Snow Leopard Installation and Upgrade Tips

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Some things to know when planning to upgrade to Snow Leopard:
General Information
• Snow Leopard will only run on a Mac with an Intel processor. It will not run on any Mac with a PowerPC processor. PowerPC-based Macs include all PowerMac G3s, PowerMac G4s and PowerMac G5s, iMac G3s, iMac G4s, iMac G5s, all PowerBooks, all iBooks, and all eMacs. There is no workaround or hack that will get around this issue and get Snow Leopard to install and run on a PowerPC-based Mac.
• An Apple web page with the major enhancements and refinements in Snow Leopard can be found here:
http://www.apple.com/macosx/refinements/enhancements-refinements.html
• An article with a useful summary about Snow Leopard and 64-bit computing can be found here:
http://www.macfixit.com/article.php?story=20090826074252596
Tips
• IMPORTANT: As with any upgrade, you need to confirm compatibility of all your applications and drivers with Snow Leopard before you upgrade. Some major items of note:
Snow Leopard only ships with Java 1.6, so any applications built with Java must include support for 1.6 or the application will fail. Applications that currently use Java and are reported not to work include (but are by no means limited to) SPSS, ClamXav and Cyberduck.
Snow Leopard has severely restricted or in many cases eliminated the use of Input Managers, so applications that depended on those will fail. Logitech's mouse drivers appear to fall into this category.
Many applications that are or include menu bar components will fail if they depend on Unsanity's Menu Extra Enabler or the open-source Menu Cracker.
Apple has a list of software officially stated to be incompatible with Snow Leopard here:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3258
There's also an ongoing compatibility list is being maintained here:
http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/
Reports on that site are unofficial but may be useful.
• Snow Leopard no longer includes AppleTalk, so you will no longer be able to use any AppleTalk-only printers or other devices.
• Safari by default will launch in 64-bit mode on those systems that support 64-bit processing (which includes all Macs with Intel Core 2 Duo or Xeon processor). If you have Safari plug-ins that are not working, quit Safari, Get Info on the Safari application, and select "Open in 32-bit mode" and relaunch Safari.
• QuickTime Player X has some ability to trim and convert media, but no longer includes many of the former options available in QuickTime Pro. QuickTime 7 Player is available as an optional installation for those who still need the additional Pro features. If you have QuickTime 7 Pro installed in Leopard and are upgrading, the Snow Leopard installer should install QuickTime 7 Player automatically and preserve your Pro key. Apple has made no mention of a Pro version of QuickTime X.
• The Snow Leopard installer reportedly removes the Script subfolders from /Library/Scripts/, so if you are upgrading Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, before performing the upgrade make a backup of the Address Book Scripts, Basics, Finder Scripts, Info Scripts, Internet Services, and Navigation Scripts subfolders and then copy them back to /Library/Scripts/ after installing the update.
This is the 1st version of this tip. It was submitted on August 28, 2009 by Dave Sawyer.
Do you want to provide feedback on this User Contributed Tip or contribute your own? If you have achieved Level 2 status, visit the User Tips Library Contributions forum for more information.

Welcome to the Apple Support Communities
As the computer froze during the Snow Leopard installation, it's possible that Snow Leopard wasn't installed correctly and Snow Leopard can't start, so you have to reinstall Snow Leopard. To do it, insert the Snow Leopard disc, hold the C key while your computer is starting and follow the steps to reinstall Snow Leopard. You won't lose anything you had saved

Similar Messages

I have a new iMac. Can I install my iWork from my Snow Leopard set and upgrade it, or will I need to buy new iWork?

I have a new iMac. Can I install my iWork from my Snow Leopard set and upgrade it or will I need to buy new iWork? If so why?

cherylfrommiami wrote:
I paid for the cd set when my last computer needed an upgrade. I just want to use iWork on my new computer OSX10.8
As Niel states you can use your current iWorks.
If you want the latest version you will need to purchase the componets in the Mac App Store.

I have a mid 2010 Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard and foolishly upgraded to Yosemite. Is it possible to go back in time with Time Machine and reinstall Snow Leopard. Then upgrade to Lion or Mavericks? Any other ideas on how I can exit Yosemite?

I have a mid 2010 Macbook Pro running Snow Leopard and foolishly upgraded to Yosemite. Now have numerous problems. Is it possible to go back in time with Time Machine and reinstall Snow Leopard? Then upgrade to Lion or Mavericks? Any other ideas on how I can exit Yosemite?

