Upgrading Tiger to Snow Leopard: FYI

ZachMatthews · Sep 4, 2009, 01:34 PM

Having read Mossberg's reports, and strictly out of curiosity, I decided to try to upgrade an older Tiger iMac to Snow Leopard using a new copy of Snow Leopard which came bundled with a brand new MacBook Pro.

(Incidentally, I have no desire to commit piracy; I have purchased a family pack of Snow Leopard to Tiger upgrades for $199 off Amazon.com to upgrade all my other computers; I just wanted to try this first to see if stories are true).

After inserting the Snow Leopard (bundled) disk, the expected dialog popped up telling me that I could, indeed, upgrade Tiger. The computer rebooted and apparently began the installation process. Surprisingly, after about 10 minutes, the install quit and a message popped up saying "OS X Cannot Be Installed On This Computer."

So, I guess my question is, do you all think that Mossberg and company's having let the cat out of the bag caused Apple to go back in and install some kind of Tiger detection process? This bundled disk arrived less than a week after the first reports that Snow Leopard was able to upgrade Tiger. Or is there some difference between a bundled copy of Snow Leopard and an "upgrade" disk that I'm not aware of?

Anyway, interesting.

gibbz · Sep 4, 2009, 01:35 PM

Bundled disks are restricted to the machine they ship with, It does work, just not how you tried it.

bryantm3 · Sep 4, 2009, 01:36 PM

you might be running a PPC iMac. If so, you can't run it on a PPC iMac. Snow Leopard will only run on intel macs.

OceanView · Sep 4, 2009, 01:37 PM

I doubt they could make a change that fast.
Maybe there was a different option to install that you could have chosen?

gibbz · Sep 4, 2009, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bryantm3

you might be running a PPC iMac. If so, you can't run it on a PPC iMac. Snow Leopard will only run on intel macs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OceanView

I doubt they could make a change that fast.
Maybe there was a different option to install that you could have chosen?

No, he said he tried to install from the bundled disk from another machine. You cannot install Snow Leopard that way. If you bought a retail disk it would work. The bundled disks have always had a check to ensure that the OS would only be reinstalled on the machine it shipped with.

ZachMatthews · Sep 4, 2009, 01:43 PM

Ok, well that explains it. I just wondered if we were seeing the first signs of Apple having to go the way of Microsoft due to all the pirates.

Thanks.

TheSpaz · Sep 4, 2009, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZachMatthews

Ok, well that explains it. I just wondered if we were seeing the first signs of Apple having to go the way of Microsoft due to all the pirates.

Thanks.

Nope... it has always been that way.

otis123 · Sep 4, 2009, 04:18 PM

that disc is just for macbook pros of that model, thats why. go get a retail disc

Markov · Sep 4, 2009, 04:21 PM

Side note to the original poster: Don't bother upgrading (whether it is a 29 dollar upgrade disk or not) just do a clean install. Upgrades of this proportion always get too messy.

TheSpaz · Sep 4, 2009, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markov

Side note to the original poster: Don't bother upgrading (whether it is a 29 dollar upgrade disk or not) just do a clean install. Upgrades of this proportion always get too messy.

I agree. A lot of times there are third party extensions, startup items and other supporting files that may not be compatible with the update. Doing a clean install forces you to re-install those applications and usually, there's a newer version of them that *is* compatible with Snow Leopard so that you don't hose your system. Also, by having to reinstall them, you can check to see if it's Snow Leopard compatible before you install it. This gives you the cleanest system possible.

Plus, it gives you a chance to get rid of a lot of garbage that tends to build up over time in various system folders and stuff.

greatmaju · Sep 4, 2009, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markov

Side note to the original poster: Don't bother upgrading (whether it is a 29 dollar upgrade disk or not) just do a clean install. Upgrades of this proportion always get too messy.

For my 2 pence. I did an upgrade. And it went fine. Close to perfect. But then, bugs are to be expected.

I really don't understand how some people's SL installs become so wierd.

But at the end of the day. Its your Mac.

neocoyote · Sep 5, 2009, 12:35 AM

I bought Snow Leopard upgrade today. I own a Macbook pro with intel core 2 duo 2.33ghz 2gb ram. I tried doing the upgrade from Tiger and it doesn't work. Installation will get stuck during boot with gear spinning. I've tried different steps from pressing C key and option key. It will not work from Tiger to Snow Leopard upgrade, will need to get the Box Set.

TheSpaz · Sep 5, 2009, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neocoyote

I bought Snow Leopard upgrade today. I own a Macbook pro with intel core 2 duo 2.33ghz 2gb ram. I tried doing the upgrade from Tiger and it doesn't work. Installation will get stuck during boot with gear spinning. I've tried different steps from pressing C key and option key. It will not work from Tiger to Snow Leopard upgrade, will need to get the Box Set.

I bet your disc is fried. Tiger to Snow Leopard works fine.

iLog.Genius · Sep 5, 2009, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neocoyote

I bought Snow Leopard upgrade today. I own a Macbook pro with intel core 2 duo 2.33ghz 2gb ram. I tried doing the upgrade from Tiger and it doesn't work. Installation will get stuck during boot with gear spinning. I've tried different steps from pressing C key and option key. It will not work from Tiger to Snow Leopard upgrade, will need to get the Box Set.

Um, weren't you suppose to get the box set? Correct me if I'm wrong, but the standalone Snow Leopard disc does not work with Tiger and that is why the box set is available? Unless I'm reading the website wrong...

