How to reinstall snow leopard without erasing any data

Hi, I have a mac running snow lepoard and want to reinstall the operarting sytem without erasing any data, can you tell me how to do that, thanks.

Just boot from the install DVD and install. This will give you the version as of the version on the DVD while preserving your third party software and users. Then update using Software Update. Better to do this with a backup in case anything goes wrong.
Why do you want to do this? I wonder if this is really needed.

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How to reinstall snow leopard without install disc

Hi guys,
I recently took my computer in to an authorised repairer (MyMac Flinders St., Melbourne Australia) to get my LCD screen replaced under warranty, as it had developed a yellow line running down the right hand side of the screen. Whilst it was in the shop I decided to have a new 1TB hard drive put in, and get the OS updated to Snow Leopard (they loaded it up, I did not get install disc). Since then, I have had massive problems with my computer. The computer sometimes would not turn on, turn off, or simply freeze. I took the computer back in and was told it was a software issue, so they did a format reinstall, and told me the problem was fixed. Within hours of getting the computer home, the same problem occurred. I took it back, was told the same thing, and with the same end result (computer not working). I then took it into the Apple store in Chadstone Melbourne, and was told it was the hard drive that was at fault, and not the software at all. I then tried to get the hard drive replaced through MyMac Flinders St., as I now thought it might be the hard drive that was the problem, and with great reluctance and many minutes on the phone they finally agreed. I had big problems getting this agreed to, because my computer was now out of warranty. So, I guess this is a two part question:
1. I've got the computer back now, with the new hard drive, and it seemed to be working fine, but i've since discovered my phone was not syncing up correctly, and was told by Apple support to check my iSync.. to which I was greeted with the error message "iSync can't be launched iSync Manager not available" to which Apple support gave me a step by step instruction download to fix:
In the Finder, choose Utilities from the Go menu.
Open Terminal.
In the Terminal window that opens, type or paste the following command on a single line:
/System/Library/Frameworks/SyncServices.framework/Versions/A/Resources/resetsync .pl full
Press Return.
When the operation is complete quit Terminal
The only problem being.. the Apple Terminal was missing. The program logo was there, but unable to launch. I figure my best bet will be to do a reinstall of Snow Leopard, but I am unsure of how to do this without the physical install disc. I have a backup on an external hard drive.
2. With my computer being now out of AppleCare warranty, I would like to know my options if this problem is unfixable, as my computer was fine before I took it into the authorised repairer, and also in warranty. I don't think I should wear the financial costs of replacing this computer.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Steve

I assumed it was normal to load up an OS without giving the disk..
Absolutely not.
Are you 100% sure they have acted outside the law here?
If you are absolutely sure that they didn't give you a disk, then yes, what they have done is essentially software piracy. Of course, it could simply be construed as a mistake. It is not unusual, however careless it might be, for repair folks to assume you were running SL when they reinstall your system.
However, if you specifically asked them to upgrade you to SL, as it sounds like you did, and they charged you a fee for that upgrade but didn't give you a disk, then that's theft pure and simple.
Oh, and that link you sent for AHT.. It's telling me I'd have to have the install disk to run the hardware test. Is there a way to do it without the disk?
It requires one of the gray disks that shipped with your machine, not the retail SL disk that you don't have. If you have misplaced those disks, then you're a bit hosed... Apple will replace the gray disks for a small fee, and that's the only way you're going to get AHT.
Newer machines apparently have a small hidden partition with the AHT boot system on it, but if your machine didn't ship with SL, I don't think it'll be one of those.

Can I install Lion over Snow Leopard without erasing and restoring hard drive?

Been reading a lot about downloading Lion. Recommended to back up hard drive to ext. drive, erase hard drive, install Lion and then re-install apps and files from ext. drive. Can I just install Lion over Snow Leopard without erasing all apps and files on hard drive?

If you do an upgrade install then be sure to do this first:
1. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions
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. 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.
If DU reports errors it cannot fix, then you will need Disk Warrior and/or Tech Tool Pro 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. Make a bootable backup just in case. Clone using Restore Option of Disk Utility
Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
Select the destination volume from the left side list.
Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
Check the box labeled Erase destination.
Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

IPod Classic is stuck on a restarting loop, how do I fix it without erasing any of the data?

My iPod Classic(160G) is stuck in a restarting loop and I don't know how to fix it.
It will turn on so I can see the Apple logo, then it will shut off and do it all over again untill the battery is drained.
It charges without problems; my laptop won't recognize that there is an iPod plugged in so iTunes doesn't work.
I would love to be able to fix the problem without erasing any data because I have lots of songs that I no longer have on any computer anymore.
I would appreciate some help, as long as it won't erase any of the data, thanks.

