iMac came w/Lion pre-installed. Can't install FCP7. Snow Leopard?

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iMac came w/Lion pre-installed. Can't install FCP7. Snow Leopard?

Title says most of it, but my iMac just came in today but with Lion installed. Now I can't install Final Cut Pro 7, because Lion doesn't support the installer.

I do have a copy of Snow Leopard (which would let me install FCP), but I've been told I can't wipe Lion from my new iMac and install Snow Leopard because of a 64-bit kernel issue or something.

Apparently trying to install Snow Leopard on this new iMac would cause it to crash half way through.

Am I just hooped here? Apple really has not handled Final Cut users very well with this transition.

Posted on Aug 9, 2011 3:03 PM

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Answer 1

Aug 9, 2011 3:14 PM in response to sd05

Select the appropriate community here > https://discussions.apple.com/community

Try posting in that forum for feedback also.

Not sure if this applies to Lion but read here > Don't install a version of Mac OS X earlier than what came with your Mac

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Answer 2

dwb

Level 7

32,920 points

Aug 9, 2011 3:12 PM in response to sd05

If a computer model previously shipped with Snow Leopard but is now shipping with Lion it should be possible to run SL on it. IOW the newest iMac models should be able to run SL. But the new MacBook Airs and minis never shipped with Snow Leopard, they began shipping with Lion so SL is almost certainly not an option for them. I say should because I've not tried it with these models but I have twice bought new Macs right at the OS switch and successfully reverted to the older OS. However, I made sure that I had a bootable backup before I tried it.

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Answer 3

Aug 9, 2011 3:33 PM in response to sd05

I know that Lion does support FCP7 because I have it installed and working.

I am on an older Mac Mini (late 2009) not a new iMac.

As the Mac Mini was running pretty much stock Snow Leopard, I wrote Lion to a DVD, booted it, then proceeded to erase the HD and do a completely clean install of Lion. This was about two weeks ago the day after Lion was released to the app store. Although I've had to update or replace a number of my apps, the FCP7 installer ran without problems and I've run several of the apps already for DVD mastering.

At this point, with some replacements and some updates, I've got almost 90 of my apps tested and working on Lion. All the functionality I had in Leopard and Snow Leopard, I now have in Lion. Other than some Home Folder problems, I'm totally happy so far with Lion.

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Answer 4

Aug 9, 2011 3:46 PM in response to sd05

You may wish to use an external hard disk to install Snow Leopard as a boot disk.

Then you can use all your installed software as before.

You would be doing the opposite to me.

I'm running Lion from a boot disk till I'm ready to install on my main hard disk, and Snow Leopard is on my computer hard disk.

Final Cut Pro X is the new version and runs OK on Lion.

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Answer 5

Aug 9, 2011 4:14 PM in response to sd05

The installer should work, but when you say FCP 7, do you mean FCS3? If so, during the install, deselect the extra content and just try to install the base product (s). It could be your media is scratched or there is some other problem with the actual data. If that works, then you know you have a problem with the media itself (common).

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Answer 6

Dec 22, 2011 12:48 AM in response to sd05

Hello..Interested to hear how you went. I have the same problem..new imac.lion and FCP7 won't install??

Thanks

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Answer 7

Jan 16, 2012 2:37 PM in response to kaya papaya

I needed SL for Office and Photoshop. The Reseller who sold me this Core i5 iMac wiped the HD (with Lion) and did a full clean install of SL for me. But, the install disk must be at least 10.6.6 - anything earlier won't install apparently.

I imagine this scenario will be possible until they release a new range of iMacs. But for now, the models released in May 2011 WILL run SL quite happily.

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