Opinions- Bootable Tiger on External, Should I Erase and Make It Leopard

Hi,
I've been laboring over this idea. I have a G5 iMac with Tiger and an OWC external with the clone. The external (clone) has all my media libraries like my picts, music, apple loops, stuff like. This way my main drive is not full, as it is an 80 gig drive. I am in the process of backing up everything on to DVD also. You guys really hammer backing-up and I'm all into it.
I did an upgrade of Leopard on the main drive and have been very happy with it. I haven't partitioned the external and set up Time Machine yet.
My questions are:
1. should I trash the Tiger clone on the external and replace it with a Leopard clone. I don't really see myself using Tiger anymore, but I guess you never know. My Leopard upgrade is from a family pack and my friend has the install discs. I don't really want to have to call him and get them if something happens.
2. if I do the switch over, can I just drag picts, music, apple loops, from their Tiger folders and put them in the Leopard folders after the process.
3. Do you think Time Machine is worth it or should I stick with an update app.
I know most of this is personal preference, but I'd really like some of your ideas on these subjects.
Your ideas are always helpful and insightful.
Thanks,
LowBb
Message was edited by: LowBb

I'd at least make a backup of all Tiger data I desired to keep. If you're sure you don't need Tiger then do it. I have Tiger on a second internal hard drive. I use Leopard on a first internal hard drive. My thought was to stay with Leopard. I do find myself booting into Tiger occasionally.
You could opt for a second external for Leopard for a while anyway to be sure. Then once you have your mind made up over time then you have a nice video or audio separate eternal.

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Should I erase and replace my former internal hard drive?

Recently my computer started booting slowly, or just hanging during regular activities. If I shut it down, I couldn't always get it to boot up again. When I could boot to my Recovery HD, I ran Disk Utility and repaired both permission and disk errors, but I still had issues with the machine starting up. At a Genius Bar appointment, I was pretty much told point blank that my hard drive had failed, and as it was a non-Apple HD (I'd upgraded to a 750GB Seagate Momentus purchased from Other World Computing), I would have to talk to the reseller and/or manufacturer.
I put the original Apple HD back in and still had issues booting up, but another GB appointment found other errors during a Disk Utility sweep (vs. a logo board error). The Genius seemed to recommend Erase and Installing Lion again, even though after the sweep, everything seemed to boot up fine: it got past the Apple logo/spinning wheel, and it booted onto my desktop without hanging as it had done before.
I have everything current on a different Time Machine drive. The Momentus is now in an external enclosure, and seems to boot fine, but I already submitted a warranty request to Seagate and intend to send it back for a replacement--if I can manage to erase everything on it, first. The original Apple HD doesn't have nearly enough space for me, but I'm making do by trying to get it up-to-date OS wise and with my other software.
My questions are as follows:
Is there a way to verify the "failure" that the first Genius saw on my Momentus drive? Perhaps I can just erase and re-install Lion on that, and get my backup from my Time Machine. It's my understanding that I can't actually boot from a Time Machine backup; I can only restore from it during initial setup, similar to an iCloud backup for an iOS device.
Should I Erase and Install my former Apple HD and try and restore my Time Machine onto that? I wasn't using nearly all of the 750 GB, just about 450. But the original HD was only 500 GB...
If I do end up sending the Momentus back and replacing it with a new one from Seagate, is Erase and Install via Disk Utility to the best way to remove my data from it?
Thanks for your time and assistance!

If you have a time machine back up of your current drive you can do this
Shut down your computer, install the new drive. While the computer is off plug in the external hard drive that you have your time machine back up on. Hold Option key while the computer turnes on, let go of the option key once you get a grey screen. Shortly after you'll see a list of bootable drives, select the one that has your time machine back up on it and boot into that drive.
From there go into disk utility, format your new drive too, osx extended journaled ( I think, double check that, its been awhile since ive had to do this), hit format
Exit disk utility and then you can use time machine to copy all your exisit data to the new hhd and then your pretty much done.
There is also a program called Carbon Cloner that will do esentially the same thing however I've never uesed it.