I let my 8 year old listen to the IPod that my eldest son gave to me. My 8 year old also likes to take pictures with the IPod. Anyways, she unknowingly put a password on it and tried too many times to unlock it, now it's disabled. How do I enable it without erasing any of the music or pictures?!

How do I reinstall Snow Leopard without the discs?

I need to change my hard drive and reinstall Mac OS X. I can't install Lion obviously because I first need a platform. I got my MacBook from a relative, but she sent it to me with MacBook Pro installation discs. I tried using them, but every time it says, "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer," which I don't know why that'd be. Since I don't have the necessary installation discs, how do I reinstall the OS?

FIrst, you may want to back up your system to an external HD, then restore it when the disk is replaced. If you use the Restore tab of Disk Utility (see #7 in Using Disk Utility), or the 3rd-party CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper apps, you can start up from the "clone" and restore back to the new disk.
If you use Time Machine for backups, you'll need a Snow Leopard disc to restore them.
But you will probably need a Snow Leopard disc that will boot your Mac sooner or later anyway.
Note that the retail disc only has the default Apple apps; no iLife or iWork apps.
If the Mac came with Snow Leopard, call AppleCare. They'll send a duplicate set of the original discs (including iLife) for a nominal fee.
If the Mac came with Leopard, and iLife wasn't upgraded, get the original Leopard disks (with iLife) and a retail Snow Leopard disc.

Anyone know how to uninstall Lion and reinstall snow leopard without having to pay the $29?

Ever since I purchased and downloaded Lion I have been having problems (applications not running properly or not at all and the computer locks up like every 10 minutes resulting in me having to restart) and want to go back to snow leopard until I feel comfortable that Lion is ready to go.

Thanks Roscoe . . . .
I came back to this forum to share my experience. I'm working with a 2007/08 - 17" MB Pro. With the LEOPARD OS, not Snow Leopard. I used my original discs and reformatted, reinstalled Leopard. I was able to open Time Machine and restore the files saved on on an external drive. I used this time to make changes to my Apps, and having just doubled my RAM prior to the 'Lion Upgrade', had no issues of slowing or freezing as others are apparently having. Like you, this was relatively painless, though it did take some time to transfer all of my files.
I hesitated performing this process for nearly a month, but kept checking my back-ups to ensure that I had still some saved from the Leopard days. Unfortunately, I was unable to do much of anything. I'm a graphic designer and sell items online, EVERYTHING came to a complete stop with Lion. I couldn't communicate with my printer at all, no fax, no copies, no prints, no scans. I couldn't download images from my camera. Some of my Apps, stopped working, I hated the missing 'Save As' feature. My image viewer and browsers crashed constantly, and my home network 'LOST' me! I couldn't take another day of NO productivity!
My advice to anyone changing or upgrading ANY O.S., whether Mac or PC, always; ALWAYS back up your drive first! We should be backing up often anyway, but it is certainly important to ensure the security of all of your files and program downloads or installations by copying everything prior to making any hardware or software changes. For a small investment of $50 to $100, you can get an external drive. Having the capability of restoring all of your data is . . . priceless!
Thanks everyone for sharing. Good luck to those experiences these problems. Have Faith, Apple will fix it's issues, and the other manufacturers WILL catch up on the driver codes. We all just need to be patient, until then; keep on 'backing up'!
*** JJ; were you able to restore an earlier back up? Did that fix your issue? I found a great deal on RAM from Crucial, sometimes this will help increase our speed and performance . . . . just a thought.
Christi

How to Reinstall Snow Leopard

I bought an iMac, and they did not provide any installation DVD with it. Now, I tried to restart it by hitting Alt key, but any recovery partition did not seem to exist. Now, I want to erase the disk and re-install Snow Leopard. How can I do this? Is there a way to do this online? Or, if I upgrade OS to Lion, will I be able to erase the disk and re-install Lion anytime I want?
Regards,

You just bought an iMac new or used?
If your iMac you just bought is new and came with Lion, there won't be any installation DVD with it. To access the functions of the installation DVDs that were previously used, you reboot holding the command and R keys down. You will probably not be able to create a usable Snow Leopard disk. Do a search on these discussions to view others attempts.
If the system originally came with Snow Leopard, and you want to reinstall it, you can buy Snow Leopard for $29 from the Apple online store. In the US it's at http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A?fnode=MTY1NDAzOA . This won't have the iLife programs, however, they can be bought separately. You can also call Apple support and buy the original OS X disks that shipped with your system (assuming it originally came with Snow Leopard and not Lion). That would be good, as you'll also get the Apple hardware test which is only available on the OS X disks.
And yes, once you install Lion from the App Store, you can download anytime at additional charge.

