Can't update to OSX 10.6.1

No clone? You have two choices: clean install and archive and install. Be sure and make a bootable clone of your Sno install at this point to provide a data backup and a fail safe mechanism.

I am going to assume you would have no problem doing an erase and install. Post back if otherwise.

Archive and install is a good play for now—assuming that you are not ready to do an erase and install. Note that Apple doesn't recommend going backwards this far (i.e., going back beyond the current major version, say, 10.6.2.x back to 10.6.1.x) via Archive and Install. But, regardless it is a way to get back to Leo and to pave the way for an erase and install of Leo in the future assuming your archive and install fails to produce an acceptable installation. Note that if you go backwards, then you will not be able to preserve user and network settings--which is a good thing. Fortunately, there is a way to extract anything needed from a prior user home folder. [Here is the explanation|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2196]. Even though you don't want Sno any more, it would be nice to have a bootable clone of your Sno installation on an external for safety purposes--as mentioned above. Also, I would repair disk and permissions before archiving and installing and unplug all peripherals during installation except your internet connection.

You are very welcome. Post back, or, better yet, start a new thread if you want to go back to Leo.

Memoire wrote:
It seems there are quite a few people that are having trouble with Snow running slow.

Keep in mind that this is not normal; for everyone I know & for myself Snow Leopard offers a faster user experience than with Leopard, although not always dramatically. There is likely some reason your Mac has slowed down that is not directly related to the update, other than software not fully compatible with it installed & running on your Mac (login & Startup items, mostly).

Another cause is defective or substandard hardware, particularly memory. Running the Apple Hardware Test can sometimes reveal such things.

Above all, remember that "after this; therefore, because of this" is not a reliable diagnostic technique; it is actually a common logical fallacy to assume it is sufficient to identify cause.

In this case prior to installing Snow my Macbook was faster than my iBook. Now it's the other way around; the iBook with Leopard is now faster. When I complained to friends they told me they had the same trouble, a friend in NY told me he had the same issues.

Consider that "same issue" does not necessarily mean "same cause" (or sometimes even that the issues are really the same, only superficially similar).

In any event, it is true that what you are experiencing is not normal for a MacBook upgraded to Snow Leopard & it is extremely unlikely that the OS itself is the cause of the problem. You may find that the Apple Hardware Test reveals something helpful, or even that just installing the OS again fixes it. Also look in /Library/StartupItems & in /System/Library/StartupItems -- by default, these should contain no items. For now, avoid any "system enhancers" or anything similar that changes or augments the user interface & any third party "helper" apps or plugins for apps you regularly use. Make sure all non-Apple software is as up to date as possible -- many times seemingly unrelated problems are caused by out-of-date software.

I realize it is frustrating when an upgrade goes wrong, but a systematic elimination of possible causes usually reveals the actual one & an effective fix for it.

I mentioned archive and install, and you wouldn't lose anything. But I now feel confident in saying that a better approach is for you to start by bootably cloning your Sno install on an external drive. The clone will be your backup and your fail-safe device.

After doing so, install Leo on your internal drive via erase and install. Then, you can restore at least your data and your apps from the clone at the end of your Leo install. Under the circumstances, I would not restore your users and settings from the clone.

I would use the same user name, password, and other such install-related data as currently is used on you Sno install. If you connect to the internet via Ethernet, then leave your Ethernet cable attached during your install. But, disconnect all peripherals during the install being prepared to plug in your cloned external toward the end of the install--when asked if you want to restore from various sources. As mentioned, you would restore from your clone.

You are very welcome. You can use Disk Utility to make the clone (also SuperDuper and Carbon Copy Cloner). I have to leave right now but, I will get back to you in some hours. Sorry I must go now. Search and you can find info on cloning OS X bootably. Something small might be causing your problems. When I get back, I will read the whole thread again.

Message was edited by: donv (The Ghost)

may the ghostman forgive me for barging in ...

before doing anything do what donv said: make a bootable clone of your internal drive.

first repair permissions on the internal using DU !

get http://www.bombich.com/software/download_ccc.php *carbon copy cloner* (it's free). it's intuitive user interface will make it easy for you to clone your internal to an external drive. now, i recommend you go get a firewire (400 or +even better+ 800) about double the size of your internal. set this up as necessary (GUIDE etc.). make sure the +ignore ownership+ is unchecked on your external HD before you start the cloning process !! you do this by +control clicking+ on the external HDs icon in finder and +choose get info+. at the bottom is a check box. you may need to use your admin PW to "unlock" the option to +ignore ownership+.

next, if you will, use this guide by Kappy to completely wipe your internal HD

+Extended Hard Drive Preparation+

+1. Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.+

+2. After DU loads select your hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.+

+3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID (for Intel Macs) or APM (for PPC Macs) then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.+

+4. Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.+

+5. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.+

+6. Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to several hours depending upon the drive size.+

this should give you a +mint condition+ drive

you will have do above by starting up from the SL install disk and run disk utility from there. next, quit DU and resume with installation.

now, many people will recommend NOT to have any periphery "present" during a major OS install/upgrade. from my own experiences, it don't matter. however, your milage may vary from model to model. personally, i only use +la cie+ or iomega drives and they all work *a okay*. anyway, i say: connect your external HD (with the clone on) before your start up from the SL disk because ... once the installation is done, you will be given the option to migrate all you settings/apps/docs etc. from "another" disk. you just select your external HD with your fresh clone and before you know you're on your SL desktop as if nothing happened.

well, good luck to you and, *mr ghostman sir*, be gentle with me (for barging in)

Message was edited by: Jolly Giant

Here is a possible fix for the can't install problem.

Go to ~/Library/preferences/ByHost/ and delete all com.apple.HIToolbox files.
Restart your Mac.
Go to your user account preference pane.
Unlock the lock
Type your password.
Lock the lock.
Try installing whatever you are having the problem with again.

Even if this possible fix works, it might be a good idea to use the clone approach I mentioned before. Use this approach if you are not really satisfied with your system even if you gain the ability to install. The Jolly Giant has given you some good info to supplement what I said earlier.

To use Disk Utility (DU) to Clone, start DU and chose restore. You will restore from your internal drive volume (not the drive). Just drag the icon of your internal volume, from the left, to the Source line. Find your external on the left and drag its icon to the destination line. Choose to erase the destination or not. And, click restore. You should be done in, say, an hour--more or less. If you like the idea of having a clone, then get either SuperDuper (what I use) or Carbon Copy Cloner (what the Jolly Green Giant uses). These programs have useful options that DU doesn't have.

Then, you can do your erase and install of Sno on your internal. Reiterating what I said before and adding some in {}'s:

After ... {cloning}, install Leo on your internal drive via erase and install. Then, you can restore at least your data and your apps from the clone at the end of your Leo install. Under the circumstances, I would not restore your users and settings from the clone. {Your partition should be fine--GUID--as you checked it before.}

I would use the same user name, password, and other such install-related data as currently is used on you Sno install {when doing your erase and install}. If you connect to the internet via Ethernet, then leave your Ethernet cable attached during your install.

But, disconnect all peripherals during the install being prepared to plug in your cloned external toward the end of the install--when asked if you want to restore from various sources. As mentioned, you would restore from your clone. {I know that not disconnecting peripherals, particularly external drives, often is not a problem, but I would disconnect them. The last thing you would want is to erase and install and, at the same time, lose the ability to access your clone. You might want to repair permissions after your install is done.}