Install Lion over Snow Leopard on third party SSD.

I am currently running Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on a third party SSD (Intel 510 series), and am using Trim Enabler 1.2.  Everything is running well.
Regarding installing Lion 10.7.2 on the same SSD drive, I have some questions:  Should I simply install Lion over Snow Leopard, then either switch to Trim Enabler 2.0 beta 4, or use Grant Pannell's tips here http://digitaldj.net/2011/07/21/trim-enabler-for-lion/.  I have read in places that it is best to perform a wipe or some type of reconditioning of an SSD before installing Lion on it.  Thanks for any advice you all may have.

I would do the following:
1) buy an external disk enclosure with USB and/or FireWire interface
     http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817146604
2) buy a cheap traditional hard disk at least the same size as the SSD or larger
3) Clone the SSD to the external hard disk inside the enclosure
4) Download Lion from the App Store and copy the installer to a USB Flash Drive
4) Delete the partitions on the SSD (don't bother formatting)
5) Install Lion cleanly with a boot USB Flash Drive
6) Connect the external disk and use the Migration Assistant to move your data back
7) Once you are sure all is good (take a few weeks to be sure) then you can format the external disk and use it as a Time Machine drive.  Or use it for other purposes.
Give it time to index everything with Spotlight.
That would be the most clean way to upgrade.  Some have been lucky with Lion upgrades but if you have a ton of legacy stuff installed as well as custom tweaks, etc.  Then you are likely to run into issues.  Best to start clean and neat and migrate your data over.  I would even re-install the Apps individually. 
Make sure you are not running any PowerPC Apps which rely on Rosetta because that won't work in Lion after the upgrade. 

Similar Messages

  • 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.

  • INSTALLING LION OVER SNOW LEOPARD

    I am getting set to install Lion over Snow Leopard (10.6.8).
    Is there anything I need to know about this?  I plan on doing a complete time machine back up before I do the install, on a HD that is internal, anything I need to know about that?  I just want it to go smoothly, any direction and/or suggestions is greatly appreciated.
    Thank you.

    any new Apple kB articles
    http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=articles
    Me, I think clone backups are more useful, and only use T.M. as secondary.
    Using Cloning as a Backup Strategy
    I'd assume that professional apps may need to be tested still; and of course check to see what you have that depends on PowerPC code and Rosetta first. That has some in a tither.
    A clone lets you still be able to boot Snow Leopard. Check out Carbon Copy, SuperDuper.

  • Install Lion over Snow Leopard Server

    I have a mac-mini that was purchased with Snow Leopard Server (the server model from just over a year ago).
    Turns out, I haven't used any of the server functionality that wasn't already in the base User/Consumer version of OS X, so I want to just install Lion and not waste $50 on the Server Add on.
    I've tried this via the Mac App Store _AND_ via the USB dongle.  It wont install.  When you try to run the Lion installer, it gives a "waiting for the App Store to download the Server Add-on" dialog.  It gives you the option to cancel if you don't want that ... but cancel doesn't do what a reasonable person would think: skip the server add-on.  Instead, it cancels the entire installation.
    Anyone had this problem?  Anyone know how to work around it?  or if there's a work-around at all?

    instead of that, I just told it to erase my time-machine partition, and install there. (it refused to install over the top of my "server" partition).  Since I had recently done a full backup to an external drive, I wasn't worried about that path.  It has taken a bit more work to get fully up to speed, but it at least worked.
    But, either path (downgrade to SL client, then upgrade to Lion sans Server-add-on  vs blow away an install and install elsewhere) are both ****-poor user experience designs in my opinion.  Though, I doubt it matters now, since all future stuff will be via the Mac App Store, and you can just tell that to uninstall Server.

