How do I install Lion on an MBP with Snow Leopard 10.6.8, Boot Camp'd XP and a Master Boot Record?

I think this is called "a pickle."
The machine is a 13" MacBook Pro, 2.66 GHz Core 2 Duo w/ 4 GB RAM and a 500 GB HDD.
The HDD has a Snow Leopard 10.6.8 partition, and a Windows XP partition, via Boot Camp. Its Partition Map Scheme, sadly, is a Master Boot Record. I need to reformat it to a GUID Partition Table scheme to install Lion, but when I attempt to boot it from the Snow Leopard 10.6.0 DVD to wipe the drive, it grey-screens. Dead end.
From what I can gather on the forums, I can't boot a 10.6.8 machine using a Snow Leopard 10.6.0 DVD. I can't find my grey DVDs for this machine – still looking for those – but I expect those won't work either, being Leopard-generation?
The machine works fine, for the most part, including the optical drive. Has occassional display and wake glitches. Its HDD is backed up on a Drobo via Time Machine. I also have a 15" MBP Core i7 (with the exact same problem: 10.6.8, XP, MBR) which I can use for Target Disk Mode via FireWire. If I try to wipe the HDD on the 13", using Disk Utility on the 15" via Target Disk Mode, will the 13" then boot successfully from the Snow Leopard 10.6.0 DVD?
I just want to wipe the 13" machine, reinstall a fresh copy of Snow Leopard, then update it to Lion and restore from Time Machine, and never touch anything Windows-related ever again. (And then do the same for my 15", for which I've found my 10.6.3 grey disc. Not sure if that's any more promising.)
Any help appreciated!

Sounds like something is wrong with your disk. Have you tried cleaning it?
The Snow Leopard 10.6.0 DVD is fine – it mounts on both my 13" and 15", and I successfully created an image of it on my 15". I also tried my wife's Snow Leopard 10.6.0 DVD, also clean, which produced the same grey screen result.
Have you tried to use boot camp to erase the Windows partition?
Yep, this is supposed to be the proper way to remove a Windows XP partition from Boot Camp, so this was the first thing I tried. I get the same error as everyone with a Master Boot Record scheme appears to get:
The startup disk cannot be partitioned or restored to a single partition.
Back up the disk and use Disk Utility to format it as a single Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) volume. Restore your information to the disk and try using Boot Camp Assistant again.
So, if I can't launch the Disk Utility from the Snow Leopard DVD, my next best guess is wiping it from my 15" over Target Disk Mode. However, if I try that, and still can't get it to boot from the Snow Leopard 10.6.0 DVD, then I'm stuck with an MBP without an OS.
My conclusion – that 10.6.0 DVDs can't boot to 10.6.8 machines – was based on forum posts about downgrading from Lion. I was wondering if there's a way to create a "10.6.8 restore DVD," and try booting from that. Shot in the dark perhaps.

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Michael Wasley's link (wikidot) is as accurate as any I can find.
It's still wise to check with the vendors' websites for compliance.
Biggest source of problems seems to be printer and scanner drivers.
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Check particularly with Adobe products; some you'd think should work ok suddenly don't.

Installed Lion but I want run Snow Leopard as well

I have installed Lion but I am having some issues with some apps. I thought that I could install Snow Leopard as a virtual machine so I could use those apps in SL, and still keep Lion.
Is that possible? Should I buy Snow Leopard or can I install this virtual machine using the DVD that I got when I bought my Mac?

Barry Fass-Holmes wrote:
Could you please provide evidence which supports your claim that it's "a myth?"
Not really. I also cannot provide evidence that the legends of King Arthur, or Atlantis, or Bigfoot are myths. The lack of evidence that they are true is enough to place them in the category of myth. The inability to prove them false does not make them true. The same holds for the myth that "Snow Leopard is not licensed to be run in a virtual machine on a host Mac running Lion." That can be disproved simply by reading the Snow Leopard SLA, in which no such prohibition exists.
I would be very interested in seeing where Apple's EULA for Snow Leopard, Lion, and/or Mountain Lion provides permission for users to install Snow Leopard in a virtual machine.
It isn't there. The idea that "it must be prohibited because the license does not specifically allow it" is absurd. If that method of interpreting licenses were correct, I could claim that running OS X while drinking coffee, or while wearing a three piece suit, or on a Mac in which the Apple logo has been covered over with a Detroit Tigers logo, are all prohibited, because the SLA doesn't explicitly permit them. Those are all absurd, of course; it is not a violation of the SLA to do any of those things. So it is with running Snow Leopard in a virtual machine. The license says that it must be a single copy only, running on Apple hardware. Running Snow Leopard in a virtual machine on a Mac with Lion as the host OS complies with the "one copy on Apple hardware" terms.
Lion's and Mountain Lion's EULAs do provide permission to install Lion or Mountain Lion (respectively) in a VM, but my reading of the EULAs is that Apple does not permit installation of Snow Leopard in a VM.
The 10.7 and 10.8 SLAs permit users to run up to three copies of the software simultaneously, one "directly" and up to two more in "virtual operating system environments". The 10.6 and earlier SLAs say one copy only, with no restriction on whether it is directly or in a virtual operating system environment. The term "directly" was added in the 10.7 and 10.8 licenses; it was not there in 10.6 and earlier. One copy of 10.6 running on Apple hardware is one copy of 10.6 running on Apple hardware, whether in a virtual machine or not.
Nowhere in the 10.6 SLA does it say that installing Snow Leopard in a VM is prohibited. Someone started that rumour and it has become one of the most pervasive bits of computer folklore in history. It is a myth.
I would be more than happy for you to demonstrate that I am incorrect.
I hope I have been helpful; let me know if there is any other information you need.

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Hello taracass3,
You may want to remove any existing queues for the printer in your Print & Fax preferences pane, then re-add the printer. If it's still not working correctly, I'd recommend resetting the printing system.
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Click the print queue you would like to remove from the list in the "Printers" pane.
Click the - (minus) button below the "Printers" pane.
Click "Delete Printer" in the "Are you sure..." confirmation sheet.
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Control-click or right-click a print queue in the "Printers" pane.
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Click "OK" in the "Are you sure..." confirmation sheet.
Mac 101: Printing (Mac OS X v10.6)
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3771
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I want to upgrade multiple Macs, but I don't want to download the update multiple times.
Has Apple posted instructions on this? My searches have been in vain.
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Upgrading to OS X 10.7 FAQ
Backup your user files and folders manually (drag and drop) from all partitions/OS's installed to a external powered drive and disconnect this drive, before proceeding in addition to TimeMachine, Bootable Clones etc.
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Click the "Apple" symbol in the top left corner of your screen and select "About This Mac."
Make sure you're running version 10.6.8.
If not, click "Software Update" from the same Apple menu and update your system.
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Free Lion? check here
http://www.apple.com/macosx/uptodate/
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BackupLion
http://www.eggfreckles.net/tech/burning-a-lion-boot-disc/
http://eggfreckles.net/tech/installing-lion-clean/
Check Apple's license details throughly before usingorinstalling Lion.
This is what binds you legally, notwhat users say or sites suggest you can do.
Other Lion FAQ's answered.
No"Rosetta" sorry.
Someof your older programs (like Appleworks) that depend upon it will notwork.
OS X Lion cannot be installed on these Macs:
1:Any PowerPC processor Mac (G3, G4, G5)
2:Any Intel Mac on this list:
iMac4,1Early(Jan-Sept) 2006 17"
iMac4,1Early(Jan-Sept) 2006 20"
iMac4,2Mid(July-Sept) 2006 17"
MacMini1,1(Feb-Sept) Early 2006
MacMini1,1(Sept-Aug) Late 2006
MacBook1,113"(May-Nov 2006)
MacBookPro1,115" A1150 (Jan-May 2006)
MacBookPro1,217" A1151 (Aprl-Oct 2006)
MacBookPro1,115" A1175 (May-Oct 2006)
Look under the Apple Menu > About this Mac > More information for you rmachine details.
(there are reports of hacking Lion to work on 32 bit Intel Core DuoMac's, it's unsupported by Apple and not advised)
Didn't get Lion?
These are user to user support forums and Apple doesn't respond here,
We users can't speak for Apple about your free Lion status or problems downloading, reissuing a download.
It's possible Apple could be spacing out the downloads as not to knock theservers offline. So be patient.
If after a week or so when the initial rush is over, and you still haven't gotten your Lion, I suggest you contact Apple.
Mission critical
If your using Mac's in a mission critical type environment or have third party hardware or software you must rely upon working correctly. It's advised to wait until all the bugs, driver updates, third party software and other issues are resolved before upgrading. This might take several months. Then if you do so, do one machine at a time andcarefully test everything before full deployment.

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my internal dvd drive in my macbookpro is broken and I need to install windows vista on my mbp for educational reasons.. Anybody can give me a hand? (i cant afford a new internal drive)
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Message was edited by: Sply

