I just got my MacBook back after my hard drive was replaced. I had Leopard installed on my old HDD but now I have Tiger installed. I borrowed some Leopard install cds from my friend but am unable to install, is there anyway I can retrieve my Validation for my original copy of Leopard?
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Re-installing Mac OS X Leopard on new hard drive
- Thread starter morri88
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Just use the restore DVD for your machine (assuming it shipped with Leopard) or the retail copy of Leopard you purchased to install. There is no validation information to retrieve: this is not Windows.
And just to clarify: borrowing your friends Leopard DVDs is illegal. That's software piracy. Don't do it.
And just to clarify: borrowing your friends Leopard DVDs is illegal. That's software piracy. Don't do it.
To add to what robbieduncan said, discs are tied somewhat to the machine and model they're bundled with, and have been more so since the move to Intel and Leopard. It seems that in addition to the scenario before (where, for example, you couldn't use a Mac Pro DVD to reinstall a MacBook's operating system), if memory serves correctly, you now can't use a MacBook install DVD from an Early 2008 model to reinstall Mac OS on a 2007 model.
And even if you can, you're going against the EULA and being a pirate.
Ahh ok didn't realise that it worked that way, I however don't remember having to install Mac OS X originally when I bought my macbook. I will look for a restoration DVD amongst my Mac cd's but don't recall having one. Do I need to purchase another copy of the operating system otherwise?
You don't have to install OSX when you buy a new machine: it comes pre-installed. You also get 2 grey DVDs that can be used to restore the system to it's factory state. All new Macs ship with these (they are inside the small white CD sized box along with the paper documentation). If you can't find them Applecare will sometimes send new ones out for a nominal cost (normally around £20).
This is weird because I was under the impression that you couldn't install Tiger on a computer that shipped with Leopard.