How to downgrade to Snow leopard

I upgraded to Lion and little to early for my tastes now.  I would like to downgarde to Snow Leopard, so I can run Pro Tools.  I know I can do this via Snow Leopard Install disk, then Time Machine.  My CD drive is out of commision, so I have the image on a thumb drive.  When I try to boot from the thumb drive, the apple logo appears, but then thats it, nothing else happens.  I tred to see if it would al least boot of the thumb drive on my macbook pro, and it works fine, so I know i out it on the drive correctly.  ANyway to downgrade back to Snow Leopard?  Can I do that via the Lion image?  Thanks

Downgrade Lion to Snow Leopard
1.  Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button.  When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard. I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1.

Similar Messages

  • How to Downgrade to Snow Leopard from Retail disk

    Hi there
    We have a new iMac at work bought through Apple's refurb site. It is running the latest version of Lion with all firmware updates, etc. It is replacing a G5 running Tiger.
    The problem is this – it is supposed to be running Adobe CS5, but also CS4 (and Office would be handly also)
    We have other macs here, some running Leopard, some Snow Leopard, but the Adobe apps are not happy at all in Lion, and InDesign CS4 crashes all the time and won't even print without jumping through a million hoops (obviously the Office 2004 app won't run at all).
    Due to the level of issues we are having with Lion (and the reliability of the all the software under Snow Leopard) I am looking to downgrade to Snow Leopard.
    I have a full retail version of Snow Leopard (10.6.3), but the Lion system won't boot from the disk, it just gets to the grey screen, and beeps three times. I presume this means that there isn't the required drivers on the disk to run the hardware, or there's a firmware update that doesn't allow installation.
    Am i totally stuck with this OS? I was looking to install Snow Leopard on a partiton, but when i run the install disk from the Lion desktop, it reports that I can't run it because 'I have Install Mac OS X 23.1.1.'
    I would really like to just have Snow Leopard on my iMac, or failing that, Lion on a small partition, and Snow Leopard and all the programs on the larger partition that I would boot from.
    Any ideas how I can get this done? Adobe CS suite is just rubbish on Lion macs, and runs worse than on my old Tiger mac.
    Thanks in advance,
    M.

    Mac_fool wrote:
    oh right - so clone Mac B onto Mac A HD in taget disk mode using SuperDuper (or Carbon Copy Cloner), then i'll be able to boot Mac A in SL.
    I understand that Mac A wouldn't boot, I was going to make Mac A's SL partition the start-up partition for Mac B, and then try and install OS updates to 10.6.8 from Mac B. Once updates are installed - change Mac B's startup disk back, and then surely Mac A would be able to boot all on it's own...
    I'm not sure if this would work in Target Disk Mode, but if you succeed in cloning Mac B to Mac A, you may be able to apply the Combo 10.6.8 update to Mac A while booting from Mac B. The key is that the Combo updater may be able to customize the Snow Leopard installation for the hardware it's actually being applied to. Unless I missed it, we don't really know which iMac you have since it's a refurb. According to Mactracker, only the Late 2011 21.5" comes only with Lion and might not accept Snow Leopard at all. At the same time, it has the same Model Identifier as the Mid 2011, which came with 10.6.6 or 10.6.7 so it might work.
    If at that point Mac A does boot in Snow Leopard, I'd advise running the 10.6.8 Combo updater again while booting from Mac A just to be safe.

  • How can I Downgrade to Snow Leopard and keeping all 3rd party apps?

    New to MacBookPro and really happy. With Lion...not so much. I want to downgrade to SL, however, apparently I must reformat the hard drive. Here´s the real question: If I have a backup of my entire HD with the user, docs and all the apps I have installed (on Lion), once I downgrade to Snow Leopard, can I just move all my apps from the back up disk I have made of my Lion-Running hard drive? In other words, How can I downgrade without having to reinstall every single third party app I have?

