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Level 1

10 points

Can I go back to OSX 10.5? Snow Leopard is just too buggy to use.

*Is there a way to go back to 10.5 without a clean install?*

The reason I went to Snow Leopard was the claim of 80% reduction in initial Time Machine backup, having bought a new Time Capsule (old one having failed) it took all weekend to backup with lots of failures and false starts. (for about 100Gb of info - even on Firewire 800 it took 14hrs to a LaCie drive)
Now I seem to have endless crashes - it seems ironically especially with Mac's own software, I can't save a pages document without crashing, Grab crashes, numbers crashes, safari crashes, files take an eternity to open if they open at all. I just spend hours looking at the beach ball. It also crashes the whole system and I just get the pointer on a black screen - can't use force quit, only a hard reboot brings it back to life.

It really wasn't a good idea installing Snow Leopard. Maybe in a few months when they have sorted it out, but in the meantime, does anyone know if I can revert to OSX 10.5 without doing a clean install? No, I didn't have a recent time machine backup - because the first Time Capsule I bought failed after about 14 months!

macbook pro 17, Mac OS X (10.6)

Posted on Sep 2, 2009 3:56 PM

Best reply

William Lloyd

Level 7

21,311 points

Posted on Sep 2, 2009 3:59 PM

Archive & Install is the closest you'll be able to get, and IMO it's risky. I think a clean install is the best bet.

That said, Snow Leopard really is not "too buggy to use" for many of us. I have none of the issues you are seeing around endless crashes. It's not typical of the OS; there is something odd with your setup, and it may be worth a little tinkering to try and find out what the cause is.

View in context

86 replies

Sep 3, 2009 7:04 AM in response to SdeS

As I mentioned in a previous post, the first thing I try is to create a brand new user account and see if you encounter the same problems.

Matt

a brody

Level 10

82,991 points

Sep 3, 2009 7:06 AM in response to William Lloyd

There is no such thing as a clean install.
There are erase and installs. See this user tip:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=607614
Albeit I would say it is obvious what you are saying in the thread. Using the proper terminology is important when it isn't though.

direwolf8

Level 4

1,280 points

Sep 3, 2009 7:10 AM in response to Little Whale

Since you obviously have some inside information, please share with us -- what's the kernel problem that didn't show up in testing? I haven't heard anything about it on any of the mac news/rumors sites.

Sep 3, 2009 7:10 AM in response to BBBBllll

The new version of Quicktime, which I depend on for certain video editing chores, has been robbed of its most essential functionality for the sake of making it glitzy.

That's not really the reason for the changes to the QuickTime app, but that's beside the point.

The previous version of QuickTIme (versions 7) is available as an optional install on the SL DVD. For QuickTime Pro users, QuickTime 7 is automatically installed in your Utilities folder.

Matt

SdeS Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 3, 2009 7:11 AM in response to a brody

many thanks! I will erase and install, I've never seen a 'kernel panic' listed as my problem either, just a lot of blacked out screens with just the arrow on them that I can't get anything to work on - I'm calling those things system crashes, but I guess that is not correct either. What should that be called?

a brody

Level 10

82,991 points

Sep 3, 2009 7:13 AM in response to direwolf8

I doubt they have "insider" information. If they do, they are under a nondisclosure agreement, and such a post would be a violation of it. I've reported it.

Sep 3, 2009 7:17 AM in response to Little Whale

I have installed 10.6 on two MacBook Pro's and a Mac Mini without any issue what so ever. Here's how I do it.

Backup anything you want to keep
Unplug any USB/Firewire devices (except keyboard and mouse)
Boot from SL CD
Run Disk Utility
Verify/Repair HDD
Verify/Repair Permissions
Install OS X 10.6

I've used this process for all Mac OS X installs and I have NEVER had an issue with ANY of them. You might try this and see if it makes a difference. It should (but won't) go without saying that you should backup anything that you want to keep. I've never lost any information doing an OS X update, but you want to be sure.

Peace

SdeS Author

Level 1

10 points

Sep 3, 2009 7:39 AM in response to James Schnoor

Thanks for that.

I assume then that you would never use 'migration assistant' or time machine to install applications and that you have to reinstall all of them at each decimal point of the OSX path - is that correct?