  • Tips and help with re-installing Lion over Snow Leopard

    I had MAJOR issues with my initial Lion install on my Mid-2009 MBP- so much so, that I had to wipe my hard drive and re-install Snow Leopard and all my applications. My major issues were as follows:
    1. All my files were locked out- I could open them in most cases, but I couldn't overwrite them- Lion had aded some funky permissions scheme that I didn't recognize, and my user name wasn't present on any of them. In some cases, I couldn't even open files, even though they were resident on my hard drive (and in my own user folder) before the upgrade to Lion.
    2. Apple's own Universal Binary apps wouldn't work after the upgrade. Final Cut Pro 6, in particular, came up with a message that it was a "PowerPC" app and wouldn't run- yet Shake 4.1 would run just fine!
    3. Adobe Creative Suite 3- after the upgrade, my Abode Ceative Suite 3 apps worked just fine, for about a day- that is, until I tried to correct the file permissions issue by changing permission on a few of my folders in my User folder (and electing to change permissions in the files contained therein)- at which point my Adobe apps told me that they were damaged and needed to be reinstalled. Yet after uninstaling and reinstalling the entire Creative Suite 3 times, I still would get the same message.
    My entire workflow is Adobe CS and FCS2- why chould I have to pay the upgrade costs just to use Lion? FCPX is completely brkoen for my workflow and eqipment, and Adobe can't even guarantee that CS5 works with Lion- so why does Apple insist on Lion when it's hardly even compatible with its own products?
    I really want to use Lion, but I am looking for some tips on instalation to kep these problems from happening again. I didn' have ANY of these problems with upgrading OS 10.2 through 10.6. Any help with prepping my system/files for upgrading would be helpful. Thanks!

    any new Apple kB articles
    http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=articles
    Me, I think clone backups are more useful, and only use T.M. as secondary.
    Using Cloning as a Backup Strategy
    I'd assume that professional apps may need to be tested still; and of course check to see what you have that depends on PowerPC code and Rosetta first. That has some in a tither.
    A clone lets you still be able to boot Snow Leopard. Check out Carbon Copy, SuperDuper.

  • About installing Lion over Snow Leopard from an external Hard Drive

    I was just talking with an Apple Representative on the phone a bit earlier and he said that if I connected up to a computer with Lion on it already, booted it into recovery mode, then installed Lion onto an external HD that I could then attach the external HD with Lion on it to a Snow Leopard machine and boot off of the Lion Partition (on the external HD) and then I could upgrade my sno leopard machine from this lion "image" on my external Lion drive.
    My question is that will this keep all of my files on my Snow Leopard machine in place (so basically will this perform an upgrade) or completely erase everything off of my Snow Leopard machine?

    To boot from an external optical drive:
    Boot Using OPTION key:
      1. Restart the computer.
      2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the "OPTION" key.
      3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
      4. Select the desired disk icon for the external optical drive. The DVD
          should be in the optical drive before restarting the computer.
      5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.

  • I have just installed Mountain Lion over Snow Leopard, I now can't open Photoshop?

    Hi everyone, I have just installed Mountain Lion over Snow Leopard. The installation went smooth and woks well. Now I find that Ican't open either Photoshop CS or Microsoft Word. I upgraded in order to install Lightroom 5, obviously there is now an incompatability, is there a work around?

    If that is the original Photoshop CS, and Word 2004 or earlier, then they won't open because Lion and Mountain Lion do not support PowerPC apps. They must be Intel code. Snow Leopard could run them because it included Rosetta, a PowerPC to Intel (and back) interpreter.
    You have a few options.
    1) Go back to Snow Leopard.
    2) Update your apps to compatible versions.
    3) If you have Mountain Lion because newer apps require it then:
    a) Install Snow Leopard Server (currently being sold by Apple for $20) in a VM such as Parallels, and then run your PPC apps in the VM.
    b) Install Snow Leopard on a separate partition and boot to that version of OS X when you need to use those older apps.

  • I installed mountain lion over snow leopard and my macbook pro 13" taking time for login and logout,

    i installed mountain lion over snow leopard and my macbook pro 13" taking time for login and logout.. any solution

    Hi JoeyR.  Well, according to this link at the Apple Store, OS X Moutain Lion became available in July and I downloaded it for $19.99.  I figured I would do that before renewing my Norton security SW.  Are we talking about the same thing?
    http://www.apple.com/osx/

  • I can not install Lion or Snow Leopard on my mac book pro

    I can´t install Lion or Snow Leopard on my mac book pro. I tells me that it can not install because :can not get the extra components required to install mac os x.

