I just ordered Snow Leopard from Apple.com and am wondering what will need to be done before I pop the install disk into my Macbook. I do I simply insert the disk and follow the on-screen steps? Im not sure if this sort of upgrade poses the possibility of losing all the files on my Macbook. Thanks in advance for the help.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Upgrading from Leopard to SL
- Thread starter TheBeastman13
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Yes, you simply insert the disk and follow the on-screen steps, no, it shouldn't overwrite your current data. HOWEVER, it's a good idea to prepare before you install Snow Leopard, or any OS for that matter. I believe there is step by step info in the MR Guides section.
Using Disk Utility in your Applications/Utilities folder, do a "Check Permissions" and if need be, "Repair Permissions". I also check the internal hard drive after that.
Then take an external hard drive, format & partition it, use SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner to make a bootable clone of your current set-up in case there is a weird glitch with the SL upgrade. Once you have SL installed, it's a very good thing to make a bootable clone using CCC or SD! on another partition on the external hard drive.
Once you know everything is fine, you can erase the Leopard copy on the external HDD and possibly use that partition for TimeMachine. Don't erase your Snow Leopard bootable clone, it's important insurance.
You'll love the extras in Snow Leopard
Snow Leopard is the best OS X version for a lot of people, you will love it, but you wont notice much improvment going from Leopard allready, as most changes are in the "background"
Most of what you said went over my head. Lol I have no idea how to partition my external HDD, nor do I know what a partition is used for. Secondly, when making a copy of all my files, do I simply CMND A all the folders from my user account, application, and document sections in Finder, then drag them to my HDD ? Ive already formatted my external when I first bought it, do I need to do it again ? Thanks for the help.Yes, you simply insert the disk and follow the on-screen steps, no, it shouldn't overwrite your current data. HOWEVER, it's a good idea to prepare before you install Snow Leopard, or any OS for that matter. I believe there is step by step info in the MR Guides section.
Using Disk Utility in your Applications/Utilities folder, do a "Check Permissions" and if need be, "Repair Permissions". I also check the internal hard drive after that.
Then take an external hard drive, format & partition it, use SuperDuper! or Carbon Copy Cloner to make a bootable clone of your current set-up in case there is a weird glitch with the SL upgrade. Once you have SL installed, it's a very good thing to make a bootable clone using CCC or SD! on another partition on the external hard drive.
Once you know everything is fine, you can erase the Leopard copy on the external HDD and possibly use that partition for TimeMachine. Don't erase your Snow Leopard bootable clone, it's important insurance.
You'll love the extras in Snow Leopard
----------
Ive never found a use for Time Machine and thus, it has never been set-up in the four years ive had my Macbook. HahaOnce you know everything is fine, you can erase the Leopard copy on the external HDD and possibly use that partition for TimeMachine. Don't erase your Snow Leopard bootable clone, it's important insurance.
You'll love the extras in Snow Leopard
Well, here's a use for it. You probably can just pop in the upgrade DVD and it will install SL with no loss to your data.
Or it might fail. So yes, you do run a risk of losing all the files on your Macbook.
So you need a backup. Although copying most user files works, it doesn't for a lot of applications. You will not be able to just copy them back and have some of them work. Especially complicated stuff like Word or Adobe products.
What is meant when people do a "clean install" of an OS, and do I need to do this when I get my SL package in the mail?
A clean install is when you completely erase the hard drive you're installing onto, including all of your user data, and install a fresh copy of the OS. This would usually then be followed by manually copying your data back from a backup, but not restoring applications or preferences from that backup.
It's absolutely not necessary unless you're experiencing significant problems. I would simply pop in the SL disk and run the installer, which will upgrade the OS but leave your user data and settings intact. If you have problems, then a clean install will be one possible troubleshooting step.
BTW, do make sure you've backed up your data if you haven't already. Do this before you even think about installing Snow Leopard. You should never be without a backup, but certainly not before doing a major operation like upgrading your OS.
jW
Thank you Beastman, for confirming I'm a nerd.You can download SuperDuper! (for example) from here for free (although it'd be nice to donate to the developer):
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
The site explains a lot. If your hard drive should ever bite the dust, you'd be able to boot right off the external drive as if it were your actual machine, use all your software, etc. When you copy your files to another hard drive randomly, they're not bootable. --Or your entire Mac tank, you could take your bootable drive and connect it to another Mac and work on it like it's your own machine. CCC & SD! make it soooo easy.
Partitioning just means you're dividing your hard drive into sections. Like a bootable clone in one, a scratch drive in another, random files in another, etc.
Please consider setting up Time Machine after (or before!) installing Snow Leopard. It's so easy too, that if (IF) something should happen to your Mac in future, well, why bothering kicking yourself in the butt then if you can set it up now practically effortlessly?
Regarding the refinements in SL versus Leopard, --can't think of them off hand except the Mac App Store. I hate shopping, but damn, I do love looking at the Mac App Store.
Another thing about using Time Machine, I used it from another iMac when I set up my new iMac. All my applications were installed, like MS Office & Adobe Creative Suite, and I didn't have to re-enter any user registrations, etc. Saved so much time!
Thanks for the info.
You can download SuperDuper! (for example) from here for free (although it'd be nice to donate to the developer):
http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html
The site explains a lot. If your hard drive should ever bite the dust, you'd be able to boot right off the external drive as if it were your actual machine, use all your software, etc. When you copy your files to another hard drive randomly, they're not bootable. --Or your entire Mac tank, you could take your bootable drive and connect it to another Mac and work on it like it's your own machine. CCC & SD! make it soooo easy.
Partitioning just means you're dividing your hard drive into sections. Like a bootable clone in one, a scratch drive in another, random files in another, etc.
Please consider setting up Time Machine after (or before!) installing Snow Leopard. It's so easy too, that if (IF) something should happen to your Mac in future, well, why bothering kicking yourself in the butt then if you can set it up now practically effortlessly?
Regarding the refinements in SL versus Leopard, --can't think of them off hand except the Mac App Store. I hate shopping, but damn, I do love looking at the Mac App Store.
Another thing about using Time Machine, I used it from another iMac when I set up my new iMac. All my applications were installed, like MS Office & Adobe Creative Suite, and I didn't have to re-enter any user registrations, etc. Saved so much time!