From Panther to Leopard?

I recently added more memory to my ibook G4 purchased in April of 2004. I now have 640 MB RAM and a 1G processor. Wondering if I can go from my Panther OS to Leopard? Or is Tiger wiser?
Here are my machine specs:
Hardware Overview:
Machine Model: iBook G4
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (3.3)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 256 KB
Memory: 640 MB
Bus Speed: 133 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.7.7f0
Serial Number: UV40**PH0 <Edited by Moderator>
DIMM0/BUILT-IN:
Size: 128 MB
Type: Built-in
Speed: Built-in
DIMM1/J31:
Size: 512 MB
Type: DDR SDRAM
Speed: PC2100U-25330
FireWire Bus:
Speed: 400 Mb/sec Speed

Go directly to Leopard. Before embarking on that venture, et a bootable, external HD, and make a bootable backup/clone before upgrading/updating and ensure that works like the original. That allows you to revert to the previous good state without having to reinstall anything. See these for details:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106941
http://www.macmaps.com/upgradefaq.html
http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/installswupdates.html
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/backuprecovery.html
Once that's finished, review these for installation options:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5757385
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5666369
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5646414

Similar Messages

Upgrading Question: From Panther to Leopard... PhotoShop 7.0 to CS3?

I just upgraded from Panther to Leopard and need to upgrade my PhotoShop 7.0 to CS3. What do I need to do to insure the upgrade is successful? And... what do I need to pull from my OS 9 before I delete it?

*"What do I need to do to insure the upgrade is successful? "*
You shouldn't have to do anything...just install CS3.
Regardless, since Photoshop is not an Apple product, you should post your questions on Adobe's discussion forums, rather than an Apple forum that focuses on the isntallation of OS X:
http://www.adobeforums.com

Upgrading from Panther to Leopard

Hello,
I wanted to upgrade my Powerbook G4 from Panther to Leopard. Was told I needed to upgrade to Tiger first then to Leopard. I bought the Leopard installation CD and will be using the Tiger installation CD that came with my MacBook. Am I good to go? I already enabled the "root" user and is trying to back up my files (which I have another problem with --- been getting error messages such as 1.) "One or more items can't be copied. Do you want to skip them and copy the remaining items? 2.) You cannot copy the item "Icon" because the name is too long or includes characters that the disk cannot display."
Would very much appreciate any help I could get =)
Many thanks!

As already mentioned you do not need to upgrade first to Tiger. In any event you cannot use an Intel version of Tiger on a PPC Mac or vice-versa. Fortunately, you can upgrade directly to Leopard from Panther or you can do an Archive and Install which is what I would recommend:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) 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, then quit DU and return to the installer.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger) and/or TechTool Pro (4.5.2 for Tiger) 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. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.
DO NOT ENABLE THE ROOT USER!! It is not recommended nor necessary for backing up your data. Copying files is not how you do a proper backup. Read the following:
Basic Backup
Get an external Firewire drive at least equal in size to the internal hard drive and make (and maintain) a bootable clone/backup. You can make a bootable clone using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You can also make and maintain clones with good backup software. My personal recommendations are (order is not significant):
1. Retrospect Desktop (Commercial - not yet universal binary)
2. Synchronize! Pro X (Commercial)
3. Synk (Backup, Standard, or Pro)
4. Deja Vu (Shareware)
5. PsynchX 2.1.1 and RsyncX 2.1 (Freeware)
6. Carbon Copy Cloner (Freeware - 3.0 is a Universal Binary)
7. SuperDuper! (Commercial)
8. Intego Personal Backup (Commercial)
9. Data Backup (Commercial)
The following utilities can also be used for backup, but cannot create bootable clones:
1. Backup (requires a .Mac account with Apple both to get the software and to use it.)
2. Toast
3. Impression
4. arRSync
Apple's Backup is a full backup tool capable of also backing up across multiple media such as CD/DVD. However, it cannot create bootable backups. It is primarily an "archiving" utility as are the other two.
Impression and Toast are disk image based backups, only. Particularly useful if you need to backup to CD/DVD across multiple media.
Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQs on maintenance, optimization, virus protection, and backup and restore. Also read How to Back Up and Restore Your Files.
Although you can buy a complete FireWire drive system, you can also put one together if you are so inclined. It's relatively easy and only requires a Phillips head screwdriver (typically.) You can purchase hard drives separately. This gives you an opportunity to shop for the best prices on a hard drive of your choice. Reliable brands include Seagate, Hitachi, Western Digital, Toshiba, and Fujitsu. You can find reviews and benchmarks on many drives at Storage Review.
Enclosures for FireWire and USB are readily available. You can find only FireWire enclosures, only USB enclosures, and enclosures that feature multiple ports. I would stress getting enclosures that use the Oxford chipsets (911, 921, 922, for example.) You can find enclosures at places such as;
Cool Drives
OWC
WiebeTech
Firewire Direct
California Drives
NewEgg
All you need do is remove a case cover, mount the hard drive in the enclosure and connect the cables, then re-attach the case cover. Usually the only tool required is a small or medium Phillips screwdriver.
Note that before doing your backup you should do the following:
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger and Leopard.) 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. Now shutdown the computer for a couple of minutes and then restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.1 for Leopard) and/or TechTool Pro (4.6.1 for Leopard) 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.