    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: @(#)PROGRAM:Install  PROJECT:Install-686.2
    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: @(#)PROGRAM:IA  PROJECT:InstallAssistant-209
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    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: PWD=/
    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: SHLVL=1
    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: __OSINSTALL_ENVIRONMENT=1
    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: CI_DEFAULT_OPENCL_USAGE=0
    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: OS_INSTALL=1
    Dec 31 22:56:47 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Env: _=/System/Installation/CDIS/LCA.app/Contents/MacOS/LCA
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    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product <OSInstallDVDProduct> based on media at /Volumes/Image Volume at distance 10
    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product <OSInstallESDProduct> based on distribution at /Volumes/Image Volume/Packages/OSInstall.mpkg at distance 5
    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Checking Software Update catalog URL http://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-lion-snowleopard-leopard.m erged-1.sucatalog
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    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMBootCapable=0         (bootable if you call MKCFPrepareBootDevice)
    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMBootSurgeryRequired=0 (for primitive MBR on BIOS, add boot block and loader)
    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMFSSurgeryRequired=0   (for primitive MBR on BIOS, add boot block and loader)
    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM ..T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: PMNewfsRequired=0       (bootable with MKCFPrep but it will rudely carve)
    Dec 31 22:56:49 localhost diskmanagementd[332]: DM <-T+[DMToolBootPreference getPartitionBootability:]: MKerr=0 out=4=0x4
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    Dec 31 22:57:04 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product <OSSoftwareUpdateCatalogProduct> from product keys 11C74_ServerEssentials at distance 25
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    Dec 31 22:57:08 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Using product IA_PKSecureNetEnabledProduct <file://localhost/Volumes/Mac%20os%20X/Mac%20OS%20X%20Install%20Data/> at distance 5
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    Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Retrying file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg after 2 failure(s)
    Dec 31 22:57:42 localhost Install Mac OS X Lion[343]: Retrying file://localhost/Volumes/Image%20Volume/Packages/Danish.pkg after 3 failure(s)
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  • Installing Lion on Snow Leopard Server

    I have mac mini server running snow leopard server. I want to install Mac OS X Lion on it.
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    I am not using any server features as of now, Can I downgrade snow leopard server to client and instal Lion on it?
    or is there any better way of installing Lion on Snow Leopard Server...
    Thanks,
    K

    No easy way unfortunately.
    OS X Server gets its fingers into all parts of your computer.  You'd have to go in an manually remove hundreds of files, and replace them with their counterparts from the non-server version.
    It would be MUCH easier to back up your home folder and any additional files you need, then nuke and pave with Lion non-server.  Restore your info, and you'll be back up and running.
    HTH
    -Graham

  • Macbook Air with no OSX (Mid 2011) ... cannot install Lion nor Snow Leopard

    I have a Macbook Air with no OSX (Mid 2011) ... and I cannot install Lion nor Snow Leopard.
    I purchased this Macbook Air 13" and found that the OS had been wiped off. Since then I've been able to get the Recovery Disk Assistant to get me into the Recovery Partition on the MBA... but when I try the "Reinstall Mac OS X" from within Mac OS X Utilities, the download fails after 30 sec. and I get the error message, "Could not find installation information for this machine. Contact Apple Care". This MBA is still covered under Apple's Applecare, but the nearest Apple Store is 3 hrs away and from what I've read, they may not be able to help me.
    I know all about Build 11A2063 but cannot figure out where or how to get that.
    Also, I've tried making a bootable Lion Drive from my Mac Mini onto a flashdrive, but this too did not work on the MBA (I assume because it isn't Build 11A2063). 
    I have a huge expensive paper weight with no idea of where to go from here. Any help would be much appreciated.

