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.

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.
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    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.
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    Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.

  • 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.
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    I would do the following:
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         http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817146604
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    4) Download Lion from the App Store and copy the installer to a USB Flash Drive
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    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. 

  • 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.
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  • 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 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?
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  • 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.
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    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?
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  • 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?

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  • 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.

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    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]: 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)
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  • Installing Lion on Snow Leopard Server

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    No easy way unfortunately.
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    HTH
    -Graham

  • 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.
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    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.
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  • Can anyone please tell me which version of Photoshop Elements will download easily and run with mac 10.5.8 Snow Leopard?

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  • Help with Aperture 1.5 & OSX Snow Leopard

    Using iMac w/intel core 2 Duo, 1GB RAM, over 100GB of HD left.
    Just upgraded to Snow leopard, getting ready to move up to LION (after I get an additional 1GB of RAM).
    Discovered my Apert. 1.5 can not be used with OSx SL 10.6.8 and need Apert.2. or 3.
    Since I already have AP 2 on hand, I'll be using 2.1 + upgrades.
    My questions are:
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    3. If manual is required, how do I accomplish this without being able to open 1.5?
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    George

    When you start the new Aperture on the old library Aperture should tell you the library needs to be upgraded and offer to do it. You can upgrade the library or quit.
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  • Help with setting up Aperture on Snow Leopard

    I have two late 2006 White Core 2 Duo iMacs no longer under warranty. My cameras are 2 Nikon D70's. My printer is an Epson 7600.
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    I want this to be a joyful experience but this is the 3rd mac that has failed me since 2003 and frankly I am scared. 15" PowerBook, iMac G5, Intel iMac.
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    •Can one of those be used for speed (RAID 0)? They're empty but maybe too slow.
    • If they replace rather than repair the iMac; can you recommend a more robust machine with near equal value? MBP (refurb). I'd need a matte screen or an anti-glare cover.
    Any assistance would be appreciated.

    Kathleen S wrote:
    I want to install Snow Leopard on the other one but I am terrified! Is my machine really up to the task? I know that it is; based on the specs but does anyone have experiences with it?
    We don't know what the graphics card is on your iMac, but my expectation is that the iMac should not be particularly limiting to low end use of Snow Leopard, except a bit for the graphics. However the iMac graphics will be limiting to Aperture, as also will be the limited RAM. The described iMac setup will never be a high end Aperture box but with maximum RAM should be ok as a low end Aperture box.
    My Aperture Library houses my most precious data.
    The iMac itself is no risk to precious data. IMO your data (originals) should be Referenced Masters housed on external hard drives and backed up off site separately but along with Vaults of the Aperture Library. Aperture's default "Managed Masters" Library usually is a very bad idea for iMacs and laptops. I do wish Apple would change the IMO inappropriate default protocol.
    Can I install it on an external hard drive and test it with my Aperture Library and then go back to Tiger if it has problems re-booting or starts running too hot?
    Better is to install Aperture, the Aperture Library and other apps on the iMac internal drive and keep the internal drive less than 60% full by using Referenced Masters housed on external hard drives. Make two different Vaults on two different hard drives and test rebuilding from the Vault. Then if the Snow Leopard install does not work well you can wipe the iMac drive and start over. However I think that SL should be OK on the iMac, it works fine with Aperture on my 2006 2.33 GHz MBP with 3 GB RAM.
    I want this to be a joyful experience but this is the 3rd mac that has failed me since 2003 and frankly I am scared. 15" PowerBook, iMac G5, Intel iMac.
    Computers and especially drives of any brand always do fail. Establish the right setup and routine backup and failures become not so terrifying.
    I have External Hard Drives that are from OWC. I have two 1TB and one 1.5TB and they are FW800 + eSATA. My computer does not have a place to plug in the eSATA cords so I am using the FW800 ones. Should I consider a RAID 5 for redundancy given my luck?
    No to RAID but yes yes yes to redundancy . With images we have no need for expensive real-time backup, and iMacs are unsuited to RAID anyway. What we need with images is immediate backup of our originals (such as simple copying to external drives) and routine daily/weekly backup of originals (via Finder-copy) and the Aperture Library (via Vaults) both on and off site. That is easy enough to do with the drives you have now.
    Can one of those be used for speed (RAID 0)?
    No. RAID 0 is great for images work but you would need a tower or an elaborate eSATA configuration. Note that RAID 0 requires a minimum of two drives for the RAID plus backup drives.
    If they replace rather than repair the iMac; can you recommend a more robust machine with near equal value? MBP (refurb). I'd need a matte screen or an anti-glare cover.
    An MBP would have substantially more cost and value. iMacs all have only the (IMO undesirable) glossy displays. A latest-generation Mini would meet your described needs, or an iMac plus an external matte display.
    Good luck!
    -Allen Wicks

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