Upgrade from Panther to Leopard

After buying an iPhone 3GS, I think it's time to finally perform a software upgrade. The newest versions of Firefox and Safari browsers don't run on Panther either. I want to hang on to my 5 year old G4 iMac for at least a couple more years and now have a Leopard pack ready to install (also iLife 09 and iWork 09).
I have a 1GB PC2700 SODIMM on the way, which would raise my total RAM to 1.25 GB. Should I wait until the new RAM is installed before starting the install of Leopard, or would that make little difference?
I have some older software that gets regular use and want to be sure it will still work after Leopard is installed:
1. Quicken 2004 for basic checkbook balancing and account management (don't do any online stuff).
2. Apple Works 6
3. MS Office 2004 for Mac
Plenty of photos saved on iPhoto 4.0.3 and a full music library on iTunes 7.7.1.
Is it safe to go ahead and pop in the Leopard DVD and get this install going, or are there other steps I need to take to avoid losing data from the older programs above?
Thanks for your help!!

If you currently only have 256mb of RAM, you will have to wait. Leopard's minimum is 512mb.
Going from Panther to Leopard is a big jump. Hopefully, you have an external FireWire drive that is at least the size of the iMac's internal drive. What I would do is clone the current internal drive startup volume to the external drive using Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. Restart using the clone to make sure it works properly, as if you are starting up normally from the internal drive.
While started up from the external clone, run Disk Utility. Run +Repair Disk+ (on the +First Aid+ tab) on the internal drive.
Once you are satisfied that the clone is working properly, disconnect it. It will serve as your backup. You should always have a current backup (of at least your personal data) when doing a major system update. You can now install Leopard on your internal drive. If something goes wrong or if something critical does not work properly under Leopard, you can always restart from your external clone of the previous system, then clone it back to the internal drive. You'll be back to your pre-Leopard state, so you can try it again.
You can then trouble-shoot potential problems and try again. You can also use the +Archive and Install+ option to install Leopard, which retains your user settings and data but gives you a fresh system. The default installation method installs Leopard over the existing system, and that can somethings cause problems; for example, you may have third-party system extensions installed that are not compatible with Leopard.

Upgrade from Panther to Leopard on PowerBook G4

Hi-
I just bought Leopard (for $129 directly from apple) and am interested in knowing the steps I would need to take to upgrade from Panther (10.3.9) on a PowerBook G4 with the following specs:
Machine Model: PowerBook G4 17"
CPU Type: PowerPC G4 (1.1)
Number Of CPUs: 1
CPU Speed: 1.5 GHz
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 512 MB
Bus Speed: 167 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 4.8.4f1
I have 11 GB of disk space available.
Do I have the correct system requirements to make this transition seamlessly? Anything else I need to get?
Thanks!

