Re-Installing iPhoto on 10.6.8

[tonmischa]

Hi !

- Bought iPhoto on the Mac App Store a few months ago
- Did a clean install of 10.6.8 today.
- Tried to install newest iPhoto version. --> This failed, because the latest iPhoto needs at least 10.7.4

How do I get a working version of iPhoto for 10.6.8 ?

No, I don't have a backup of my application folder. (Because the Mac App Store clearly states, that "apps can be re-downloaded at any time without additional costs")
No, I don't have any other Macs with an older iPhoto version.
No, updating to Lion is not an option for me.

Thanks,
Michael

 

[nathanielonfire]

If your Mac shipped with Snow Leopard, iLife should be available on the Applications Install disc that came with the Mac. In-box discs are machine-specific and are grey in color.

Alternatively, do you have a friend with a Mac with Lion that you could log into the App Store under your account, download iPhoto, and copy it over to your Snow Leopard Mac? I assume that would work, since you'd be downloading it in your name and transferring it, kind of like how transferring purchases used to work in iTunes.

Hope that helps! Good luck!

 

[tonmischa]

My Mac Pro shipped with Tiger.

Even if I could get my hands on the new version of iPhoto (v9.3): It would not work with 10.6.8. The system requirements clearly state that it needs 10.7.4.

The old version (v9.2.3) that worked on Snow Leopard, is not available anymore and the Mac App Store Support is not able (or willing) to provide me with that particular version.

 

[nathanielonfire]

Wow, I'm stumped. After reviewing Apple's site, it seems you are correct. I'm kind of surprised that Apple won't give you the version compatible with your system. It gets really frustrating especially since Apple will release updates cutting off compatibility with older systems (i.e., iWork '09 was initially compatible with PPC and Tiger/Leopard, but only in the pre 9.1 updates). It can get extremely confusing. It doesn't seem fair that you bought it when it was compatible with Snow Leopard and now the only reason you can't access it is because they decided cut you off with an update. 9.2.3 was released in March of this year, less than three months ago, and 9.3 was only last week!

But then again, Apple isn't exactly fond of supporting "legacy" systems.

The only solution I can think of, which isn't a very good solution, is to get a retail disc of iLife '11 and update manually to 9.2.3.

Sorry, wish I could help more.

 

[dZp]

An alternative way for you to get iPhoto 9.2.3 is to download the updater. The updater is the full app but does require a previous eligible version to be installed. To get around this, use Pacifist to install it.

Note for future: always keep a backup!

 

[tonmischa]

I followed up with the Mac App Store Support.
They answered again with the same info: "Unfortunately, the version offered in the Mac App Store will require Lion, which you will need to redownload in order to have the apps function properly. Your apps will only work for 10.7.4 or later. Again, the Mac App Store does not offer older versions of the iLife apps." (or any other apps)
They then recommended to contact AppleCare.

I just got off the phone with the german AppleCare Center.
In short, they we're stumped ("It's the first time we hear about this"), they apologized and they will send me an iLife '11 DVD for free. (I also was not charged for the "support incident".)

(As all of you probably know: The iLife 11 DVD contains Snow Leopard-compatible versions of iPhoto and iMovie, which I can manually update to the latest Snow Leopard-compatible version by downloading the updaters from Apple's Support section.)

Thanks for all your advice and I hope this info will help all other people who run into the same problem.

The lesson I have learned:
"Apps can be re-downloaded at any times without additional costs."
NOT TRUE. KEEP BACKUPS OF YOUR APPLICATION FOLDER !

 

[nathanielonfire]

Yay! I'm glad they were able to help you! I had a similar problem when iLife '08 came out and they send me a DVD for it (or was it a CD back then?).

I guess what the App Store said wasn't technically incorrect - you can redownload apps, assuming you system works with the latest version. That being said, though, making your own backups ensures you have control over whether or not you have access to the application. Who knows? Apple could just make iPhoto disappear at any time (though that's unlikely).

dZp, thanks for the Pacifist link. I had never heard of that! That might come in handy some day down the road.

