MLB2

Q: Downgrading from mountain lion to snow leopard

A few days ago I upgraded from Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion.  Long story short, I hate it and want to go back to Snow Leopard.  I don't even care about getting my $20 back.  I just want my machine the way it was before I installed this disaster.  I tried using Time Machine to restore to a previous date, that doesn't work (can't even click on the "Restore" button - nothing happens when I do).  I tried re-installing from the Snow Leopard install disk.  That doesn't work either.  Is there an easy-ish way to do this?  I don't want to have to back up and then erase my whole hard drive, which is what I'm thinking I may have to do.  Is there a better/easier/faster way?  Is it even possible to use the SL installation disk twice??

iMac (20-inch Early 2008), Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Jul 30, 2012 2:46 PM

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Q: Downgrading from mountain lion to snow leopard

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  • by searchfame,

    searchfame searchfame Feb 21, 2013 9:23 PM in response to MLB2
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    Feb 21, 2013 9:23 PM in response to MLB2
  • by dgandolfo,

    dgandolfo dgandolfo Feb 21, 2013 11:26 PM in response to searchfame
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    Feb 21, 2013 11:26 PM in response to searchfame

    Hi searchfame, thank's very much for your answer !

     

    But maybe I should have added that I own a new Macbookpro (bought 2 months ago) with Lion installed. Do you think your procedure still works with it ? I heard it was impossible to downgrad to Leopard with these very new mac's... I am waiting impatiently for your answer :-)

     

    All the best,

     

    Daniel.

  • by SiRoberto,

    SiRoberto SiRoberto Feb 22, 2013 1:17 AM in response to MLB2
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    Feb 22, 2013 1:17 AM in response to MLB2

    would it be possible to partition your hdd and bee able to boot to lion when needed?

    something like Bootcamp, just with OSX lion and snow leopard

     

    Thanks,

     

    Robert

  • by dgandolfo,

    dgandolfo dgandolfo Feb 22, 2013 6:21 AM in response to SiRoberto
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 22, 2013 6:21 AM in response to SiRoberto

    Well, I guess so but the point is that I don't want Lion at all on my new McbookPro !

    I just want to get rid of Lion and install snow leopard...

     

    It seems that searchfame claims that this is possible, which would be fantastic for me (and many others I think).

     

    With your partitioning proposal, do you think that Leopard can be installed ? If so, then my dilemna is solved...

     

    Have a nice day,

     

    Daniel.

  • by SiRoberto,

    SiRoberto SiRoberto Feb 27, 2013 11:40 PM in response to MLB2
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    Feb 27, 2013 11:40 PM in response to MLB2

    I found this step-by-step on a macrumors forum.

    (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=774096)

    I havent tried it yet, but it should work.

     

    1. First check your existing partition. You want to be sure the drive has enough "empty space" with which to create a _new_ partition to install SL onto.

     

    2. Assuming there is enough space (I would reckon the minimum would be about 30gig, but I have SL running smoothly at the moment on a partition that's only about 17gig!), launch Disk Utility.

     

    3. In DU's left window, click the "topmost" representation of your internal drive.

     

    4. Click "partition". You should get the window with the rectangular depiction of your disk.

     

    5. Choose "2 partitions". DU should now display 2 volumes.

     

    5. Grab the "dividing line" and drag it to size the soon-to-be-created partition to the size you wish. I will _guess_ that DU "reserves" a certain amount of space for the files of the existing (single) partition, plus some "free space" on top of that. In other words, you can't create a new partition that would take up more free space than is currently on your drive.

     

    6. When you have the partition sized where you wish, click "Apply" down below.

     

    7. It will take a few minutes for DU to do its thing. I'm guessing that before DU actually "divides" the drive's directory, it does some adjusting and moving (if necessary) of the files already on the drive. This "cleans up" the physical sectors where the new partition will go.

     

    8. When done, you should now have _two_ volumes that appear on your desktop. One is the "old drive". The other will be the new one, as-yet with no files on it.

     

    9. I'd suggest a "test boot" from the old volume, just to make sure it starts up, that everything looks right to you, etc., before going further.

     

    10. When you're confident the old volume is fine, boot from the Snow Leopard DVD and choose to install to the NEW [empty] volume.

     

    11. When done, you should have TWO bootable volumes - your old one, and the new SL. You can choose which to boot from using the Startup Disk preference pane. Or, even easier - hold down the option key when you start up and keep holding it down until the Startup Manager appears. You'll see what to do!

     

    12. When the time comes that you feel confident you no longer need your old System, you can either do a SL install "over" the old system (on the old partition), or - another way to do it is to be sure that your new SL volume is the way you like it, and "clone it over" to the older partition using SuperDuper.

     

    13. When all is said and done, I'd recommend keeping that second bootable partition around. It's ALWAYS preferable to have a second volume close-at-hand that you can start up from in an emergency!

     

    Hope this helps

     

    Robert

  • by dgandolfo,

    dgandolfo dgandolfo Feb 28, 2013 12:20 AM in response to SiRoberto
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    Feb 28, 2013 12:20 AM in response to SiRoberto

    Hi SiRoberto,

     

    thank's again for your post but the link you provide is from 2009...

     

    More importantly, my question is about running SL on the last MBP retina, this I think is the dilemna many of us encounter today...

     

    It seems Apple has closed the door for this downgrade but some claim it is still possible... If so, how to perform that ? that is the question.

     

    In any case, thank's for the help.

     

    Daniel.

  • by henrygq,

    henrygq henrygq Mar 1, 2013 12:05 PM in response to MLB2
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    Mar 1, 2013 12:05 PM in response to MLB2

    I majorily messed up somehow..

     

    instead of seeing my hard drive, i see "Mac OS X Install DVD"

     

    anyone care to tell me how to get out of this ?

  • by Sohith0410,

    Sohith0410 Sohith0410 Mar 16, 2013 5:33 AM in response to MLB2
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    Mar 16, 2013 5:33 AM in response to MLB2

    Listen, you dont need to use the install disks provided you had backuped before upgrading.

    1. Backup the current version and files

    2. Go to (apple logo) --> Restart

    3. When it shuts down and is opening again press Command+R

    4. Select “Restore from a Time Machine Backup,” and then click Continue.

    5. Select your Time Machine backup disk.

    6. Select the Time Machine backup you want to restore.

    7. Follow the onscreen instructions.

     

    You should backup the current version because it will delete all changes made to the computer after the backup

    ALL THE BEST!!!

  • by Sohith0410,

    Sohith0410 Sohith0410 Mar 16, 2013 5:35 AM in response to dgandolfo
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    Mar 16, 2013 5:35 AM in response to dgandolfo

    its easy.

    Just look for my other post. You can use it to downgrade from ML->SL

    with best wishes,

    sohith0410

  • by Sohith0410,

    Sohith0410 Sohith0410 Mar 16, 2013 5:38 AM in response to Artificia
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    Mar 16, 2013 5:38 AM in response to Artificia

    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11181?viewlocale=en_US

    Go to the above link

    it will tell you what to do

  • by dgandolfo,

    dgandolfo dgandolfo Mar 16, 2013 12:32 PM in response to Sohith0410
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    Mar 16, 2013 12:32 PM in response to Sohith0410

    Well, thank's Sohith410 but I think your posts concern only people wanting to downgrade to SL if the architecture allows it, which is apparently not the case if you have a mac book retina for example... This was the reason of my posts.

     

    Thank's in any case,

     

    Daniel.

  • by Guillermo1414,

    Guillermo1414 Guillermo1414 May 4, 2013 8:02 AM in response to ncwipod
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    May 4, 2013 8:02 AM in response to ncwipod

    It does not worked for me....any other option ?

  • by WOWKEN,

    WOWKEN WOWKEN May 24, 2013 11:58 PM in response to MLB2
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    May 24, 2013 11:58 PM in response to MLB2

    I had ML on my iMac 27 (late 2009) and went about preparing it to sell. Booted with the OS 10.6 disk that came wi my iMac and used DU to delete and install a new partition. When attempting to install SL, I get the warning, OSX Cannot be installed on this computer.  At a loss what to do here.  No matter how many times I re-partition the 1TB drive (That checks out SMART just fine and verified) the same message of failed installation occurs.

  • by Sass,

    Sass Sass Jun 15, 2013 11:06 AM in response to SEUK
    Level 2 (330 points)
    Jun 15, 2013 11:06 AM in response to SEUK

    I remember ResEd well. I surely miss thse days when Apple made an AWESOME OS!

  • by WOWKEN,

    WOWKEN WOWKEN Jun 15, 2013 1:19 PM in response to WOWKEN
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jun 15, 2013 1:19 PM in response to WOWKEN

    Well the solution was a trip to my local Mac Resource shop who could not install SL via the install DVD, so for $125 service charge. The tech simply loaded a SL image file to the iMac that worked like a charm. So I lost $125 from my sale but the simple, effective solution was earned. Hope to save folks here a trip an Apple repair shop who may have this issue.

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