Options for Upgrade from OSX 10.4 to Leopard

Question

Hi all, I started this question over here:
http://discussions.info.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2592383&tstart=0
and BDAqua recommended I start a new thread, so here goes:
My computer has been crazy slow for the last year or two. I have a MacBook with Mac OS X (10.4.11). We've think we want to reinstall the OS, I don't have the original install disks.
BAqua recommended paying the $29 for the Leopard upgrade, but I noticed here http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html that it says I need to get the full product since I'm on OSX 10.4 - is that true?. Here's what it says on the bottom right:
Upgrading from Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger.
If your Intel-based Mac is running Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger, purchase the Mac Box Set, which is a single, affordable package that includes Mac OS X v10.6.3 Snow Leopard; iLife, with the latest versions of iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, and iDVD; and iWork, Apple’s productivity suite for home and office including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote.
I'm not sure it's worth $169 to upgrade the OS - especially considering we don't even know if it's a hardware problem.
Also, can I do a complete reinstall with the upgrade disk anyways? My husband has worked on PCs for a long time, but wasn't sure what to do about a Mac that has what appears to be a lot of corrupted settings. He tried to create a new user and copy the setting over (seems like common advice on these forums), but my computer hangs forever when trying to create a new user. He figures it's faster to just reinstall than try and fix it one problem at a time. Thoughts?
Thanks so much!

Answer 1

There have been reports from users who have bought the $29. package
and used it to install a newer Snow Leopard 10.6.x system in a supported
Mac computer model that was capable of using that version.
Snow Leopard 10.6 is the current production version; Leopard 10.5 is not.
With enough free space (capacity, unused) on the computer's hard disk
drive, a new system could be installed; an Upgrade & Install, if you had
a newer retail install DVD. But too full of a hard disk drive, and it won't
work; neither would an Archive & Install, where you choose to have the
new system save and use the old user account & setup info. If the Mac
has too much stuff on the hard disk drive, it has to be dealt with first.
And the computer system itself is separate from the user acct issues.
The 10.6 upgrade is a full installer, according to those who have used it;
but the better deal would be to get the large 'complete package deal' due
to the addition of the other software, each in a retail package version, to
add those other apps that the upgrade installer by itself won't include.
And the older Tiger-level versions are fairly outdated to try and use in the
Mac once you've upgraded the OS from 10.4.11 to Snow Leopard 10.6.x.
Usual issues as you describe that are affecting your computer use, tend
to be related to a few factors; issues contributing to slowness and sluggish
performance, include: a too-full hard disk drive, in adequate RAM installed
to run certain Apps. And a combination of a fuller than desired hard disk
drive plus inadequate available RAM installed, can make a system slow.
RAM is on-chip random access memory; HDD capacity is storage space.
Not to confuse these; however the computer will use larger sections of free
hard disk drive space. Unused capacity, used as Virtual Memory helps the
Mac OS X system and Apps you may be using, handle the workload and
temp files, swap space, Virtual Memory and other workings, are comprom-
ised by a lack of sufficient free or unused hard disk drive capacity.
Also, in addition to the above, certain cache files in the system, and other
items addressed by routine and preventative maintenance, can grow to a
point where they can slow the system. So, trying to install an upgrade over
a problem not directly related to the system, only will layer the first problem.
The symptoms you describe indicate the problem is probably due to the
hard drive being near full capacity; or perhaps it has bad sectors and a
part of the hard disk drive is not longer accessible to the Mac OS X, so the
computer is working around the lack of space needed as Virtual Memory;
and has gotten way slow in trying to find temporary work space, under load.
IF the internal drive in the computer is more than 75 to 85% full, it likely is
overdue for some clearing out; image files, music files, libraries of these
can use up plenty of hard disk drive storage capacity. So much, the Mac
may start to work very hard, and then the usual thing is hard drive failure.
So, you should consider using an external drive enclosure that can boot
the computer model you have (some can't.) If your Mac has USB 2.0
ports, and FireWire400/800, then an external enclosure sporting both
kinds of ports (FW + USB2.0) with its own power supply; and making a
complete computer drive clone, on the external drive.
Once a suitable and boot-capable copy/clone is created on an external
hard disk drive, and it is tested to see it can start and run the Mac, you
could choose to use Disk Utility from the clone's utility folder, and have
it 'repair disk permissions' on the booted clone. Then, it may be OK to
secure erase (one-pass) the hard disk drive, using Disk Utility's optional
tools, and choose a partition map (GUID-type) and reformat to HFS+.
Then, the system which was cloned to the external drive could be re-
cloned back to the internal hard disk drive. The same Clone utility can
be used to move or copy an OS X system back & forth. One that I use
is a free-running donationware/download, named Carbon Copy Cloner.
Since the computer have/had shipped with a special version of Tiger
10.4, (Intel-based Macs with Tiger) this would not be able to use a
retail copy of the Tiger DVD to do a re-install. You could call Apple
Sales/Support, and tell them the Serial Number of your Mac, and ask
about getting a replacement original software packet for your computer.
This would cost a nominal fee; or go for the $29. Snow Leopard one.
The product specialist you'd talk to about this, at 1-800-MY-APPLE
may be able to direct you somewhat, if the original Tiger 10.4 replace-
ment disc set is no longer available for your computer.
A concern, would be if you were somehow able to install an upgrade to
a later system into your computer, as it is now (with issues) the problem
could be worse, since a too-full hard disk drive can be damaged or be
a cause of software/data loss once you over-fill the drive.
Also, a portable computer, among others that see a lot of use, may need
a new/replacement hard disk drive by now; after three to five years run-
time. They do wear out, and the more they have to work to do read/write
cycles of use, such as when inadequate chip RAM is installed, to swap
files and use HDD free space as Virtual Memory, things wear out faster.
So, the system itself isn't likely the cause of the problem; but is a symptom.
And you need to have some system discs. The replacement of original discs
would give you the correct Apple Hardware Test it shipped with; this is not
on any other version OS X install disc. And the original disc set should be
included with a computer when it is sold, traded, or gifted away. Plus, any
other OS X version it may have been upgraded with. To cover all bases.
Perhaps someone else has a shorter version of this line of thinking, with a
few good web links to helpful sites? I have fielded three local interruptions
not related to computers while trying to write what I thought was a simple
reply to a question; but find it is easier to know the answer than get it out.
Some general ideas:
• OS X Maintenance and Troubleshooting:
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html
• Maintaining Mac OS X:
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintainingmacosx.html
• Download Titanium Software's OnyX (note system version)
http://www.titanium.free.fr/download.php
There always are more questions, hopefully someone will help
match answers up correctly, and pair them off successfully.
Good luck & happy computing!