David Tomer

Q: Clean install Mavericks on partition

I have searched and read several discussions related to this, but am still uncertain about just what I can and cannot do.  I consider myself an experienced, knowledgeable but casual Mac user.

 

I have 10.6.8 on my IMac late 2009, so am able to upgrade to Mavericks.  I have held off ever since it was released because "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".  But now that I have an iPad, I think I need to move up.  But many upgrade horror stories have kept me from doing it.  Comments appreciated on the following:

 

I have a 500GB hard drive that has 363GB free.  There are 2 partitions.  One is my working 10.6.8 @ 450GB.  The other is a stripped-down copy of 10.6.8 @ 50GB that I intended to keep should I need to run something that requires Rosetta.  Then I had the brainstorm, which I see has occurred to others: CLEAN INSTALL Mavericks on a new partition [I know how to use Disk Utility to do reduce the 450GB and define a third partition] and leave my working 10.6.8 as is [and delete the copy of 10.6.8 as it would be no longer necessary].  I think I know the answer that, yes, this can be done.  And that, in fact, a clean install is preferable.

 

If I do the clean install, will Mavericks ask me if I want to transfer my data files, settings, mail, prefs, etc. from the working 10.6.8, and will I be able to point it to that system to find and transfer?  Or will I be faced with manually finding and moving all that stuff?

 

What about the apps?  Same story?

 

What about the PowerPC and Classic [yes, I still have some sitting there] apps?  Will Mavericks ignore them rather than move them?

 

Several posts suggested using an external HD instead of a new partition for doing something like this.  I don't understand why.

 

Many thanks in advance.

iMac 21.5, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on May 3, 2014 10:47 AM

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Q: Clean install Mavericks on partition

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  • by MlchaelLAX,

    MlchaelLAX MlchaelLAX May 5, 2014 11:10 AM in response to a brody
    Level 4 (2,256 points)
    May 5, 2014 11:10 AM in response to a brody

    a brody wrote:

     

    As long as they are aware that those copies are theirs only to keep if they already own the originals.

     

    "As long as they are aware that those copies (the extracted Mac ROM) are theirs only to keep (for use in SheepShaver, like playing in iDevices) if they already own the originals (the original Classic Mac).

     

    I think we are finally in agreement!

     

    I don't think the OP asked anything about mountain climbing or grandmothers without criminal intent!

  • by David Tomer,

    David Tomer David Tomer May 5, 2014 6:58 PM in response to MlchaelLAX
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 5, 2014 6:58 PM in response to MlchaelLAX

    The OP DID get lost in this discussion a bit ago.    Recall my original comment:

    I consider myself an experienced, knowledgeable but casual Mac user.

    In any event, let me see if I can get myself back in.  I DON'T CARE about my Classic and PowerPC apps running under Mavericks.  I just want to be able to run the PowerPC apps under Rosetta by keeping a stripped down Snow Leopard system with the PPC apps on a small partition on my iMac HD that I can boot under when/if necessary. 

     

    I checked my Classic apps that I still have on the machine, and I think they are all obsolete and merely not deleted long ago as they should have been.  Mount iDisk, ABBYY FineReader 5 SprintE [Epson], Equation Editor [Appleworks] - all vintage turn-of-the-century !  In any case, I don't care about these.

     

    I mentioned those apps only to convey that I would like the Mavericks upgrade to ID and "remove" them.  In reading some of the links, it appears Mavericks installer does "segregate" them.

     

    So after reading [and recall I have TM and SuperDuper backups], it appears to me that I can:

    Leave my stripped down [pics, songs, etc removed] Snow Leopard [with Rosetta] on a partition of my iMac HD;

    Upgrade the regular Snow Leopard partition on my iMac HD to Mavericks in the normal way;

    And I'll be good to go, with Mavericks and stripped-down Snow Leopard on iMac HD partitions,  still having the now-obsolete regular Snow Leopard backed up on Super Duper and TM, so still available just-in-case.

     

    Did I get this right?

  • by MlchaelLAX,Solvedanswer

    MlchaelLAX MlchaelLAX May 5, 2014 8:53 PM in response to David Tomer
    Level 4 (2,256 points)
    May 5, 2014 8:53 PM in response to David Tomer

    I agree!

     

    While in Mavericks, set up iCloud and sync to the iPad.

     

    Primarily use Snow Leopard for most of your "casual" Mac computing.

     

    Experiment with your usual computer while in Mavericks and see it works.

  • by David Tomer,

    David Tomer David Tomer May 10, 2014 6:18 PM in response to MlchaelLAX
    Level 1 (0 points)
    May 10, 2014 6:18 PM in response to MlchaelLAX

    I think I know my direction.  Thanks to those that contributed their comments.

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root May 11, 2014 2:18 PM in response to David Tomer
    Level 9 (73,376 points)
    iTunes
    May 11, 2014 2:18 PM in response to David Tomer

    If you want, you can share Mail, Calendars, and Contacts in iCloud running Snow Leopard. Based on my experience, I don't recommend syncing Contacts - created a lot of problems with duplicates.


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