    First, how new is this Mac?  A Mac as a rule cannot boot to an older operating system version than that with which it was originally supplied.  In other words, if this is a new MBP that came with Lion then you probably cannot get it to boot to SL.
    Some applications (and I take it you do mean full "applications" rather than "apps" which are mobile device programs -- it helps to be clear o terminology) can just be dragged from place to place.  Others, notably Adobe and Office, install things all over the place and unless you are good at finding hidden files with obscure names in 10 different places you will just have to re-install them.

  • How do I downgrade to Snow Leopard?

    How do I install Snow Leopard on my MBP? 
    I had a non-genuine copy of Lion installed. So I formatted my HDD, and now want to install Snow Leopard, so I can buy and install my own copy of Lion.
    But MBP won't let me install Snow Leopard. When I boot from Snow Leopard installation DVD, I get the message "Mac OS X can not be installed on this computer". Is there some "left overs" from the Lion install or what?

    There's no such thing as a non-genuine install of 10.7; there is such a thing as an unpaid-for version.
    So the first question here would be what version of Mac OS came installed on this particular Mac? If it was Snow Leopard or lower, then you can downgrade to that. For details on how you should do this, read this post by ds store in this thread: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3195589?start=0&tstart=0

  • Need help with Mountain Lion downgrade to Snow Leopard

    Recently upgraded to Mountain Lion, my daily applications do not work and i am losing patience, I need help downgrading to snow leopard, i have the snow leopard CDS that came with my mac           
    ***detailed instructions help***
    my mac specs
    macbook pro 13" early 2011
    My time machine
    i have a backup with mountain lion, and i also have a backup from snow leopard,(my goal is to restore my latest backup from mountain lion to snow leopard)
    i have backed up my files using time machine AND justcloud
    My question is how, i do not want to lose any data, also is there any thing i need to be aware during this process

    Downgrade Lion/Mountain Lion to Snow Leopard
    1.  Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button.  When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
    This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1.
    If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.  If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.

  • I want to downgrade to Snow Leopard from Lion

    Hi
    Can someone please tell me how I can downgrade from OSX Lion to Snow Leopard on my brand new 27" iMac.
    I spoke to Apple over a week ago on the phone and explained that I wanted to downgrade to Snow Leopard and the chap I spoke to sold me the Snow Leopard upgrade disk and not the full installion DVD, I already own the Snow Leopard upgrade disk so now I have two copies and I can't use them to downgrade.
    All I get when I insert the DVD is a message saying "you can't use this version of the application Install Mac Os X with this version of Mac OS X"...
    Could someone please tell me exactly what Snow Leopard disks/ DVD I need to purchase (and where) for me to install Snow Leopard on my iMac. I have seen lots of different "versions" on eBay & Amazon with vastly differing prices but how do I know which disks I need to buy as I don't want to end up purchasing a third "Upgrade only" versionof Snow Leopard.
    Thank you for any help you can give me with this...

    I've already tried all of those methods using the 10.6.3 disks I bought, they simply don't work as I posted earlier.
    All that happens is the machine constantly bleeps 3 times in a row and the DVD drive stops spinning. I know booting from a DVD install disk is a slow process but no matter how long I leave it nothing happens except for the 3 bleeping sounds.
    Having scoured the net and spoken to Apple themselves all information tells me these 10.6.3 disks are actually for someone upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard.
    I have no idea why Apple sold me this version as before I ordered it I explained fully to the sales person what I was wanting to do and they had all the details of this mid 2011 iMac I have bought. So unless the sales person didn't have a clue what they were talking about then I should be able to "downgrade" to Snow Leopard on this iMac as even the specs for this model clearly state on everymac.com that it originaly shipped with OS 10.6.6 (Snow Leapard)
    http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-comparison-chart/?compare=all-intel-macs&hi ghlight=0&prod1=iMacIntel041
    So there must be somewhere I can purchase these 10.6.6 install disks to "downgrade". Trouble is on Ebay or Amazon where you can buy Snow Leopard most of them are 10.6.3 or "retail" versions with no actual version numbers to let me know I'm buying the correct disk.
    Who would have thought setting up your computer could be a mission impossible task and why Apple don't help is simply a disgrace to be honest.

  • How can I reinstall Snow Leopard?

    How can I reinstall Snow Leopard?