 

[Rizvi1]

An alternative way for you to get iPhoto 3.2.3 is to download the updater. The updater is the full app but does require a previous eligible version to be installed. To get around this, use Pacifist to install it.

Note for future: always keep a backup!

I got my hopes up when I saw this post. Just did a clean install of Snow Leopard 10.6.8 on an older Mac Mini in our family Apple Mac mini Core 2 Duo 1.83 Specs Mid-2007 ( MB138LL/A - Macmini2,1 - A1176 - 2108 ( Macmini2,1). I cannot install anything later than Snow Leopard on that (I'm pretty sure). I need iPhoto and of course the latest one won't work.

It seems I need to find a iphoto` 9.2.3 to download and I tried to download from the link you gave http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1514 and tried using Pacifist to install but it's giving me a hard time when I Try to launch (see attached screenshot).

Maybe I can call Apple and get them to send me a complimentary older version of iphoto.

 

[Rizvi1]

whew, found an old iLife '11 install DVD. I had gotten this DVD from Apple after they had done a factory restart on a macbook Pro I sent in for repair and I lost my iLife. They sent this to me. Luckily, this particular version of iLife on this DVD is the one that will work with Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard.

Off topic but what's easiest way to make a back up of a DVD to my hard drive? So that if I ever have to do a full restart again of this Mac Mini with snow leopard (again, I don't believe this computer can take a later OS), I can just install from that file - or move that file to a memory stick and install. As long as this computer is kicking, I'll be needing this particular iLife.

 

[California]

My Mac Pro shipped with Tiger.

Even if I could get my hands on the new version of iPhoto (v9.3): It would not work with 10.6.8. The system requirements clearly state that it needs 10.7.4.

The old version (v9.2.3) that worked on Snow Leopard, is not available anymore and the Mac App Store Support is not able (or willing) to provide me with that particular version.

Clone your hard drive.

Update it to what you want.

Then hand transfer?

 

[comprodigy]

Here is a link to download the iPhoto 9.2.3 from apple along with other application files:
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1514?locale=en_US

 

[DeltaMac]

Here is a link to download the iPhoto 9.2.3 from apple along with other application files:
https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1514?locale=en_US

Two issues with that link -
The link to that update was already provided above in post #8.
Downloading the update is not helpful if the prerequisite of iPhoto 9.1 is not already installed.

If the OP (from more than 3 years ago) has not moved on yet, and did not have a backed up installer for iLife '11, then the updater does no good at all.

 

[comprodigy]

Two issues with that link -
The link to that update was already provided above in post #8.
Downloading the update is not helpful if the prerequisite of iPhoto 9.1 is not already installed.

If the OP (from more than 3 years ago) has not moved on yet, and did not have a backed up installer for iLife '11, then the updater does no good at all.

1:The previous link did no good for me, it was a bad link.
2:I did not have any iphoto installed and this installed fine.
3:I was not posting for the OP, i was posting for anyone like me who has 10.6.8 and needs ilife.

 

[DeltaMac]

Your information is still inaccurate.
From the linked page:

The update is recommended for all users of iPhoto '11.

If you updated iPhoto with the updater from that link, then you already had iPhoto installed - or you had the full install for iLife '11 that you installed before running the updater.
That's the only way your #2 would work.

(Unless you missed posting the actual download link that you used)

You did mention in your post #11 links for OTHER application files. The one link is only for iPhoto - no other apps.
Maybe you forgot to post those other links. (I doubt that you could post legitimate links for the full install of iLife '11, as that would still be under license to purchase from Apple, and not an allowed use for the software license, at least not in the U.S.

 

[Fishrrman]

Suggestion:

Search out and download from an UN-authorized source.

Sometimes one must do, what one must do.

That is all...

 

[Lavenderangel49]

Has anyone found a reliable source to download from?

Suggestion:

Search out and download from an UN-authorized source.

Sometimes one must do, what one must do.

That is all...[/QUOTE