Reinstalling Snow Leopard without loosing ones Apps, Photos and such?

Hi,
someone I think on these forums in fact advised me recently to do a reinstall of Snow Leopard as the only way of fixing some very very odd system behaviour (file system regularly freezing up).
It was said that installing OVER my current running copy of SL would leave all files except those system ones intact and no data loss would incur.
Basically I do not have enough room to back all my data up on external drives and would like to know if this is in fact true, that even system folders (content in for example "Sites" or "Pictures" or "Music" remains untouched?
Will App preference files also be left alone or will I need to reinstall my Apps after this install?
Thanks for your help in advance,
just a little nervous about all this.
PS: Snow Leopard, on a 128GB M225 Crucial SSD in a MacPro3,1.

Hello again,
@The hatter:
Could you perhaps elaborate on the whole /users folder setup you are mentioning? I am a little lost as to where those settings are that I could later use in my Accounts panel that would replace Sym Links.
Also, ideally I will leave all my applications on the SSD for the faster startup time of course.
Also, how can I 'manually' TRIM my drive? I checked the link you attached but am unsure as to how this would relate my issue since they are just generally complaining about SSDs not working right, mine used to work fine for months and now acts up.
@R C-R:
Thanks. I tried to give as much info as I could comprehend myself, hoping I would not miss an integral part.
I have run Disk Verify and Disk Repair multiple time over the past couple of weeks, including just 2 days ago, and everything came up fine there.
Also I reset my RAM (CMDOPT+RP on startup), but this didn't help either.
I went through the folder like you suggested but there was no delay or hang up doing so and all links were directing me to the right folders.
When I say 'no delay' I mean that not just the file tree was displayed but also the video thumbnails for files were accessible immediately.
I have used Onyx before when I wasn't using a SSD but other people have told me that there is no point in defragging a SSD since it is designed to be randomly allocated bytes so even when defragging it would just remap the data randomly.
I have Onyx still on my system so if there is something specific you suggest I run, please let me know.
As for other software: I own a license for Drive Genius 2 also, if this are better/more suitable.
Last but not least: Yes, silly me, 1.5GB should of course be 1.5TB. Apologies.
Also, just for being completely transparent with my system:
- Mac Pro 3,1 (e 2008)
- 16GB RAM (8x2GB matched pairs)
- nVidia GF 8800GT 512MB
- 4 internal drives:
1) 128GB M225 Crucial SSD (boot)
2) Seagate Barracuda 7200.13 1.5TB
3) Seagate Barracuda 7200.13 1.5TB
4) Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1TB (only used for Windows boot camp, entire drive)
- 2 internal DVD drives
1) Factory Matshita (seemed broken, reads fine does no longer burn DVDs)
2) NEC 3540a as a secondary (works perfectly)
Snow Leopard on this SSD was a clean install initially.
Thanks for your continued interest to all of you, really appreciate you sticking with this thread.
Many thanks,
J.

How to restore snow leopard without disk.

Hi I have a macbook with snow leopard on it, and I recently tried to restore it with the disk until the superdrive litterally carved grooves into the disk. So I know I can purcahse replacement disks, but the disk drive doesn't work, so what do I do now? Is there any way I can do it without the disk, or will I have to drop 100 dollars into a disc drive and a new replacement disk? I would really prefer not to so any help is appreciated.

You can get a fairly cheap external CD/DVD burner/player at Newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/External-CD-DVD-Blu-Ray-Drives/SubCategory/ID-420?Order=PR ICE

Is it possible to reinstall Snow Leopard without a Time Machine backup?

I have Lion but I absolutely loathe everything about it and want Snow Leopard back; I have my SL install disk but everything I've read says I'll need a Time Machine backup which I don't have. If I try to downgrade, will I lose all my programs and things? Is there a way around that at all?

Unfortunately, Time Machine will not backup a NAS (e.g. AirDisk). AirDisk can be used as a TM backup drive as you have already discovered. The only way to backup the iTunes library on your HDD is to connected directly to your Mac. TM will be able to back up to your 1TB HDD connected to your Extreme. If you are dead set with keeping your iTunes connected to your Extreme, I believe CarbonCopyCloner (donateware) or SuperDuper! (purchase) may support backup of a NAS to a NAS.
P.S. I've notified the moderator to remove your second post.

How to install snow leopard without using the dvd drive?

Is it possible to install snowleopard without using the dvd ? i have a macbook and i have unfortunatly broken the cd and dvd player..

