Upgrade from OS X 10.3.9 to Leopard? Do I need more memory?

Question

I only have 256mb of memory and it says min requirement is 512mb. Can I add memory? And if so what is the procedure. I have a 1.8GHz PowerPC G5 with version 10.3.9 and I just purchased Leopard online and I didnt do my research before I purchased it. I haven't gotten it yet, but I just want to make sure that this upgrade is possible and if so, is there anything tricky about uploading the new software? Thank you

Answer 1

Yes, you can add more memory to your computer. The model you have is pre-2005 and can accommodate up to 4 GBs of RAM. Consult your computer's user manual to find out the exact RAM specifications your will need.
You have three choices for installing Leopard: Erase and Install, Upgrade Install, and Archive and Install. The first method obviously involves erasing the drive before installing Leopard. This will remove all your data. An Upgrade Install replaces all the files in your current installation with the new ones needed for Leopard but does not affect any of your other files. An Archive and Install archives your current system into a Previous System Folder and installs a fresh copy of Leopard. This would be the preferred approach as it provides a fresh copy of Leopard as you would get with an Erase and Install, but preserves all your files. This is the method I recommend.
Now, it's important that you make a backup of your current system to another internal hard drive or to an external Firewire drive. This should be a bootable backup just in case you run into a problem installing Leopard, then you can quickly restore your old system with all your files intact. You can make the bootable backup using the Restore option of Disk Utility. You will need a freshly erased backup drive. See the following:
How to Clone Using Restore Option of Disk Utility
1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
3. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (journaled, if available) and click on the Erase button. This step can be skipped if the destination has already been freshly erased.
4. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Destination means the drive to which you will restore or backup.
Source means the drive you are restoring from or backing up.
After making the backup you can do the Archive and Install:
How to Perform an Archive and Install
An Archive and Install will NOT erase your hard drive, but you must have sufficient free space for a second OS X installation which could be from 3-9 GBs depending upon the version of OS X and selected installation options. The free space requirement is over and above normal free space requirements which should be at least 6-10 GBs. Read all the linked references carefully before proceeding.
1. Be sure to use Disk Utility first to repair the disk before performing the Archive and Install.
Repairing the Hard Drive and Permissions
Boot from your OS X 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 Installer menu (Utilities menu for Tiger.) 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, then quit DU and return to the installer.
2. Do not proceed with an Archive and Install if DU reports errors it cannot fix. In that case use Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro to repair the hard drive. If neither can repair the drive, then you will have to erase the drive and reinstall from scratch.
3. Boot from your OS X Installer disc. After the installer loads select your language and click on the Continue button. When you reach the screen to select a destination drive click once on the destination drive then click on the Option button. Select the Archive and Install option. You have an option to preserve users and network preferences. Only select this option if you are sure you have no corrupted files in your user accounts. Otherwise leave this option unchecked. Click on the OK button and continue with the OS X Installation.
4. Upon completion of the Archive and Install you will have a Previous System Folder in the root directory. You should retain the PSF until you are sure you do not need to manually transfer any items from the PSF to your newly installed system.
5. After moving any items you want to keep from the PSF you should delete it. You can back it up if you prefer, but you must delete it from the hard drive.
6. You can now download a Combo Updater directly from Apple's download site to update your new system to the desired version as well as install any security or other updates. You can also do this using Software Update.