    Jan,
    You can use the Disk Utility "app" to partition your hard drive so that you can (clean) install Snow Leopard on the new partition. This leaves Mountain Lion intact on one partition. This worked great for me. I was becoming increasingly annoyed, seeing that Mountain Lion ***** due, as another poster said, to its "increasing iOSification".
    With Disk Utility you can name the new partition "Macintosh HD 2". Be sure to use the exact same format as the original (Macintosh HD) partition. You can access all your files/apps on the old (ML) partition from the new (SL) partition, and vice versa.
    However, know this:
    I still have NOT found a way to transfer any my OS X Mail folders from Mountain Lion BACK TO Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion's Mail gives you the false impression you can export your Mail folders to Snow Leopard's Mail, but you cannot. From what I've read here, the newest version of OS X Mail is not compatible with earlier versions. This is a HUGE problem.
    My short list (to date) of crappy Mountain Lion behavior; items marked with a double asterisk (**)represent the worst of Mountain Lion for me.
    ** No up/down arrows in scroll bar slider;
    Expose` not as easy to navigate as in Snow Leopard;
    Mail does not request passwords for either receive or send;
    No "Save Draft" icon in Mail compose window;
    "Save As" selection missing in most app menus;
    No separate Search window in Safari (workaround: use Firefox or Opera);
    ** Can't export Mail from Mountain Lion into Snow Leopard if downgrading;
    iWork 09 seems to have "circled the wagons" re compatibility with MS Office or LibreOffice (workaround: just use Libreoffice);
    I truly regret "upgrading" to Apple's "Vista".

  • My MACBOOK Pro turned out to be Snow Leopard, and later upgraded to LION. And update the EFI, I would like to replace the Snow Leopard, EFI can not boot, how do? How to use the Snow Leopard install disk to reduce EFI?

    My MACBOOK Pro turned out to be Snow Leopard, and later upgraded toLION. And update the EFI, I would like to replace the Snow Leopard, EFIcan not boot, how do? How to use the Snow Leopard install disk to reduce EFI?

    Do you mean some of your software does not work in Lion? Do you want to return to using Snow Leopard? If so, then do this:
    Downgrade Lion to Snow Leopard
    1.  Boot from your Snow Leopard Installer Disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button.  When the menu bar appears select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu.
    2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
    4. Quit DU and return to the installer. Install Snow Leopard.
    This will erase the whole drive so be sure to backup your files if you don't have a backup already. If you have performed a TM backup using Lion be aware that you cannot restore from that backup in Snow Leopard (see below.) I suggest you make a separate backup using Carbon Copy Cloner 3.4.1.
    If you have Snow Leopard Time Machine backups, do a full system restore per #14 in Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions.  If you have subsequent backups from Lion, you can restore newer items selectively, via the "Star Wars" display, per #15 there, but be careful; some Snow Leopard apps may not work with the Lion files.

  • Help Downgrade to Snow Leopard due to Constant Freezing from YouTube and Update Failures?

    I love the new OSX Lion, however due to youtube being my most visited site, the widespread issue between new iMacs with Lion and Flash Player is bad enough that I would like to return to Snow Leopard. My computer has already frozen and needed to be restarted upwards of 15 times. If I no longer posses the Snow Leopard install disc (never thought I'd need it since I upgraded), is there any way for me to revert to Snow Leopard? I just can't stand the freezing, as well as how long it takes to restart following said crashes, it has rendered my mac nearly unusable. Also, when I run the Software update application, updates keep finishing downloading and then telling me that the download "Can not be saved" which forced me to move my music library to Spotify. Although after 3 days the iTunes update did finish however i did not want to go back to iTunes for fear of future problems. Help?