Can't erase and install SNow Leopard on old MacBook Pro

I am trying to erase and install Snow Leopard on a MacBook Pro3,1. I boot up with the installation disc, get to pick a language but then a window pops up that says "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer" and gives me the options to Restore from Backup or Restart.
I had upgraded to a 500GB hard drive on this machine which I used for months, but it is currently running off the hard drive of a new MacBook Pro that got fried. The installation disk I am using is the one I got with that unfortunate machine. Could this be the problem?
Any other suggestions?
Other info: Mac OS X 10.6.1 (108504)
Other History: The machine I am trying to erase and install on recently had its logic board replaced under warranty because of the NVIDIA graphics card issue. I have not found the service centre in South Africa to be very trustworthy, in fact the first time they claimed to have replaced the logic board, the computer (which had been intermittently failing to boot up) immediately started displaying the same problems. Another mac shop said to me that the "new" logic board looked so dusty that it seemed extremely unlikely that it had been replaced a week prior. Anyway, it has ostensibly been replaced again, along with a faulty superdrive.
When it went back to the service centre, they put in the hard drive of another, new, MacBook Pro of mine that got fried in an unrelated incident
Please help! I want to give this machine to an employee but
a) want to make sure it's stable and functioning properly, and
b) want to give it a clean slate with my personal data and settings erased.

You need a retail Snow Leopard installation disk. Available for $29 USD. http://store.apple.com/us/product/MACOS_XSNGL
Once you install it onto the old machine, you can use the setup assistant to migrate your stuff and apps from the other machine.

Just did an erase and install of Leopard is FCE 2 or iLife 08 or .Mac next?

I want to add to my fresh erase and install of Leopard 10.5 -- FCE 2, iLife 08 and .Mac and iWork 05 and Quicktime Pro.
Does it matter in what order these software programs are installed?
Also the 10.5 updates, is there a proper order to do this, or does it matter?

No.
Install the applications and run Software Update.

How to move iTunes Library/Media Files to external firewire Hard Drive and make it the master library, and then point iTunes to that when adding new content??

How to move iTunes Library/Media Files to external firewire Hard Drive and make it the master library, and then point iTunes to that when adding new content??

Copy your ENTIRE iTunes FOLDER to an External Drive...
Full Details Here > http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
To Operate iTunes from the External Drive...
Start iTunes with the Option key held down and guide it to the new location of the library.
Be Sure the drive is Formatted Mac OS Extended (journaled)
Also... have a look at these 2 Videos...
http://macmost.com/moving-your-itunes-library.html
http://macmost.com/moving-your-itunes-media-to-an-external-drive.html

How can I erase and re-install Leopard with dropped-in DVD?

Hi,
I bought my first mac on the day Leopard was released. It came with Tiger pre-installed, and Leopard DVD was dropped in. When I install Leopard, it didn't even give me the option for a clean installation. So I guess the DVD is for upgrade only? Now the permissions on my system is messy, and I want to erase everything and re-install Leopard. Is it possible? Do I have to install the Tiger from original DVD first and then upgrade to Leopard?
Ironically Windows Vista (Ultimate) runs beautifully on my iMac under Boot Camp, where I do most work related things. When I re-install Leopard, is it possible to keep Windows Vista partition unaffected?
Thank you.
Rxiesling

You need an ext HD to backup SL, either using something like Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper!, or Disk Utility or using Time Machine to backup just the SL partition.

I have no hardware or external drives after erase and reinstall of Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6

How do I fix this?

If you have access to another Mac you could start your computer in Target Disk Mode (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/8443.html) and use the other Mac to install OS X on your computer. At the end of the install the other computer should boot off of your Mac, use Software Update to update your Mac to the latest OS. Once complete shut everything down and disconnect the firewire cable between the computers and you should be good to go.