A right pain, but worth it if you have truely had no issues with any of them - assuming you have been using them of course 😉

What are you using? strangely, it seems that the 'basic' apps are the ones that have suffered most with mine - Photoshop CS4 seems to be fine, aperture seems fine, iPhoto crashes, pages crashes, grab crashes (even gets listed by its French name now in spotlight when I search on 'Grab') numbers crashes, mail crashed once only (Word + Excel 08 don't)

Sep 3, 2009 7:52 AM in response to SdeS

Sorry. I should have specified that I use archive and install. Then I have no need to reinstall my apps. However, I do check for updates on all my apps after I do an upgrade just to make sure.

I'm using Adobe pro suite CS4, Office 2008, and many other applications.

I'm sure I'll run into a few here and there at some point that have issues but they should be far and few.However, I try to keep with all the updates of my software as much as possible (and still have a life). 🙂

I hope this helps some.

Peace,
Iggy

Sep 3, 2009 9:02 AM in response to James Schnoor

I'm having similar problems. Safari crashes several times a day for me. I've even had a kernel panic while using Safari. However, I have not seen a lot of instability across the board although I haven't run a lot of tests yet.

I'm not pessimistic about Apple releasing a patch. I had a host of problems with the earliest versions of Leopard, but everything settled down after some patching. I'm going to just hang in there with this version.

Firefox seems very stable and I don't see it as a huge burden to switch over temporarily (or permanently if I get won over).

I am disappointed that my Canon MX860 printer was listed as being compatible by the Apple Snow Leopard here ( http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669#canon ), but I find out it only sorta compatible.

However, this really is par for the course with major upgrades. There are going to be some unusual problems. If those problems are in a small percentage of cases, the upgrade is relatively smooth. So far, it seems that I'm in a small unlucky group, and I believe Apple will address these problems as soon as they figure them out.

Sep 3, 2009 9:15 AM in response to SdeS

Interesting. I just found out that Snow Leopard actually installs an older version of Flash opening up the system to security holes that have been fixed in the latest version ( http://www.macrumors.com/2009/09/03/snow-leopard-installation-downgrades-flash-p layer-to-vulnerable-version/).

I wonder if this has anything to do with my Safari crashes. I verified I had the older Flash, updated the the latest version, and now I have to live with it a bit to see how it behaves. Even if it is not the cause of the problem, this is something that needed fixing.

Andy Katz

Level 2

200 points

Sep 3, 2009 9:24 AM in response to Macishman

Thanks, I just upgraded my Adobe Flash player. Maybe Safari wont crash 3 times a day now!?

I'm expecting software updates - I can't remember the last time the Apple forums were buzzing with problems like this.

Apollo8

Level 1

8 points

Sep 3, 2009 9:24 AM in response to SdeS

I am getting constant hangs and crashes in Safari since updating to Snow Leopard. It consistently produces the same crashes in Firefox. The Gizmodo site is a great place to crash... click in to a link on one of the stories...when you click back to go into the main Gizmodo page...hangs and crashes occur so regularly that I can't use the site. Many crashes on other sites sideline use of the internet on this OS. I have to use my Windows PC at work to Browse. How is it that Apple is willing to release such obviously buggy software that affects core applications. Is there management pressure to meet deadlines no matter what the cost to consumers? Very dissappointing and my trust of Apple as a company who cares about quality, with this, and other recent experiences is entirely lost( the disaster that is MobileMe, the iMovie downgrade, multiple defective iPods being only some examples of these).

Sep 3, 2009 9:34 AM in response to SdeS

I installed Snow Leopard on two desktops and no issues, I was dreaming when I expected the same on my Mac Book, a complete disaster, DONT DO the upgrade, am now trying clean install, when querying a top man from Apple direct, the answer I got, : "User Problem" when do they learn to own up?, will post again to show progress of my clean install. but so far, am not happy, load of baloney about seamless. I had all my calendars duplicated, lost 30 GB of space, machine slowed down to a crawl, and really no major 3rd party softwares except the usual.
while I am trying everything possible to get SL to work on mac book am staying with the working and trusted 10.5.

Sep 3, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Apollo8

I have no problem with doing exactly what you did from Firefox or Safari.Therefore I don't see how you can claim "such obviously buggy software" when it's not happening to everyone. If was happening to everyone then MAYBE you could say that.

Instead of making generalized statements maybe we should consider how to help you with this.

Check for Firefox updates
Try updating Java and such
Do the normal clean cache files, cookies, history, etc...

Let's see what we can do at that point to get you running.

Peace,
Iggy

Can I go back to OSX 10.5? Snow Leopard is just too buggy to use.