Once you get yourself back to Snow Leopard, if you still want to upgrade somewhat, I would suggest the following:
1. Get an external hard drive that you can use for experiments with new OS versions. You could partition it into 2 or 3 partitions. You could then clone your existing Snow Leopard system to one partition using Carbon Copy Cloner (well worth $40) or SuperDuper ($25).
2. Buy OS X Mountain Lion for $20, through the Apple online store (I don't think it's available through the App Store). Apple has decided to make it very difficult for anyone to get Mavericks unless they have already downloaded it.
You will receive two e-mails from Apple, one containing a PDF with a redemption code, and one with the password you will need to unlock the PDF. Using the code, you will download Mountain Lion from the App Store, where it will appear among your Purchased items.
After ML finishes downloading, its installer app will launch itself. When you see this launch screen, QUIT the install app immediately! Go to your applications folder, find the Install OS X Mountain Lion app, and copy it to a safe location outside of your Applications folder. Keeping one or more copies will allow you to reinstall without unnecessary aggravation if you later need or want to do that. At this point, you can re-launch the Installer in the Applications folder and let it run. You can install it on a clean partition on your external HD, or you can allow it to upgrade the Snow Leopard clone you created on your external drive, or you can do both. This should allow you to test how everything works for as long as you like.
3. If you left yourself a free partition on your test drive, try a clean install of Yosemite and set everything up from scratch (do not migrate anything). This will allow you to see whether your problems with it were related to something in your Snow Leopard system.

HT1199 I bought my Macbook pro in 2010 and had Snow Leopard which I upgraded when Mountain Lion was available. Now it keeps saying Mavarick is available. Is that another update? Or is that something else?

I bought my Macbook pro in 2010 and had Snow Leopard which I upgraded when Mountain Lion was available. Now it keeps saying Mavarick is available. Is that another update? Or is that something else?

Mavericks is an upgraded System in the same way that Mountain Lion was, the difference being that it's free. You can download the installer from the Mac App Store (the system requirements are the same as for Mountain Lion so you should be OK there). I've not got it: reports suggest that it is an improvement over Mountain Lion but it has some quirks that may or may not be an issue for you. It has its own forum, so you could look there for information.

HT2513 What version of iCal do I need to use with Mac OS X Snow Leopard? I upgraded to OS X 10.6.3 and my iCal 3.0.8 won't open.

I just upgraded to Mac OS X Snow Leopard version 10.6.3 and now my iCal 3.0.8 won't open at all. What version do I need to or should I upgrade to and where do I find it?

The version installed with Snow Leopard since iCal is part of OS X. If you are trying to use iCal from a different drive and version of OS X, then it won't work. If the installed version of iCal in Snow Leopard is the wrong version, then there was a problem. Delete the wrong version then reinstall Snow Leopard:
Reinstall OS X without erasing the drive
Do the following:
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. Reinstall Snow Leopard
If the drive is OK then quit DU and return to the installer. Proceed with reinstalling OS X. Note that the Snow Leopard installer will not erase your drive or disturb your files. After installing a fresh copy of OS X the installer will move your Home folder, third-party applications, support items, and network preferences into the newly installed system.
Download and install the Combo Updater for the version you prefer from support.apple.com/downloads/.

I have a macbook that the O.S. is 10.5.8 and I cannot update it or buy Snow leopard or Lion upgrades..any suggestions

I have a macbook that the O.S. is 10.5.8 and I cannot update it or buy Snow leopard or Lion upgrades..any suggestions

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A for SL retail disks.
Once SL is intalled from retail disks the combo installer should be found to update it to 10.6.8, which install App Store to download Lion.
Is your computer Intel (required for SL)? If intel is it Core2Duo (required for Lion)?
Go to Apple menu > About This Mac > Processor entry ...

I have a macbook pro and the software with snow leopard only has upgraded to 10.5.8, do I need to purchase mountain lion to upgrade to 10.6.8?

I have a macbook pro and the software with snow leopard only has upgraded to 10.5.8, do I need to purchase mountain lion to upgrade to 10.6.8?