(I think you could only use the standalone if you're doing a clean install, not an upgrade. Still to this day, I don't even know how the installations work. Is the standalone really an upgrade disc or just RETAIL? Apple didn't really do a good job other than say, you can upgrade Leopard for $35)

tplatt · Sep 5, 2009, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greatmaju

For my 2 pence. I did an upgrade. And it went fine. Close to perfect. But then, bugs are to be expected.

Ditto ... Tiger to Snow Leopard, no problems, works great. No crashes of any sort.

Markov · Sep 6, 2009, 01:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplatt

Ditto ... Tiger to Snow Leopard, no problems, works great. No crashes of any sort.

You did an upgrade from Tiger to Snow Leopard? Or did you do a clean install from Tiger to Snow Leopard?

ZballZ · Sep 7, 2009, 08:36 AM

My girlfriend recently got a new Macbook Pro, so yester day I installed SL on her computer from the 9.95 dollars upgrade disc...

Now, trying to install on my intel-tiger mbp I get the message "requires 10.5 to install"...

Is there any workaround for this ???

Markov · Sep 11, 2009, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZballZ

My girlfriend recently got a new Macbook Pro, so yester day I installed SL on her computer from the 9.95 dollars upgrade disc...

Now, trying to install on my intel-tiger mbp I get the message "requires 10.5 to install"...

Is there any workaround for this ???

Probably not, I suppose the 9.95 disks are truly "upgrade" disks and not ones that anchor the entire operating system. Try buying the 29.99 Snow Leopard disk, apparently they have the entire operating system. And for the benefit of those who will be offended by my previous sentence (effectively cheating apple out of money) it is illegal to buy the 29.99 disk without installing Leopard first blahh blahh blah blah blahhh.

Sep 4, 2009, 01:34 PM	#1
ZachMatthews macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2006	Upgrading Tiger to Snow Leopard: FYI Having read Mossberg's reports, and strictly out of curiosity, I decided to try to upgrade an older Tiger iMac to Snow Leopard using a new copy of Snow Leopard which came bundled with a brand new MacBook Pro. (Incidentally, I have no desire to commit piracy; I have purchased a family pack of Snow Leopard to Tiger upgrades for $199 off Amazon.com to upgrade all my other computers; I just wanted to try this first to see if stories are true). After inserting the Snow Leopard (bundled) disk, the expected dialog popped up telling me that I could, indeed, upgrade Tiger. The computer rebooted and apparently began the installation process. Surprisingly, after about 10 minutes, the install quit and a message popped up saying "OS X Cannot Be Installed On This Computer." So, I guess my question is, do you all think that Mossberg and company's having let the cat out of the bag caused Apple to go back in and install some kind of Tiger detection process? This bundled disk arrived less than a week after the first reports that Snow Leopard was able to upgrade Tiger. Or is there some difference between a bundled copy of Snow Leopard and an "upgrade" disk that I'm not aware of? Anyway, interesting.

Sep 4, 2009, 01:35 PM	#2
gibbz macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: National Weather Center	Bundled disks are restricted to the machine they ship with, It does work, just not how you tried it. __________________ 64GB 3G iPad Apple TV 32GB iPhone 3G S⃣ UMB 2.4/4GB/250GB MP 8x2.8/16GB MP 8x2.93/16GB/2x24" Apple LED Gibbz \| My Funny Looking Kid

Sep 4, 2009, 04:18 PM	#8
otis123 macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2006	that disc is just for macbook pros of that model, thats why. go get a retail disc __________________ 15" unibody 2.4Ghz MacBook Pro, iPhone 3G 16gb black, AL 20" 2.0Ghz C2D imac all macs running 10.6

Sep 4, 2009, 04:21 PM	#9
Markov macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southern New Jersey	Side note to the original poster: Don't bother upgrading (whether it is a 29 dollar upgrade disk or not) just do a clean install. Upgrades of this proportion always get too messy. __________________ MacBook Pro: 2.2Ghz, 4GB ram, 320GB HDD, Snow Leopard, Win 7 64bit iPod touch 2G, 16 GB 80 GB Classic -P- Go Phillies! -P-

Sep 5, 2009, 12:35 AM	#12
neocoyote macrumors newbie Join Date: Sep 2009	Upgrade does not work on Tiger macbook pro I bought Snow Leopard upgrade today. I own a Macbook pro with intel core 2 duo 2.33ghz 2gb ram. I tried doing the upgrade from Tiger and it doesn't work. Installation will get stuck during boot with gear spinning. I've tried different steps from pressing C key and option key. It will not work from Tiger to Snow Leopard upgrade, will need to get the Box Set.

Sep 4, 2009, 01:36 PM	#3
bryantm3 macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2003	you might be running a PPC iMac. If so, you can't run it on a PPC iMac. Snow Leopard will only run on intel macs.

Sep 4, 2009, 01:37 PM	#4
OceanView macrumors 6502 Join Date: Sep 2005	I doubt they could make a change that fast. Maybe there was a different option to install that you could have chosen?

Sep 4, 2009, 01:43 PM	#6
ZachMatthews Thread Starter macrumors newbie Join Date: Mar 2006	Ok, well that explains it. I just wondered if we were seeing the first signs of Apple having to go the way of Microsoft due to all the pirates. Thanks.

Sep 7, 2009, 08:36 AM	#17
ZballZ macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2006	This Disc requires 10.5... My girlfriend recently got a new Macbook Pro, so yester day I installed SL on her computer from the 9.95 dollars upgrade disc... Now, trying to install on my intel-tiger mbp I get the message "requires 10.5 to install"... Is there any workaround for this ??? __________________ C2MBP 15" 2,33 GHz 160 HD 2 GB RAM MATTE Canon 400D w/ Tamron 17-50 2.8 + Canon 50 1.8

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode