Can I re-install on a Mid-2010 MBP with the Snow Leopard DVD?

[BlueberryMac]

Hi,

I am having trouble with my mid-2010 MacBook Pro and so am trying to re-install Snow Leopard from the retail Snow Leopard DVD—but although I can both see it and select it from the Startup Disk control panel, I am unable to complete the installation; sometimes it gets halfway through the install only to restart, other times it just plain hangs at startup...

Looking at the MacTracker app (http://www.mactracker.ca/), it says that the original OS for the mid-2010 MacBook Pro is 10.6.3...

Does that mean that I can't reinstall off of the retail Snow Leopard DVD (since it is most likely 10.6.0)?

I'm pretty sure I have installed off of it before—and really, if I'm mistaken, shouldn't new Mac's allow to install from the most recent retail OS installer disc?

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Yes, you can't use the Mac OS X 10.6.0 Retail DVD, as a Mac coming with Mac OS X 10.6.4 can't be installed with a prior version to that, like Mac OS X 10.6.3 for example.

 

[Miss Terri]

Simsaladimbamba,

That is something I didn't realize. Can I ask you a question just to be sure I'm understanding that correctly?

I have a 2010 MBP right now, with Snow Leopard. I'm happy with SL. I'm not so sure I'm going to like or want Lion (at least for a while).

So are you saying that, say, if I bought a new 2011 MBP that came with Lion (say in July or whatever), I would not be able to buy Snow Leopard, wipe the computer completely, and install Snow Leopard?

If that's true, it might change my plans. Since my computer is so new, I was not going to rush out and buy an MBP with Sandy Bridge. BUT, I also don't want to be "stuck" with the Core2Duo in future if I want to keep running Snow Leopard.

So does that mean I have to "rush out" and buy a 2011 MBP *before* Lion comes out, if I don't want to be "forced" to use Lion ---- even if I am perfectly happy to PURCHASE Snow Leopard at retail?

Thank you, this could be important information to me,

Miss Terri

 

[simsaladimbamba]

...
So are you saying that, say, if I bought a new 2011 MBP that came with Lion (say in July or whatever), I would not be able to buy Snow Leopard, wipe the computer completely, and install Snow Leopard?
...

Yep. You also can't install Leopard on current Macs, as the drivers for the current Macs have not been included in Leopard or are available for it.
Though I once came upon a thread ( MRoogle perhaps? ), where one poster claimed to have done something like this (install Leopard on a SL machine), though it had some issues and was not stable, but the application s/he had to use was not compatible with 10.6 and they needed new Mac Pros and had to buy 10.6 MPs.

 

[Miss Terri]

Thank you! I'm really glad I found this out, as now I can plan accordingly.

It may be that I would like Lion just fine, but I'm thinking it may be a bit to "ios" like for my tastes. But now that I know about this, I could decide to upgrade to a new MBP just as Lion comes out (getting a Snow Leopard one, which would give me the option of either SL or Lion).

Luckily iLife doesn't seem to have this limitation, as I loaded iLife 08 onto my new MBP (late 2010).

Okay, one teeny-tiny more question?

If I want to keep most of iLife 08 on my computer, but not all, can I load, say, iMovie 11 but keep the rest 08? I'm thinking yes since they now sell iLife apps separately - wouldn't this mean many people would have a mix-n-match iLife?

And if I CAN mix-n-match, and since my MBP came with ILife 11 (not on the computer now but on the original install disc #2), could I do a custom install of only iMovie 11 from that disc? Keeping the rest 08?

Thank you! I don't mean to waylay the thread, but it does kind of seem to relate (I hope).

Miss Terri

 

[calderone]

Yep. You also can't install Leopard on current Macs, as the drivers for the current Macs have not been included in Leopard or are available for it.
Though I once came upon a thread ( MRoogle perhaps? ), where one poster claimed to have done something like this (install Leopard on a SL machine), though it had some issues and was not stable, but the application s/he had to use was not compatible with 10.6 and they needed new Mac Pros and had to buy 10.6 MPs.

Not quite.

If when Lion is released, the early 2011 MBP is still the current model, Snow Leopard Restore DVDs from the current machines would work. Or if Apple releases 10.6.7+ Retail DVDs, you could use those as well.

The "Don't install a version of Mac OS X earlier than what came with your Mac" has exceptions. This would be one of them if the hardware stays the same.

Even if the Early 2011 MBPs start shipping with Lion, it still remains true that they "came" with a special build of 10.6.6

So the answer is more "maybe" but "most likely."

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Not quite.

If when Lion is released, the early 2011 MBP is still the current model, Snow Leopard Restore DVDs from the current machines would work. Or if Apple releases 10.6.7+ Retail DVDs, you could use those as well.

The "Don't install a version of Mac OS X earlier than what came with your Mac" has exceptions. This would be one of them if the hardware stays the same.

Even if the Early 2011 MBPs start shipping with Lion, it still remains true that they "came" with a special build of 10.6.6

So the answer is more "maybe" but "most likely."

Yeah, I thought of that too the last minutes, though then why is it that an MBP released with 10.6.2 (custom build), but then sold when 10.6.5 is current and therefore being shipped with 10.6.5, that it is not easily possible to install an older version between 10.6.3 and 10.6.4 onto it. Logically it should be, that is at least what my thinking the last ten minutes concluded.

 

[calderone]

Yeah, I thought of that too the last minutes, though then why is it that an MBP released with 10.6.2 (custom build), but then sold when 10.6.5 is current and therefore being shipped with 10.6.5, that it is not easily possible to install an older version between 10.6.3 and 10.6.4 onto it. Logically it should be, that is at least what my thinking the last ten minutes concluded.

The key is to have the custom install discs.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

The key is to have the custom install discs.

Okay, that is not what I meant, but I was hardly to understand I guess.

Example: I bought an MBP in July 2009, it then had Mac OS X 10.5.7 on it.
That MBP was not updated (only BTO) until April 2010, and between September 2009 and April 2010 this MBP, which was released when Mac OS X 10.5 was current, it was delivered with (or could be bought with) Mac OS X 10.6.0, 10.6.1, 10.6.2 and 10.6.3 on it.
Now, as my thinking suggests, the components of the MBP are still the same as they have been before September 2009, therefore it should be theoretically possible to install Mac OS X 10.5.7/8 (if a Retail version exists) onto the same MBP model bought in late March 2010, which then came with 10.6.3. The drivers for that machine are still existing Leopard anyway.

Hmm, why didn't I think of that earlier. Should repair my permissions I guess.