What's the difference between getting an external hard drive vs. the card? I'll definitely go with 160GB to be on the safe side.
See my reply in your other thread.
I keep reading that Archive&Install is giving people problems. Given my situation, would you recommend Upgrade or Archive&Install or Erase& Install?
I'm running Tiger and did not know that A&I was giving people problems on Leopard. If that's the case, I would definitely do the Upgrade (if that is an option like it has been on previous OSX installers).
My main thing is that I'm going to need to keep Office 2004 (which I learned should work on Leopard).
Given that, use the Upgrade method.
Unless... this may sound silly, but can I save it on disks or something? (I don't have the original install disks anymore).
That's not silly at all, and with some applications it will work. I do not know if that's the case with Office, but I would recommend against it. OSX often needs to "weave" parts of an app into itself via the installation, and copying the actual app will not do that. If you have a disk image of the installation disc, that's a different story, and it will copy/work fine.
Also, when I do the backup (via Super Duper?), where does all the stuff end up living? If it's on my hard drive, doesn't that get taken away when I replace it with the newer/bigger one?
I use SD and think it's the best cloning app out there. You need to save it on an external source, otherwise you're correct, it's still "living" on your PB's HD, and if you erase that HD or something happens to it, all that data is gone.
In your situation, I would consider either an external HD or an enclosure. With an external, you'll be able to use if for backups, which would be a very good idea if you value your data. 300GB and even larger can be found for under $100. I'd recommend a FireWire model, so you can then boot your PB from it if you want/need to.
If money is an issue and you choose not to backup (a bad idea, as all HDs eventually die), you may get an external enclosure. Install the new HD in it, SD/clone your PB's internal HD to it, install the new HD in your PB, and you're good to go. 2.5" enclosures can be purchased for under $10.

Upgrading from Panther to Leopard tips?

Hi, I'd like to upgrade from Panther 10.3.9 to Leopard, ideally the newest version. I have an I-book G4, 1.33GHZ, currently 512 MB RAM and 30.98 GB available disk space.
First question, is 512 RAM enough, or would it be important to get additional RAM for best performance? I think the most I could upgrade to with this computer would be 1.25 GB RAM. Or would it be better to get Tiger instead? What's the worst that could happen if I run Leopard with only 512 MB RAM? Computer slowing down? I would mostly use it for web surfing and writing with Word 2004, so nothing complicated. Thing is, I wouldn't want to spend too much money on this old computer, and more RAM would be another 30$ at least.
Also, is there any upgrade version that might be cheaper to buy than the full retail version? If so, what is it called? If I get the full retail, are they all the same and should I basically be safe with any disk that has the large "X" on it (as opposed to the gray disks that might only work for specific computers)? Not all sellers offer the whole box, which is fine, I really just need the disk, but I want to make sure I'm getting the right thing.
Do you know of a good place to get Leopard for a good price? Is it generally safe to buy a used disk? I would only need it for this one install, don't care if the disk is dirty, as long as it works.
I still have the Leopard disk from my I-mac, is there any way to install Leopard from that disk, or is full retail the only option?

Leo uses more resoueces, especially Video card relaed...
Tiger Requirements...
To use Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, your Macintosh needs:
    * A PowerPC G3, G4, or G5 processor
    * Built-in FireWire
    * At least 256 MB of RAM (I recommend 1GB minimum)
    * DVD drive (DVD-ROM), Combo (CD-RW/DVD-ROM) or SuperDrive (DVD-R) for installation
    * At least 3 GB of free disk space; 4 GB if you install the XCode 2 Developer Tools (I recommend 20GB minimum)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1514
I still have the Leopard disk from my I-mac, is there any way to install Leopard from that disk, or is full retail the only option?
Sorry, no, it's Intel & machine specific.
main thing for her would be access to internet (being able to watch basic videos online, mail, search, see all photos on a website.
In the end, not much differences as far as that, both are outdated... but I use both daily on the Internet.
Do you know if the old AOL software would work with either Tiger or Leopard? My mother still uses that and is used to it, although I might be able to get her to just check her e-mail on Safari in exchange for better internet access.
No idea, but AOL became irrevelant decades ago, Apples Mail App can be setup in 10.4/110.5 to access most anything, & theres better/safer Browsers in eithere OSSX...
TenFourFox is the most up to date browser for our PPCs, they even have G4 & G5 optimized versions...
http://www.floodgap.com/software/tenfourfox/
I'd avoid vesrion 24 though, as it no longer supports plug-ins like Flash.
SeaMonkey seems pretty fast also, with many options...
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/
http://www.seamonkey-project.org/releases/
Might also look into iCab & OmniWeb versions.