    I've already tried all of those methods using the 10.6.3 disks I bought, they simply don't work as I posted earlier.
    All that happens is the machine constantly bleeps 3 times in a row and the DVD drive stops spinning. I know booting from a DVD install disk is a slow process but no matter how long I leave it nothing happens except for the 3 bleeping sounds.
    Having scoured the net and spoken to Apple themselves all information tells me these 10.6.3 disks are actually for someone upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard.
    I have no idea why Apple sold me this version as before I ordered it I explained fully to the sales person what I was wanting to do and they had all the details of this mid 2011 iMac I have bought. So unless the sales person didn't have a clue what they were talking about then I should be able to "downgrade" to Snow Leopard on this iMac as even the specs for this model clearly state on everymac.com that it originaly shipped with OS 10.6.6 (Snow Leapard)
    http://www.everymac.com/ultimate-mac-comparison-chart/?compare=all-intel-macs&hi ghlight=0&prod1=iMacIntel041
    So there must be somewhere I can purchase these 10.6.6 install disks to "downgrade". Trouble is on Ebay or Amazon where you can buy Snow Leopard most of them are 10.6.3 or "retail" versions with no actual version numbers to let me know I'm buying the correct disk.
    Who would have thought setting up your computer could be a mission impossible task and why Apple don't help is simply a disgrace to be honest.

  • How do I install snow leopard on a 2.1 ghz macbook with 10.5.8 Leopard installed?  I have a 10.6.2 unstall disk.  It says it can't install snow leopard on this computer.

    How do I install Snow Leopard on my Macbook 2.1 ghz, with 10.5.8 Leopard installed?
    I have the install disk for Snow Leopard 10.6.2, but when using it for installation, it
    states that "Snow Leopard cannot be installed on this computer"!
    I understand some features of iOS5 cannot be used unless my iMac and Macbook have
    10.7 Lion installed.  Correct?

    It sounds like your Snow Leopard install disk is the disk that came with another model of Mac (grey lable with no pictures). If so, that's not legal and won't work. You need a retail (white label with the picture of a snow leopard) copy of the installer for each system that didn't come with Snow Leopard.
    Regards.

  • How can I install Snow Leopard on my 15" MacBook Pro without using its DVD drive?

    How can I install Snow Leopard on my 15" MacBook Pro without using its DVD drive?

    I'm assuming your dvd drive is broken? if you have a thumb drive large enough (8GB or better), you can use another computer to make a bootable image from the install dvd to the thumb drive. then you can install from the the thumb drive.
    Ihttp://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
    that's a step by step walkthrough.

  • How can i install snow leopard on my mac G5 using a command line and booting from an external usb rom, since my disk i have is not a bootable media

    How can i install snow leopard on my mac G5 using a command line and booting from an external usb rom, since my disk i have is not a bootable media

    Hi.
    You simply can't. Snow Leopard is compiled in Intel binary only.
    Good Luck.

  • How do I get Snow Leopard onto my Blackbook?

    Hi folks.
    With Lion coming up, I have to have 10.6.8 on my Blackbook.  A drive recently failed and I have installed Tiger onto it.  My Pro has Snow Leopard on it, but I can't install it onto my laptop.  How can I get Snow Leopard onto it? 
    Cheers

    Buy a copy of the retail Snow Leopard DVD at an Apple store - $29.00.

  • How can i install snow leopard together with lion, on a Lion based MacBook Pro ultimo 2011

    Hi
    How can I install Snow Leopard on a Lion Based MacBook Pro ultimo 2001. I will both have installed Snow Leopard and Lion on my computer, but how can i do that?
    I have purchaded Snow Leopard, but I can installed it
    Pls can anyone help me
    Best regards and merry christmas
    Robert

    Apple figures that having supported PowerPC code for the last 6 years is enough so they dropped it.
    Why should they have to support some that old forever? It doesn't make good business sense to support some that so few will use.
    If you must play those games, my suggestion is to get an older Mac that will support PowerPC. It is going to be a difficult task to get Snow Leopard to run on a new Mac.
    Allan

  • How do I uninstall snow leopard and re-install OSX leopard?

    How do I uninstall snow leopard and re-install OSX leopard?

    Sorry to hear that, Snow Leopard runs as fast or faster than either Tiger and Leopard did on my Jan 2006 Early Intel iMac on 2GB of RAM?
    Before you blame Snow Leopard, run the Extended Apple Hardware Test and check the SMART status of your Hard Drive to make sure that you do not have another problem.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
    http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/14825/smartreporter

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