Upgrade a 2008 Mac Pro to Yosemite

Question

I upgraded to Snow Leopard to get access to the app store and upgrade to Yosemite.  Now, the download of Yosemite seems "frozen".  The dock icon says "downloading", but it has been 10 minutes.  If I hit Command/Option/Escape it does not indicate that anything is "not responding".  What do I do?  Is my computer so old (2008) that it will not upgrade to Yosemite???

Answer 1

PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE!
What you are seeing is proper.
Have a beer.
In fact you have time to drink a case if you want!
I just downloaded Yosemite on my Mac Book Pro (Late 2008), but I also have two
(Late 2008)
Model No.:1186 EMC No2180
Mac Pro/2.8_8CX/4X2G
ALL got the same treatment.
I forget how big the Yosemite file is,(it's a few gigs).
I waited overnight to download the OS, and I did it over a wireless system as opposed to hardwired to an ether-net cable.
When the file was downloaded from the internet, I was able to install the system in 15 minutes.
That being said, I have to tell you that all machines also have updated Samsung 840 EVO, SSD's and 8 gigs of RAM.
A HDD might take a little longer.
Also...
I had all my original install and application disks, did a CLEAN re-install of Snow Leopard that came with the machines, updated to 10.68 (or whatever it is) and then did the Yosemite download from the dock.
All 3 machines work great, BUT I HAD ALL MY ORIGINAL DISKS!
The reason I emphasize this, I had originally done a Time Machine Back up.
I tried to use Time Machine to migrate the the files from my back up drive, but the Snow Leopard re-install wouldn't let me recover my back up files because... since I had backed up to the latest (automatic) updated version of OS X, the older outdated version wouldn't recognize the newer backup.
When I tried to migrate from my back-up drive using Yosemite, Yosemite saw my drive but wouldn't let me unlock my backup files. I think because I did the CLEAN install.
Fortunately, there was really nothing on there that I needed.
I'm able to transfer any files I want from my old drive...as long as they weren't in TIME MACHINE.
What I CAN'T transfer from my old drive, is my Final Cut Studio Pro...Fortunately I have disks for this also.
Many people are complaining that the OS is junk, but I think the way this really works best is to:
1: BACK UP ALL YOUR FILES TO ANOTHER DRIVE
2: If you have any applications that you installed from a disk...Find the disk because you may need it again.
3: Re-install your new OS to a CLEAN, REFORMATTED DRIVE.
     This means you will have to download your original Snow Leopard OS, go online, update to 10.8 6 and then download Yosemite.
     (this is where you go and have the case of beer and then go to bed)
     (if you had 200 gigs of info on a 250 gig drive...NOTHING  is going to make your machine faster until you get rid of the junk.)
4: Run the install.
5: After the install restart your machine.
6: Upload any applications.
7: Go to the top left corner of the screen and check for updates! (even though you have an updated OS, there may be updates for your           specific applications that aren't covered in Yosemite. (Had to do this with Final Cut.)
8: Re-install any other personal preferences: internet, email, electronic banking, PayPal...
9: Decide what you REALLY want to transfer over (because you now have a clean drive)
10:Take your new system for a drive and check it out.
11:Make yourself a drink. That's at eleven because it number one twice!
     Hope this was of some help
PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE!