We've just go a new imac with lion loaded. We installed CS5, Quark and some other sofwares on it. Now we found out that the station is not quite stable.
I know... I didn't do my home work to see all the software compabilities. My question is: Can I install SL on a external FW800 and then do the migration from lion without having to deactived all the existing software. I consider this a short cut, but at list for now.
Thanks
Only if you use Snow Leopard on another machine. Macs can only run the operating system they shipped with and newer operating systems up to the point where the Mac's hardware can't handle it anymore.
That said the following formats may need these exports before any migration can take place:
1. Mail, copy all items to folders in IMAP accounts. POP accounts may not transfer correctly, or any other non-server account.
2. Addressbook, export to vCard. That's a universal format all Apple Addressbook programs handle.
3. iCal can be imported to Google Calendar. Then Google Calendar can share with any version of iCal.
Note, I've not done any of these backward transfers, except I know what is universally understood. You may want to check each application that is misbehaving, and see if workarounds have been found on this page:
http://roaringapps.com/apps:table
Thanks Brody. When you say "Macs can only run the operating system they shipped", does that mean if I have a retail copy of Snow Leopard I won't be able to run on it if I need to?
Thanks again
That's correct. The retail Snow Leopard will only run on Macs older than March 1, 2010 if it is the retail 10.6.3. If it is retail 10.6.0 only on Macs older than August 28, 2009. In both cases it will also run only on Macs with an Intel CPU, and 1 GB of RAM, and 9 GB of free hard disk space. Arbitrarily an additional 15% of the hard disk needs to be free too.
Gosh, Looks like we're a stucked with lion with this new station at work.
I was thinking that I could leave lion alone on the main drive and boot from snow leopard from the external FW drive.
Thanks again for your help
You can always sell the Lion machine, and buy a used or refurbished one that is able to run Snow Leopard & Lion*:
http://www.macmaps.com/usedrefurbished.html
http://www.macmaps.com/upgradefaq.html
The reason you can't run older system software than what came with your Mac is that the old software doesn't have the hardware drivers for the new Mac's components.
The iMac model that is currently being sold is the "Mid 2011" model, and according to this support page, your iMac may still be hardware-compatible with Snow Leopard. When first introduced that iMac model shipped with Snow Leopard 10.6.6, then it shipped with Snow Leopard 10.6,7, and is now shipping with Lion 10.7:
It is reasonably likely that the hardware itself has not yet changed, and if so, then I think you may still be able to run Snow Leopard. However you will need an appropriate Snow Leopard install disc. The last Snow Leopard retail disc was OS X 10.6.3, and this will very likely refuse to install when it detects a machine that can only run on SL 10.6.6 or later. Instead, I would call Apple, explain the situation, and see if they will send you a replacement set of the grey-labeled machine-specific Snow Leopard install discs that came with iMacs such as yours before they started shipping with Lion.
If you do mange to get Snow Leopard installed on an external drive in this fashion, you probably would not be able to use its Migration Assistant to transfer stuff to it from the newer Lion volume. I think you'd have to either transfer stuff manually and re-install your apps, or else migrate from a prior Snow Leopard backup.
You guys are awsome.
I'm not at work now so I can't check the build #. We got it three weeks ago and it's the imac 27" 3.4GHZ I7,
HD 6970M 2GB and 4GB ram.
I'm going to try to call apple Monday. If I can't get it to work, I'll have to wait until all the sofware i need (printing EPP dept) to release their updates for lion and lion itself to become a bit more stable (server connection delay).
for now i can still use my old G5.
I have no problems with my macs at home, they're all running great, and I can boot in SL or Lion but it's a mac pro.
Thanks again and I'll come back with the final results
I'm not at work now so I can't check the build #.
The "build" refers to the OS version, not the hardware. According to the support article above, new Mac Pros and MacBook Pros are also currently shipping with Lion 10.7, build 11A511A. When the next Lion software update is released and installed, the build you see on your machine will change.
it's the imac 27" 3.4GHZ I7, HD 6970M 2GB and 4GB ram.
That's the machine described here, and the description on that page includes this line, in agreement with the Apple support page linked to earlier:
So it looks encouraging, provided you can get the earlier Snow Leopard install discs for it.
Thanks jsd2,
Called Apple and they first said I coul not install SL, a day latter and I received a call from the manager saying that I had gotten the wrong information, so yes, I can install SL. They sending me the grey disk free of charge.
I'm going to install SL in one partion and work off that for while. I don't think I can do the migration from lion to SL, so I guess I'll have to deactived CS5 and all the other programs from Lion in order to run them in SL.
Thanks again for your precious time and help.
Best Regards
Sorry but I should have tagged the replies from jsd2 as the corrected answers.
Thanks
Has anybody tried to clone a fresh installed SL (I use Chronosync for such jobs) from a external HD to the new machine? This would possibly bypass any problems. I am following this thread (I have one with a similar question that linked to this one. It is: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3294652?answerId=16044539022#16044539022) as I am about to get a new MBP and want to stay with SL for now.
Thanks
Thanks Marcos,
I called Apple and I asked for the grey install disk of Snow Leopard for my new 3.1ghz iMac (bought December 20th).
The agent first said it was impossible to install Snow Leopard on my iMac with Lion.
But then, he verified with a manager and come back to me and said it was possible for my imac.
He send me the 2 disc (system and software) for $30.
I boot from the install disc with no problems, made a partition for Snow Leopard and install it.
And it is working good now.
Transfering software back to SL