HT1773 Unable to erase and re-install leopard OS in my macbook pro

Hi all
I wanted to re-install my macbook pro by using installation CD (given by apple). But when I tried to restart, unable to restart the computer even I was holding the C key.
How can format and re-install?
Kindly help
Regards
Suresh

There is not much to work with, Suresh.
For all we know it may have never worked, or it may be the wrong grey disk for your MacBook. You have done pretty well to go this long without requiring its use.
Two months ago I would have said buy another disk, the coloured retail 10.6 DVD with the image of the Snow Leopard. They used to be about $30, however finding one is now as difficult as finding a real one in the Himalaya.
If you live in the US, the 10.6 DVD can be ordered over the phone. Other countries… hard to say.
Essentially, I would question the disk,
which implies trying another 10.6.3 DVD that you know works,
or equally, inserting the one you have into another Mac just to see if that other Mac can see it, but not to proceed, just to see if it registers as bootable, using the alt/Option key during the startup phase.

Erased and copied Snow Leopard OS disk to Disk Utility partition

Hi,
I am no way a technical person and think i have ruined my ok working MBP. After alot of research, to save money I decided to do a clean reinstall of Snow Leopard (previously running Mavericks OS) and erase my old data and settings on the MBP, as it was running super slow and I wanted to go back to the old OSX. I have a 2009 MBP previously running Mavericks installed from Dec 2013. When I went into the disk utility screen after deleting everything and resetting information, I couldn't restore the Mavericks OS as I downloaded it from iTunes for free - said to get from a saved folder or something. So I clicked around and accidently copied/duplicated the old Snow Leopard installation disk that was inserted and restored it as the Hard Drive/Disk utility (see pic attached).
Not sure how to save this computer? Is there a way to reset it back to factory settings before I incorrectly clicked the wrong button and ruined it?
Any info would be helpful.
Cheers

Hi AndyBall_uk,
Here are photos of all the images that I think will help. The DVD copy is the one that I pop in computer. I haven't tried the other disk which was also a DVD, this one is called the applications disk.
With the restore screen on the HardDrive image, this is where I accidentally clicked a few buttons and copied the OSX install disk over the previous Mac hard drive.
Thank you for your assistance, it is much appreciated.

I did an erase and install of os 10.6.8 and it failed

Macbook Pro:
- selling my 2011 MBPro... did an erase & install for 10.6.8... Erased fine, but install failed... started install over, same result. Third try, same result... so, Disc Utility checked install disc and hard drive, they check out OK, there was a message that went with the big yellow caution/alert exclamation point that said (wish I wrote it down) "install failed, then something about script error I think....
- tried again, but did custom install and left out other languages... this time, installed OK, but when starting up, got to keyboard select, highlighted US keyboard and clicked Next and it hangs there... had to use the power button to shut it down, and tried 2 more times, same result, can't get past Keyboard layout selection...
- don't know how to eject the install disc, or how to get past my situation... anyone? Thanks!

1: Hold the power button down to hard shutdown.
2: Hold the option key and trackpad button down and boot the machine.
3: The disk hopefully should pop out, if not when you get to Startup Manager, keep pressing eject on the keyboard.
4: Take some rubbing alcohol (a tiny bit) on a soft clean cloth and polish the bottom of the disk, when dry and blemish free, stick it in and when it appears, click the arrow key to boot from it.
5: Review your secure erase procedures here to make sure your not leaving data
How do I securely delete data from the machine?
6: Try to reinstall 10.6 again
How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6
7: If that fails, call Apple and tell them you have a Early 2011 Mac and require MACHINE SPECIFIC Snow Leopard install disks. (10.6.4 -10.6.8) These disks also include the free iLife suite on them.
The 10.6 white retail disks sold online are 10.6.3 and won't work in your machine due to a lack of more recent hardware drivers not present on those disks also they don't contain the free iLife suite.
8: After install, just hard shutdown and it will boot to the "Welcome" video for the next owner.
9: If Apple is going to take too long to send you disks or won't, there is a option to create a image of the bad disk and burn a new one on another Mac (possibly on a PC too) as a ISO image.
Sometimes when the read and burn occurs, errors are repaired and the new image will work when the old one won't.
http://www.walterjessen.com/make-a-bootable-backup-snow-leopard-install-disc/
10: Another option is to create a Snow Leopard boot USB from the disk
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html

My 2006 iMac running Snow Leopard won't boot even after erasing and re-installing Snow Leopard (via my MacBookPro), either from the HD or DVD drive. Can't get it to run Hardware Test. Disk Utility says disk OK - files are there. What can I do?

