Dual Operating System

[Keysmark]

I’ve got a 2007 MacBook Pro running the Latest Version of Snow Leopard, with no problems. It originally came with OS X 10.4 (Tiger I Think it was called). I still have the original OS X 10.4 Installation disks.

I would like to install and play some early Mac games which no longer play with OS X 10.6, Snow Leopard. For example, the original Myst, which, I understand will play on OS X 10.4.

My question: Can I install OS X 10.4 on my MacBook Pro without overwriting or interfering with OS X 10.6, so that I can play some of these older Mac games. In other words, can I have both operating systems installed at the same time and choose which one to boot up and use.

Thanks.

 

[bmcgonag]

Yep.

You need to use DiskUtil to partition your internal drive into two partitions. Just select the drive on the left, then in the dropdown on the right that says 'Current', select '2'. Now adjust to the sizes you want by dragging the horizontal bar between the two partitions. Name the lower, new, 2nd partition whatever you want, then partition. This should do a non-destructive partition.

Just in case, I suggest highly, that you use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper to do a full hdd backup that is bootable to a USB or firewire drive. This will protect you should anything go wrong.

I've done the partition on my imac and had no issues with it, but I always do a full backup first.
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Another route, should you want to do it, and have a USB external HDD to do it with, is partition the external into two partitions, large enough to backup your current internal on one, both partitions should be HFS+ with GUID partition table.

Once complete, reboot from the USB backup (hold the 'Option' key down at the Chime on boot). Select the USB drive at startup, and once in there, install TIger onto the second partition of the external drive. Now you can boot from the Tiger USB drive when you want, and your internal drive is unscathed.

Hope this helps, feel free to write if you need more info.

 

[Keysmark]

bmcgonag,

Thanks for your detailed reply.

Just to clarify, you are saying that I can format the drive on my MacBook pro, which has only one partition, into two partitions, without erasing or losing the data already on the drive. Is that correct?

I do have Super Duper and will certainly back up first.