Upgrading an IMac G5 OSX 10.3.9 from Panther to Leopard?

I have been given contradictory info from the Apple sales dept. I have been told I could upgrade to
Leopard...and that I could only use Tiger. What is the truth? My Safari quits frequently and I can not
interface with some websites properly. So not sure Tiger would be that helpful? Help?

If the Flash, Shockwave and possibly Java (among other) items are not up to date, or if you are using an
obsolete browser to visit modern web pages, this may manifest itself as an issue in Panther 10.3.9 & later.
There is no really new Java update for Panther, so that probably is as far as it goes. The Flash & Shock-
wave items, in the proper version for Panther support, and removal of old versions, is often the issue.
Safari is not updated for Panther. You can choose to get Camino (mozilla) and it supports Panther 10.3.9
as well as the newer Mac OS X systems. The Adobe Flash player and Shockwave items often require a
previous version be uninstalled prior to installing a newer one. With Panther, you have to be sure you can
get a newer player item before you trash the old version. One of these players includes an uninstaller in
their download .dmg; the other you have to manually remove the offending parts to uninstall. This will allow
the newer supported Shockwave and Flash player items to install.
These two players generally work across several browsers. Your Safari browser may be beyond these up-
dates. A newer Safari is not supported by your older Panther 10.3.9. And generally, an upgrade may not help
an issue where certain updates or free downloads and installations where overlooked in an older version.
The field would change & other newer items would need to be gotten (also) & updated in the newer system.
If the computer can support it. Sometimes, this may mean adding RAM, a larger hard disk drive, and other
hardware upgrades. A newer system could allow you continued use with later versions of apps.
For ideas on what computer hardware configurations support which OS X versions, you could get a free
download of a database that runs offline once you get it, from http://mactracker.ca and read about yours.
Other causes of general system slowness include a lack of working free space on the hard disk drive,
and the need to perform maintenance on a routine basis. Insufficient chip RAM installed may also be
an area where changes could be made in the hardware configuration of the computer if it is slow.
Good luck & happy computing!
{edited}

Upgrade from panther to leopard-partition new macintosh hard drive?

hello,
i have some upgrade questions:
i have a mac g5, dual 2.5 with 4 gigs of ram in it. i've been running logic pro 7.1.1 for the last three and half years or so on panther, never switched up to tiger. my computer hasn't been running so great so recently, (problems with audio midi setup in logic, and with i-tunes) and also my mac hd is almost full. i bought leopard and logic 8. before trying an installation i used carbon copy cloner 3.01 to make bootable clone of my my hard drive onto an external firewire drive, (it boots up fine, albeit with the same little wierd issues as the original hard drive) would it make sense, since my hard drive is so full anyway, to buy a larger internal hard drive to replace the original hard drive, partition it somehow into two parts, clone the clone back to one of the partitions to have my panther setup on an ATA, then install leopard on the other half? would i risk bringing the wierdnesses back, or would they only be confined to the one leopard partition. is this even possible? if so, how would i do it?
thanks!
dave

What makes sense to me it to just leave the old Panther install on the original drive and install a new faster 500 GB internal drive for Leopard. Your PowerMac can have more than 1 internal drive and can boot from any drive with an OS on it.
I would not do an upgrade install with all the old and apparently corrupt files in your old system. Leopard has proven that if you start out with a less than perfect system, the upgrade will make it worse. The list of strange behaviors and problems that look like bugs on this forum is very long and you would be importing your existing wierdness and possibly just make it worse. There are several programs that actually break the upgrade so that it won't even boot.
Download the 10.5.2 Combo Update from Apple. Install OS 10.5 fresh to the new drive. Repair Permissions using Disk Utility. Install the 10.5.2 update and Repair Permissions again.
If you want your iLife applications you will need to get them from the Bundled Software installer on your original setup discs for Panther or you can buy the latest versions separately (iLife is not included on the Leopard Retail DVD).
Use Software Update to get the latest versions of just about all your Apple programs and Repair Permissions again. Install your new Logic Pro and new Leopard versions of all your applications. If a program isn't updated for Leopard make sure there are no problems with it from it's support group. If it's no longer supported don't use it and find a replacement program that is.
Setup your email preferences and accounts fresh. You can import your messages later, along with your other data files that are important. If you don't spend a few hours setting up your new fresh OS properly, you will spend weeks trying to get a broken upgrade to work. You stand a much better chance if you don't start out badly.
Depending on it's size, the external drive can be used for Time Machine for awhile or to clone your Leopard installation to in case you ignore my recommendation for a fresh install and go ahead with the update.