My 2006 iMac running Snow Leopard won't boot even after erasing and re-installing Snow Leopard. I erased and re-installed by putting the iMac in Target Disk mode and usin my MacBookPro as the host. But after numerous attempts I still can't get it to boot either from the HD or DVD drive. I just get the white screen after the wheel stops spinning. I can't get it to run Hardware Test - just get the white screen. If I use Disk Utility via my MBP it says the disk appears OK. All the Snow Leopad files appear to have been installed. What can I do?

Hi-NRG Bwoy wrote:
I erased and re-installed by putting the iMac in Target Disk mode and using my MacBookPro as the host.
Reet the SMC and the PRAM
 Cheat sheet to help diagnose and fix your Mac
Perhaps you installed the wrong version OS X onto the iMac, you can't use the disk from another Mac.
clean the disk.
If it's not working then use this method to create a bootable 10.6 USB from the iMac machine specific 10.6 disk or the 10.6.3 retail disk on your other Mac, use it to boot the iMac with.
http://www.maciverse.com/install-os-x-snow-leopard-from-usb-flash-drive.html
How to erase and install Snow Leopard 10.6

I want to erase everything on the hard drive and have snow leopard which is the operating system now left

i just brought a laptop on ebay with snow leopard on it and alot of programs i dont want. i want to erase everthing and end up with the snow leopard amd i can buy ilife which i want.

Erase and Install 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. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Security button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.
7. After formatting is complete quit DU and complete the Snow Leopard installation.

.Mac Sync and Erase and Install

I have .Mac set to sync my keychain items, calendars, contacts, bookmarks, mail accounts and rules, and Yojimbo notes. If I perform an Erase and Install of Leopard, and add my .Mac account information and sync the same items, will those items be restored on my computer, or wiped out on .Mac since they would all be empty after an Erase and Install?

Hey there,
As long as you have authorized your computer and erased and synced with your new library, then you should be ok. Just be 100% sure that all your original music and files that were on your iPod are in your new iTunes library. Then, go ahead and "Erase and Sync." Hope this helps.
B-rock

Erase and Reinstall Leopard

Hi everyone,
I purchased my Macbook in June 2009 and it has become a bit sluggish, probably due to all of the crap that I have on there. So I have decided that I would like to do an erase and install of leopard using the discs that came with my laptop. I also have the update for Snow Leopard to do that once I have finished.
I have saved everything on to an external source and am also going to backup using Time Machine. So I now have a few questions that I am hoping people may be able to help me with.
1. When I have finished and am back to Leopard, I do not want to put everything back on to my Macbook. Does Time Machine allow me to pick and choose what goes back on?
2. Do I need to go through all updates again one by one for the different things that I use? For example the iTunes that it will probably start out with will be pretty old. Will the laptop need to install all updates since then or can it just cut out most and update to the most recent one? And the same of each OSX update. I will be going back to Leopard and the Snow Leopard that I have is 10.6.3. Will I need to do all updates in between the Leopard install and the Snow Leopard? And how about Snow Leopard 10.6.3 to current 10.6.6? Will it need to update to 10.6.4 and then 10.6.5 first? Just wanting to check how much data allowance I will need.
Many thanks for your help.
Cheers

No. You need to select your language then click on the Continue button. Wait until the menubar appears then select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Select you volume (say, Macintosh HD) from the sidebar then click on the Erase button. Set format type to Mac OS Extended, Journaled then click on the Erase button. When finished quit DU and return to the installer. Complete your installation.

SL Erase and Install

I understand that SL upgrade (30$) will require a version of leopard installed, however, I would like to know if it can do an erase and install over a version of snow leopard? So if I ever wanted to erase and install again I wouldn't have to erase and install with leopard and then with the SL again.

You don't even have to have ever owned Leopard, much less to have it installed on your computer, to do an erase and install (over Tiger, Leopard, or Snow Leopard) with the $29 Snow Leopard. Believe me, and don't waste your time with the rest of the posts. Really!
Remaining posters: I'm just ribbing you.
Message was edited by: donv (The Ghost)

Opinions- Bootable Tiger on External, Should I Erase and Make It Leopard

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