Yes you can.
How to use Migration Assistant:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4889?viewlocale=en_US
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4413?viewlocale=en_US
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1963

How to reinstall Snow Leopard after installing MtLion

Hello - i have a slight (or major) problem.
I have just installed MtLion and now i am unable to open my Adobe CS because the new OS MtLion days that those applications are "no longer supported - because they are PowerPC applications". I also have the same message for my MicroSoft Word/Excell/Powerpoint programs. I tried to re-install the programs, but even when trying to launch the CD - it gives me the same message ! This is very fustrating ! ! ! And i need this for my work !
Can someone please tell me the safe way to revert back to SnowLeopard.
Or is there a way around this (other than re-purchasing the Adobe CS/MicroSoft apps.
Thx
(ps : Klaus1 was very helpful with my last problem, so if you get this message - i could use your advice again... unless you are out to lunch ! LOL !

However, do you know if there is a remote chance that those files can be accessd (via an IT profressional) and recovered?
Provided the data wasn't overwritten yet or encrypted, the files can still be recovered with Data Rescue installed on a external boot drive.
Create a data recovery/undelete external boot drive
I was reading in a forum that it is (or was) possible to 'split' my
partition to something called boot camp which is alwyes microsoft/adobe
programs to function on a mac platform. Do you know if this is possible
with OS MtLion?
Partitions are the sectioned split parts of a drive.
One of the partitions can be BootCamp and direct installed Windows and the Mac can boot into Windows.
If you have Wiundows versions of those softwares, then you can run them in BootCamp or in a virtual machine program in OS X.
If you have OS X versions of those programs, then they need to run on OS X on the MacintoshHD parittion.
OS X Mountian Lion will allow Windows 7 and 8 to install into Bootcamp, not sure about Vista, not XP.
Virtual Machine software you can install just about anything but there is a performance penalty.
Windows in BootCamp or Virtual Machine?
Install Windows or Linux into VirtualBox

How to reinstall Snow Leopard on a Mini with no Optical drive

I have a Mini running 10.9 that needs to be wiped./reloaded. I have a set of discs from another Mini, a few months older than the one in triage, but when I set up via remote disc, I get a box saying I have to use Installer 23.1.1. The version number the discs report is 23.1.1. There's no menu to do a reformat since the installer program won't load. What is plan-B?

You cannot use Remote Disk to install Mac OS X. Quoting from Apple's support article on Remote Disk (emphasis mine);
Note: These types of discs or activities are not supported by DVD or CD sharing:
DVD movies.
Audio CDs.
Copy protected discs such as game discs.
Install discs for an operating system such as Microsoft Windows (for use with Boot Camp), or Mac OS X.
Burn a CD or DVD
You'll need a USB optical drive, either an Apple SuperDrive or a third-party unit.
Regards.

How do I sync music without erasing all data?

Hi everyone,
This is actually two questions in one. So appreciate all your time, I also apologise if this should be posted in iPhone and not iTunes.
Most important question is this:
How do I sync the music in my iTunes onto my iPhone without first erasing everything? I remember back in the day there used to be a 'manually manage' option, but this doesn't seem to exist anymore. I tried following the instructions found here in order to put what's on my phone onto my iTunes first:
Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device
However I hit a snag when it comes to the step of 'Back up your device' - I can't seem to find how to back it up in order to restore it, literally the only option iTunes gives me when I plug it in is to 'Set up as a new device' - which I don't want to do because I assume it will wipe my entire phone. I can't right click on the device (or even normal click, really, nothing happens).
My second question is, is there a way to restore the layout of itunes so it just lists my songs? Displaying them via album or artist is incredibly impractical as it doesn't auto-size each row, so I'm stuck with maybe five or six songs per screen instead of the usual 50odd that I can view without having to scroll.
Thanks in advance everyone!
iPhone 5S, iOS 8.1 // 13" Macbook Pro, OSX (Beta) 10.10 // iTunes 12.0.1

Never mind everyone,
Finally worked both out by accident.

Forgotten my iPhone password. How I can open it without erase my data?

Hello

You can't.
Locked Out, Forgot Lock or Restrictions Passcode, or Need to Restore Your Device: Several Alternative Solutions
1. iOS- Forgotten passcode or device disabled after entering wrong passcode
2. iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: Wrong passcode results in red disabled screen
3. Restoring iPod touch after forgotten passcode
4. What to Do If You've Forgotten Your iPhone's Passcode
5. iOS- Understanding passcodes
6. iTunes 10 for Mac- Update and restore software on iPod, iPhone, or iPad
Forgotten Restrictions Passcode Help
You will need to restore your device as New to remove a Restrictions passcode. Go through the normal process to restore your device, but when you see the options to restore as New or from a backup, be sure to choose New.
Also, see iTunes- Restoring iOS software.

How to reinstall snow leopard without erasing any data

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