivery truck on the way to Apple a long time ago. I originally had the 12 inch model then replaced it with this 15 inch one. So I can't remember if this one came with GB or if it was on the first G4. Anyhow, to confuse matters I found an 8 pack of G4 Restore discs that stated they would not restore OSx or any of the iLife apps. I don't even know what they do lol.
I'm not worried about wiping the drive. I really don't have anything on here anymore. Everything was backed up to discs and then I gave this to my daughter for a while.
I'm thinking now I should keep the newest OS on here (10.4.11) and get more RAM. I would probably like to wipe the drive with Tiger to start fresh. I'll have to dig up that disc. I know I have that somewhere. Thanks for your input and welcoming me back. I'm pretty into my Android phone for almost everything nowadays but find having a computer nice for a change. I'll probably look into integrating the two a bit as well. I'll leave that for another thread
Oh, and I have about 15 Gigabytes used and 40 free. Good to know "1.33GHz isn't too shabby for running Tiger".

Downgrade from Leopard to Tiger after Built-In Keyboard Firmware Update?

Can I downgrade from Leopard to Tiger after having applied the Built-In Keyboard Firmware Update 1.0? This firmware update requires OS 10.5.2 or higher to be installed. Now that it is installed can I downgrade back to Tiger (10.4.11)?
I have a MacBook Pro 17 (late 2006). It ran perfect except for the occasional ignored first key press problem that these MacBook's have. In late December I upgraded to Leopard (10.5.6) and installed the Built-In Keyboard Firmware Update 1.0 that is suppose to fix the ignored first key press problem. Ever since then I have had constant keyboard & trackpad failures. When the built-in keyboard fails, thankfully I can still use an external USB or Bluetooth keyboard & mouse. I've tried everything. I've reinstalled Leopard four separate times, reset PRAM, reset SMU, repair permissions, pressure on the keyboard cable under the battery (even though I don't think this version of the MacBook has that problem). Nothing restored my internal keyboard and trackpad. During this process I tried to re-install the Built-In Keyboard Firmware Update using the original package file that I had downloaded, however I was given a message that the keyboard didn't need to be update because it already has the updated functionality and the installer package would then quit. Then I remembered that the original firmware update actually installed a Keyboard Firmware Update application in my Utilities Folder. When I ran the Firmware Update application in the Utilities Folder it instantly fixed my keyboard problem! Unfortunately the keyboard fix is not stable. It fails 2 to 3 time a week. Running the Keyboard Firmware Update application fixes the problem every single time, but this renders my MacBook useless as a portable (I have to have an external keyboard/mouse to run the Firmware application). I have, incidentally, tried all the other suggestions in the many keyboard threads in this forum (putting the computer to sleep, restarts, shut downs, PRAM & SMU resets, repairing permissions, running other applications, etc.), and nothing works except reinstalling the Keyboard Firmware Update using the application in the Utilities Folder. At this point I just want to downgrade to Tiger and go back to the way it was. I'll happily take the ignored first key press problem over a completely dead keyboard.
Please help.

Hi,
I was just wondering how you were able to get the macbook to accept the update? I had to take mine to apple store and get entire keyboard and trackpad replaced in my macbook. They then told me to ignore the update cause they did not have any other keyboards to replace if it happened again.

Downgrade to Tiger from 10.5 w/ Windows partition

My Mac Mini came with Tiger, but I have since upgraded to Leopard. Leopard has been running slowly and I've been considering downgrading to Tiger. But, I'm worried about what might happen to my Windows partition. Will it be erased or will it even run at all?

First things first - there should be little appreciable difference in system performance between Tiger and Leopard, so unless you are running with minimal memory or running multiple applications, it might be worthwhile looking at why your system is running slowly under MacOS 10.5.x and try and resolve that rather than downgrade to Tiger.
That said, downgrading to Tiger is not difficult, and does not endanger your Windows partition. However, since you already have a later version of MacOS on the drive, you can't simply install an earlier one because the installer will baulk at doing so. You simply need to ensure that all your data is backed up, and then boot to the Tiger installer. Select the custom 'erase and install' option and ensure you pick the current MacOS partition to install onto. Once Tiger is installed, you'll get the same initial setup assistant that ran when the system was first put into service, and once you have completed that, you can install your software and restore your data from backup. As long as you do not repartition the drive, and ensure you direct the MacOS installer to the MacOS partition to erase and install on to, your Windows partition will not be affected.

Downgrading from Tiger to Panther

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