Your machine likely can't handle Mountain Lion 10.8 nor 10.7, if it does it will run slow and very higly likely a lot of your third party software and drivers for printers and scanners won't function anymore.
It's because your 10.5 era (or earlier) machine is rather dated, hardware has advanced and is faster, the newer OS X versions have gotten bloated.
I do recommend you call Apple via phone and order the 10.6.3 white retail disks, backup your personal data off the 10.5.8 Mac to a external storage drive and when the disk arrives, stick it in and run the upgrade installer.
Once that's finished, reboot and use Software Update to get to 10.6.8 and stay there. You can buy stuff from AppStore, just don't upgrade to 10.8 (or 10.7) as thats when you'll have issues.
10.6 should run your currrently installed PPC software and hardware drivers. But 10.7/10.8 will not.
10.6 is receiving security and other updates from Apple as more than 50% of OSX users are still on it.
Most commonly used backup methods
Things to consider before upgrading OS X

HT3777 I have a Window 7 HP laptop. I want to install Snow Leopard on an external hard drive as the memory space on my laptop is very less. I have the original snow leopard disc and I think it's a retail version . Please guide me through the installation.

I have a Window 7 HP laptop. I want to install Snow Leopard on an external hard drive as the memory space on my laptop is very less. I have the original snow leopard disc and I think it's a retail version . Please guide me through the installation in details. Can you also please let me know about this boot camp.

You cannot. From a legal standpoint, the license agreement for OS X mandates that you run OS X only on Apple hardware. HP is not (yet) owned by Apple.
From a technical standpoint, your HP laptop doesn't use EFI, but rather an early predecessor called a BIOS. Apple is the only vendor of consumer computer hardware that uses EFI; other vendors reserve EFI for use in servers.
Secondly, Apple's operating systems support a rather limited number of configurations of video hardware and mainboard chipsets directly since they need only support those systems that they manufacture. You cannot use Windows software or drivers on OS X, so prior to installation, you would need to write your own hardware drivers for your laptop, create an OS X drive image on a Mac, and then modify that image with your drivers before putting it in the HP.
It will be simpler (and legal), to simply purchase a used Mac. Apple's online store has refurbished MacBook Airs starting at $850 and Mac Minis for $700. If you go to e-bay or craigslist, you'll find used Macs for considerably less.

I have a imac 10.6.8 with snow leopard. Just upgraded to iphoto 11 Now my computer keeps freezing up mostly if my iphone is connected. It even freezes in safari. Can i get my money back and unistall

I have a imac 10.6.8 with snow leopard. Just upgraded to iphoto 11 Now my computer keeps freezing up mostly if my iphone is connected. It even freezes in safari. Can i get my money back and unistall

This forum is for people to discuss issues with other users. Apple aren't here. No one here can give you your money back. So, contact the the App Store support, if that's where you bought it. There's a link on the right hand side of the App Store window.
Regards
TD

How do I get iTunes to show up so I can make playlists and burn CD's as I was able to do in MAC OS X Snow Leopard? I upgraded to MAVERICKS so that I could have iCloud capabilities.

How do I get iTunes to show up so I can make playlists and burn CD's as I was able to do in MAC OS X Snow Leopard? I upgraded to MAVERICKS so that I could have iCloud capabilities.

Hi ...
Help here > iTunes 11 for Mac: Create a playlist

HT1444 can I upgrade or update OS 10 10.5.8 to snow leopard, lion and mtn lion

How can I upgrade my operating system from OSX 10.5.8 to snow leopard , lion and mtn lion

Call 1 800 MY APPLE
Ask for 10.6
Get disk, install.
Run all software updates.
App Store in the dock can then get you 10.7 or 10.8

HT1338 My macbook came with snow leopard, if I upgrade to Lion will I be able to use my restore disks in the future and if I do use my disks that brings me back to snow leopard, Will itunes remember I purchased Lion or will I have to purchase a second ti

My macbook came with snow leopard, if I upgrade to Lion will I be able to use my restore disks in the future and if I do use my disks that brings me back to snow leopard, Will itunes remember I purchased Lion or will I have to purchase a second time ?

At this point, you can no longer download Lion (10.7) from the App Store, only Mountain Lion (10.8) - make sure all your applications are fully compatible if you decide to upgrade.
Yes, you can restore 10.6 using your restore disc should you wish to - and the App Store (not ITunes) will have a record of all your purchases, since it's linked to your AppleId.
Matt

Snow Leopard installation on Mac Mini has failed

Hi,
Does anyone know whether Snow Leopard checks what hard disk is installed in order to satisfy installation requirements as I've fitted an SSD Hard Disk Drive in my Macintel Mac Mini and installing Snow Leopard has failed (no longer boots into any Operating System previous nor upgraded. (Mac OS X 10.5.8 previously installed)).
Thank you for any advice.
Best Regards.