How easy is it to upgrade from Panther to Leopard?

I think it is about time I upgraded from 10.3.9 to 10.5 as I want to update my iLife package and use Final Cut.
However, I have been procrastinating about it - is it easy? I've read some reviews; some say it is easy and some say it is not. I will back up everything but was hoping that I wouldn't have to remove everything and then put it back once the new OS is installed.
I read one review where they upgraded their OS and lost everything even though it shouldn't be affected.
Any ideas or tips please?
thanks

First repair your hard drive:
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger and Leopard.) 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. Now restart normally.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior (4.0 for Tiger, and 4.1 for Leopard) and/or TechTool Pro (4.6.1 for Leopard) 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.
Next clone your system to another hard drive (external or internal) and test the clone by booting from it.
How to Clone Using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (journaled, if available) and click on the Erase button. This step can be skipped if the destination has already been freshly erased.
4. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the backup drive.
Source means the startup drive.
Verify your system meets the minimum requirements to install Leopard:
System requirements
You must have a Macintosh computer with:
an Intel processor or a PowerPC G4 (867 MHz or faster) or G5 processor
a DVD drive
built-in FireWire
at least 512 MB of RAM (additional RAM is recommended for development purposes)
a built-in display or a display connected to an Apple-supplied video card supported by your computer
at least 9 GB of disk space available, or 12 GB of disk space if you install the developer tools
When you move on to the actual installation I suggest doing the following:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) 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, then quit DU and return to the installer.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.

Want to go from Panther to Leopard?

My fellow Apple users,
I have a powermac G4 and am currently running OSX 10.3.9. I know that the highest I can go to is Leopard since my computer is pre-Intel. I'm pretty sure that I need to backup all of my info before I install Leopord. What is the best way to do that? I can't use an external hard drive since they are usually USB which are not compatible with older Macs. I would REALLY appreciate any help or advice. Thanks A million!

Jason, welcome to Apple Discussions.
*Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard installation system requirements*
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24950
How much RAM do you have? You should have 1GB or more to run Leopard.
Leopard is no longer available at the Apple Store *but may be available by calling Apple Phone Sales @ 1-800-MY-APPLE (1-800-692-7753)*.
When you upgrade the OS, do it via Archive & Install. See About the Archive and Install feature http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1710
Be sure to select Preserve Users & Settings. Also, repair permissions before and after the install.
Installing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1544
Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard Installation and Setup Guide
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/leopard_install-setup.pdf
You can backup using a USB connected drive, however, you won't be able to boot from the drive. Look at Mac Backup - Mac Backup Software, Hardware, and Guides for Your Mac
http://macs.about.com/od/usingyourmac/tp/backuphub.htm
Mac OS X data backup FAQ http://www.macmaps.com/backup.html
You can use CarbonCopy Cloner @ http://www.bombich.com/software/ccc.html , or SuperDuper @ http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html , or IBackup @ http://www.grapefruit.ch/iBackup/index.html , or Silverkeeper @ http://www.lacie.com/silverkeeper/ or the Restore function of Disk Utility included in OS X.
 Cheers, Tom

Will I be able to go from Panther to Leopard?

I was going to upgrade my system but am considering waiting until Leopard comes out. Can you jump up two OS or would I have to go to Tiger to go to Leopard?
Thanks

Hi tarynthevirtualassistant,
nobody knows for sure, but taking into account Apple's previous options for upgrades you should be able to skip one version number.
If this answered your question please consider granting some stars: Why reward points?