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Corrupt directory and damage are best handled by booting from another hard drive with latest OS, latest Disk Utility, and ultimately, with SuperDuper.
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Just as important, to find out why.
Is it the make/model and firmware of the SSD?
Is it known issue with that model?
Are you using Crucial, OWC, what brand?
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Hi,
I'm looking to upgrade from Snow Leapord (10.6.8) to the new Mountain Lion. Have a lot of applications and softwares that I would like to back up when installing the new OS, such as MS Office, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Any ideas on what is the best way to do that.
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If your not very tech savvy, I would have someone assist you in the upgrade process as your about to inflict major change on your life and computer.
There are some things to consider before you upgrade.
1: The age of your machine:
My advice has been if your Mac is less than two years old and has a dedicated graphics (not all only Intel HD 3000 or 4000 CPU graphics like the 13" has)) then you stand a very good chance of 10.8 (or 10.7) running fine on your machine.
In either case you need to check the specifications of your machine to see if it meets Apple's requirements, and unfortunately those requirements are a bit low, resulting in a slower machine when you upgrade.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS_X_Mountain_Lion
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X_Lion
(note: 10.7 is no longer being sold via the AppStore, you should upgrade to 10.8, however some machines can't, you can call Apple Sales to upgrade to 10.7)
If your machine originally came with 10.5, I would say forget it. Mac's don't last forever and laptops usually have a life of about 4 years with normal use. Desktops last longer of course and can withstand more OS X upgrades if Apple allows it.
2: The age of your software.
10.7 and 10.8 will not run PPC based software of old like 10.6 does, also upgrading to 10.8/10.7 may require expensive software upgrades that can hit you unexpected. Consult this site and your other needed software and hardware drivers/software (for printers/scanners,custom keyboards/mice etc) BEFORE you upgrade the operating system.
http://roaringapps.com/apps:table
3: Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper "clone" (payware)
Your OS X boot partition to a new/reliable, blank powered external drive and use Disk Utility to Repair Permissions on both afterwards. You can hold the option key down and boot from this clone drive to use the computer like before if your OS X upgrade fails and the machine gets bricked. You can also use Disk Utility to erase the entire internal drive and reverse clone if you find out the OS X upgrade is not to your liking.
Make sure all other drives are disconnected, like TimeMachine when cloning or upgrading OS X, thus when you reboot TimeMachine doesn't self update itself, which can lock you out from going back in time to restore from.
Note: If you have Bootcamp, you can clone that with WinClone (payware) to another drive and recreate Bootcamp later and restore it.
4: Some firmware updates can possibly "BRICK" your hardware
Firmware updates progress in a forward manner and can't be downgraded, so what sometimes occurs is a software error by programmers or a hardware glitch on your machine won't 100% cooperate with the firmware update and thus your machine will fail to function. Sometimes even a interruption in the OS X upgrade or firmware update process will cause the problem. When this occurs, a trip to a Apple Repair is in order and if your machine is out of AppleCare (3 years) or the 1 years standard warranty your looking at a very expensive logicboard replacement. At this time you usually consider the cost not worth it and rather spend the money on the newer machine, especially if it's 2-3 years old. This can come as quite a shock as you expected to pay $20 for a OS X upgrade and now have to buy a whole new machine.
You can't not upgrade the operating system for security and bug fixes, however you make sure you have AppleCare that will protect you for three years if such a hardware bricking occurs. If you don't have AppleCare you might want to reconsider taking the chance upgrading the operating system and thus the firmware.
AppleCare can be purchased within one year of the original machine purchase, it gives one 3 years of care from the date of machine purchase, not from the date of AppleCare purchase.
5: Market share of OS x versions (apx)
10.4 4.5% security updates > no
10.5 15% security updates > no
10.6 52% security updates > yes
10.7 30% security updates > yes
10.8 2 million upgraded so far, just released
6: Your decision to upgrade or not
It depends upon your computer technical ability, the age of your machine, your software investment and your budget.
Can you afford to pay for professional assistance if your upgrade doesn't go as expected? Are you in AppleCare?
Can you afford to pay for upgrades to third party software?
Can you afford the downtime while your machine is being repaired?
Can you live without the "new features" newer OS versions provide?
Does your hardware even support the newer features?
You might decide the upgrade is not worth it for your older machine and decide to ease yourself into a new machine gradually. I took this approach with my 2006 MacBook Pro, buying a Early 2011 model. I then upgrade to 10.7 on the older 2006 machine and glad I did, because it got bricked. Turned out 10.7 was a pretty awful upgrade and I was out of AppleCare, however 10.8 seems to be "normal" far as OS X upgrades go, some problems but not mass bricking of machines.

Running MBP with Snow Leopard 10.6.8. - Non Visible Dock Icons

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Removing from Dock and returning it there and saying keep in dock do nothing.
They are there, just not visible. There is a blank space in between Icons.
In between Address Book and iTunes is where iChat is.
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Several Apple Applications are no longer visible on the Dock.
What were you doing when you noticed that your icons became invisible?
Disconnect all peripherals from your computer. Boot from your install disc & run Repair Disk from the utility menu. To use the Install Mac OS X disc, insert the disc, and restart your computer while holding down the C key as it starts up.
Select your language.
Once on the desktop, select Utility in the menu bar.
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Select the disk or volume in the list of disks and volumes, and then click First Aid.
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How do I install Lion on an MBP with Snow Leopard 10.6.8, Boot Camp'd XP and a Master Boot Record?

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