About Mac OS X 10.6.8

As always, a tested and reliable backup is recommended. Other than that, the choice is yours 🙂

Just remember that those 'unusually high numbers' represent the small crowd that comes here to comment...don't take it as any kind of majority...take it for what it's worth...someone else's experience. YMMV.

I always wait at least a week.

If you have a clone of your system (which you should), install it on the clone and give it a good workout. If it passes the test, install it on your primary disk.

Excellent advice from mackjack:

"If you have a clone of your system (which you should), install it on the clone and give it a good workout. If it passes the test, install it on your primary disk."

Sorry, don't quite understand how to quote you.

Oh I'm very careful, have 3 sets of backups, Time Machine and bootable clones plus a spare Test partition.

I have to be very careful with the printer compatibilty problem, impossible to check whether OK or not because my Samsung ML-1610 printer is NOT COMPATIBLE WITH MAC AT ALL (officially) but works fine using a trick picked up on some forum.

More good advice in these discussions: don't rush into it. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I got Kernel Panic, all my audio plugins vanished and Finder can't find anything.

I'd definitely wait!

Read what I wrote here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3138448?tstart=0

Installing an upgrade is not for the faint at heart and should only be done by those who are prepared.

a brody wrote:

Installing an upgrade is not for the faint at heart

Well, I just summon up all my courage, dig down deep for that intestinal fortitude, brace myself and wear a crash helmet...

But really, millions of Mac users have their Macs set to update automatically (by the way this is an update).

They know nothing of the working of their Macs, they launch apps and use them. That is the sum total of their Mac savvy.

I'm not disagreeing with your advice, just saying problems are rare.

IMO the beauty of OS X is that it's built for luddites yet is the choice of experts. 😉

I agree problems are rare, but not so rare we don't hear about them like the end of the world has happened to someone each time someone upgrades. My contention is that if it really was for luddites, we would never see complaints like this on any upgrade. The day an upgrade comes along and has no complaints then I will agree and say it is for luddites. Sometimes experts can be baffled for awhile too, and there will always be someone who gives up and doesn't report back. Some experts will say erase is the best solution, but that is like saying "Whatever I can't see can't hurt me." Then it happens the next time, and eventually the user may recognize the advice was akin to sweeping problems under the rug. No I say, it is time to educate users so their upgrade is as easy as one that is for luddites. Until every user is educated, I don't it can safely be said it is for luddites.

It really depends on how important the data on the computer is. If it's just used for web surfing and games it probably no big deal if something goes wrong. However: http://www.news9.com/story/13833909/computer-stolen-containing-research-to-cure- prostate-cancer?redirected=true

Truly unfortunate, but who would imagine working on something that important with no backup???

Don't forget OS X also ships with Time Machine, a pretty good hint that backups are important 😉

Hi,

This is my idiosyncratic way of upgrading...

First I make sure my Two Backups ( Time Machine and SuperDuper ) are Up to Date...

Then I do a Permissions Repair... Followed by a Restart...

Next I download and Install the Combo Update...

Works for me... 🙂

Cheers,

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399

You may be interested to learn, Apple has released a 10.6.8 only thunderbolt update:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1407

If your machine was released new in 2011, it may fix issues with 10.6.8.