Upgrade policy (upgrading from Panther to Leopard?)

Hello,
is it possible to perform a major upgrade and skip a major version (10.3 -> 10.5)? Most modern OS don't support this and I wonder whether OS X supports this.
Please don't reply if you think it does or doesn't, I need an answer from someone's 100% sure (such as someone who upgraded from Jaguar to Tiger).
Thanks.

So just to be clear, if I haven't been...
To install a new OS, you must purchase the full retail install DVD and install it. There is no way to download it like an incremental update (i.e. 10.4.9 or 10.4.10)
There are several install options to choose from, which may provide more information for you.
-mj
[email protected]

Upgrade from Panther to Leopard - how much hard drive GB is needed?

Even though the system requirements on Apple say 9GB is needed, I hear that I really should have more than that and should get a larger hard drive. Has anyone had experience with this? I currently have 11 GB.
In terms of getting a larger hard drive, what is the difference between an external hard drive versus an internal one? Should I get 80 GB or more? Does it replace my current 74.4 GB one or does it add to it? What would work best with Leopard and my PowerBook G4?

Hi again Camille,
Your 74GB is really an 80GB, because manufacturers use a 1000 scale instead of 1024. Thus, you need a 100 or larger. Per other thread, I'd recommend larger. One can never have too much storage capacity, and files keep getting larger and larger, especially if you work with video data.
If you get an external, that means you'd have to haul it around with you, limiting the portability of your PB, but that is an option. I have a 500GB with several partitions sitting next to my PB which I usually leave connected and use for backups.

Upgrading mac os X server from panther to leopard on xserve

Hi,
I've actually got a xserve G4 and one G5. Both running on MacOS X server 10.3.9.
I plan to upgrade to 10.5 because a lot of clients are now running on MacOS X 10.5.
I don't find informations on Internet on this situation, and how to do this upgrade correctly. (always about non-server version on macOS).
Can you advise me on that?
Should a migration intermediary to 10.4?
Is there something that I must think before ?
Do you know of sites that speak about this?
Thanks you,
Fabien

I would seriously consider installing 10.5 server fresh rather than trying to upgrade. You can try Passenger
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/networking_security/passenger.html
to move users and passwords, but there are a lot of pitfalls you may encounter, and a clean install may actually be faster.

Looking to upgrade to Leopard from Panther; any thoughts?

Hello to all, this is my second post, so please bear with me if it sounds silly:
I have a late 2004 iMac Power PCG5, 20inch display, 1.8GHz, 2GB RAM, running Panther 10.3.9.
I am looking to possibly buy a few iPhones for the wife and I and I know that system requirements are 10.4.1 or higher. Since I cannot get Tiger anymore, I need to buy Leopard.
My computer runs smoothly, no problems, I have always kept up on software updates. Heck, we have only used like 30GB of the 160GB hard drive!
My question(s)- has anyone experienced any problems doing this kind of jump from Panther to Leopard? Known issues? I really appreciate any and all input.... I would rather not have to buy a new computer just to simply get Leopard 10.5.
I just would like to hear some reassurances or downsides before I spend $129 for Leopard.
Thanks in advance,

Drumfreak 68
2nd post for me as well.I just installed leopard on my imac.I had the same type of concerns as you.My wife is a part time college teacher,very important I have no issues with upgrading OS. I spent 6 months reading these forums.I've learned so much.
I upgraded to Leopard from tiger in the following manner.Every thing I did I read on these forums.
I purchased 2 external hd. The first is a 1 TB with the plan to use as a time machine disk after transition.The 2nd was a 320g that I partioned in half.I cloned my internal hd to both external hds,using superduper {fantastic program for 27$] I installed Leopard on the 2nd partition of the 320 gig hd.I booted from and ran computer from both external tiger volumnes for about a week.I booted the computer from the Leopard partition of the 320 Ex. Hd.I ran the computer from the leopard partition for the same time frame.I ran every app, that I could think of that my family uses . I had no issues at all.When I was happy with everything,I then used superduper to clone my external leopard to my internal.I will keep my tiger clone until i am confident that I have all the files moved.

From Panther to Leopard?

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