It may not have anything to do with a new drive installation. Snow Leopard has just "bricked" my Intel Mac Mini hard drive - the original one. The first attempt at installation failed, so I tried an erase and instal. It seemed to work - briefly but when I tried to restore apps and settings from a Time Machine back-up it "hung" with only one minute of restoration to go. Now the HD appears to have failed, since it is unable to find any system folder and booting up via the Snow Leopard disc and bringing up the disc utility shows a greyed-out HD drive.
Some people on the MacBook Pro forum report a similar problem with the hard drive after Snow Leopard installation.

How can I find out if my mac mini running snow leopard can be upgraded to mountain lion?

I have a mac mini with sufficient ram for the mountain lion OS however, I am unable to determine if the machine was created in early 2009. Is there a way to make sure my machine will take the upgrade without purchasing the operating system first?

Upgrade Paths to Snow Leopard, Lion, and/or Mountain Lion
You can upgrade to Mountain Lion from Lion or directly from Snow Leopard. Mountain Lion can be downloaded from the Mac App Store for $19.99. To access the App Store you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.6 or later installed.
Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard — Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mountain Lion if your computer meets the requirements.
     Snow Leopard General Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel processor
       2. 1GB of memory
       3. 5GB of available disk space
       4. DVD drive for installation
       5. Some features require a compatible Internet service provider;
           fees may apply.
       6. Some features require Apple’s iCloud services; fees and
           terms apply.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mountain Lion, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion by contacting Customer Service: Contacting Apple for support and service — this includes international calling numbers. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
     Lion System Requirements
       1. Mac computer with an Intel Core 2 Duo, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7,
           or Xeon processor
       2. 2GB of memory
       3. OS X v10.6.6 or later (v10.6.8 recommended)
       4. 7GB of available space
       5. Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase and download Mountain Lion from the App Store. Sign in using your Apple ID. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.
     OS X Mountain Lion — System Requirements
       Macs that can be upgraded to OS X Mountain Lion
         1. iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 7,1 or later
         2. MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) —
             Model Identifier 5,1 or later
         3. MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         4. MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 2,1 or later
         5. Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         6. Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
         7. Xserve (Early 2009) — Model Identifier 3,1 or later
To find the model identifier open System Profiler in the Utilities folder. It's displayed in the panel on the right.
Are my applications compatible?
         See App Compatibility Table — RoaringApps.
     For a complete How-To introduction from Apple see Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion.

Why can a person buy and/or download Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion but not Mavericks???

I am running OS X Lion on a mid 2009 MacBook Pro with 4GB of ram and a 160GB HDD. I was going to download Mavericks from the app store but waited to long. Now that Yosemite is out Mavericks has disappeared from the app store. WHY? A person can buy and/or download Snow Leopard, Lion, and Mountain Lion but not Mavericks??? And the kicker is that it was FREE!!! I just wanted to load Mavericks on my MacBook Pro to see how it performs. If I could live with any slow downs or quirks, I'd leave it installed. If not, I'd roll my system back. Apple's policy of ramrodding unstable product down our throat is BS. I don't want to use Yosemite until it has become more stable!

Upgrading to Snow Leopard
You can purchase Snow Leopard through the Apple Store: Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard - Apple Store (U.S.). The price is $19.99 plus tax. You will be sent physical media by mail after placing your order.
After you install Snow Leopard you will have to download and install the Mac OS X 10.6.8 Update Combo v1.1 to update Snow Leopard to 10.6.8 and give you access to the App Store. Access to the App Store enables you to download Mavericks if your computer meets the requirements.
Upgrading to Lion
If your computer does not meet the requirements to install Mavericks, it may still meet the requirements to install Lion.
You can purchase Lion at the Online Apple Store. The cost is $19.99 (as it was before) plus tax. It's a download. You will get an email containing a redemption code that you then use at the Mac App Store to download Lion. Save a copy of that installer to your Downloads folder because the installer deletes itself at the end of the installation.
Upgrading to Mountain Lion
To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase a redemption code at the Online Apple Store: OS X Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. Use the code to redeem a download of Mountain Lion from the App Store. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to download. It would be preferable to use Ethernet because it is nearly four times faster than wireless.

Snow Leopard Installation and Upgrade Tips

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