    Where did you buy an MBA without an operating system?  Was this from another individual who took the liberty to remove the Mac OS X before selling it to you?
    You might try calling Apple customer support and have them walk you through the process, as they can figure out just what version of the OS should be on that machine.
    http://www.apple.com/contact

  • Clean install Lion with Snow Leopard DVD

    I want to perform a clean install of my Macbook Pro, currently running the latest version of Lion, upgraded from Snow Leopard via the App Store). When performing a clean install I have to use my Snow Leopard DVD. After this installation is completed, do I have to purchase the Lion upgrade again in the App Store?
    I want to add a second hard disk (replacing the DVD with an SSD) in my Macbook Pro 17" (mid 2010). When I mount the root (/) on the SSD and /Home to my current hard disk, is it still possible to perform a restore instead of a clean install?
    Any suggestions/remarks are welcome.

    Not exactly.  Time Machine looks for compatible Drive Partitions, it does not care what folders you have on that drive or what the current working folder is.  When doing a recovery, TM will first install a virgin copy of Lion, then it will give you a list of all the backed up data it found on your backup drive so you can decide what gets installed (likely everything).  Then you reboot, login and run Software Update.
    You do not need that SSD.  In fact, I don't reccomend it.  All you need is a blank USB or Firewire drive.  Jack it into your MAC and install Lion on it.  Then you can boot from that drive and do whatever you want to your main disk.
    Lion creates 2 partitions.  One is small and holds the installer and the usual utilities.  Great idea, but if your drive ever fails or has a partition problem your toast.  So I always make a DVD.  Use Google to find instructions on how to make it.
    You don't need to install or boot 10.6 to do any of this. 
    There are reasons you would need to wipe your disk and start over.  But these reasons are very few.  Don't make a lot of work for yourself if you don't have to.

  • I want to format my hard drive and install Lion, using Snow Leopard at the moment.

    I'm running Snow Leopard at the moment, and would like to install Lion.
    But I want to wipe my hard drive clean before doing so, is there a way of formating the hard drive as you install the downloaded lion?
    Thanks for ur answers.

    Not that I'm aware of. You can, however, grab the installer file and create a bootable USB thumb drive after downloading Lion and BEFORE you install it. Read here on how to do this.
    After downloading, I would let it install. Then reboot with the USB thumb drive, use Disk Utilities to wipe the drive and then install Lion from the thumb drive. Do a backup first.

  • Error ocurring while preparing to install lion on snow leopard 10.6.8

    Hey,
    I have an intel based iMac, duo core 3.06.
    My snow leopard has always been unstable, starts up very slow, when i get to the blue screen it stays on there for about 15 minutes before i get to see the desktop.
    I bought lion through the app store, downloaded it and tried installing. However i keep getting an error that occures while preparing to install.
    I tried the PVR reset thingy, i tried loading the image on an external drive and then installing, i tried burning it on dvd then installing.
    Even reinstalled leopard and did the previous steps, still nothing. Been a month of troubleshooting now and im really getting tired.
    Can anyone help?

    Upgrading a misconfigured system is almost always going to make matters worse. I strongly suggest you start a new topic in the 10.6 discussion area to troubleshoot your problems, before you create any new ones. Once you have 10.6 running normally, you can install Lion.

  • Upgrading/installing Lion frm Snow leopard

    Hi all, i'm using a white macbook 13'' early 2008 with the following specs:
    2.4ghz intel core 2 duo
    4gb ddr2 ram (667mhz)
    WD 500GB 5400rpm
    Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard
    I'm thinking of upgrading to Lion. But one thing i'm worried abt, my settings/data/info/preferences will it be gone after doing an upgrade to Lion? Meaning, i install Lion and all my settings and etc will still be there after the installtion.
    Please advise. Thank you

    Your files, applications and settings will all still be there after the upgrade. However, it's strongly advisable to do a full backup before you start. Time Machine is fine, or a cloned backup to an external drive using Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper is also very good.
    Your system should run 10.7 fine. You might think about upgrading that hard drive to a 7200rpm version at some point, but other than that, you're good. Don't forget that Lion knocks out any PowerPC software, such as Office 2004.
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