Will 10.6.6 disks originally shipped with a 21" iMac work on any 2011 iMac?

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Will 10.6.6 disks originally shipped with a 21" iMac work on any 2011 iMac?

I'm curious if a 10.6.6 system recovery disk set, originally shipped with a May 2011 21" iMac, will work with a May 2011 27" iMac?

The reason for this question: I recently purchased a May 2011 27" 3.4 Ghz core i7 iMac with the 2Gb Radeon 6970M video card. This imac currently has Lion installed on it. I cannot use Lion because Final Cut Studio 2 does not work with Lion (or so I've heard on many online forums), and I use FCS 2 for work. So, I had planned on downgrading my iMac to Snow Leopard.

I've researched the Lion to Snow Leopard downgrade issue in-depth over the past few days and am getting mixed answers. One says it cant be done, another says it can be done with a retail version of SL, still another says it can be done but the best way to do it would be to find 10.6.6 install/recovery disks and use those (this was the "preferred" way to do it because, they say, the iMac will perform best and fastest if the 10.6.6 disks are used.)

Wanting the best possible speed out of my iMac, I chose to search for 10.6.6 disks. Luckily I found a brand new unopened unused set, but they are for a 21" May 2011 iMac. I understand how one disk may not work with another Mac, in the Apple world, which is why I ask.

Incidently, I did chat online with Apple support earlier, and asked them the same question. I was told that it wouldnt work because the 21" 10.6.6 disks were factory installed to that 21" iMac, and were "one use", meaning they could only ever be installed and used on that one particular iMac and no other, not even another 21" iMac (which seems very strange to me). This discussion is what ultimately lead me here, asking all of you fine folks.

Thanks in advance! 🙂

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.6), Downgrade Lion to Snow Leopard

Posted on Sep 17, 2012 11:10 AM

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Answer 1

Sep 17, 2012 11:49 AM in response to sigkill-9

The disc won't work to downgrade. You may be able to install it on an external drive, however and move your older Final Cut suite to the same drive to use the software.

The option key can change boot drives at startup.

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Answer 2

sigkill-9 Author

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Sep 17, 2012 12:04 PM in response to QuickTimeKirk

Thnaks for your input, much appreciated.

If I install to an external drive, would I still need 10.6.6? Or could I just use the Snow Leopard Retail disk?

I ask because I have the SL retail disk already, and am questioning weather I need to buy the 10.6.6 disks or not.

Edit: One idea I had was to install SL to another partition on the iMac, and dual boot when needed. Still though, I need to know if this would require the 10.6.6 disks, or if it can be done with the SL retail disk.

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Answer 3

WZZZ

Level 6

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Sep 17, 2012 12:10 PM in response to sigkill-9

See Kappy on "How to run Snow Leopard on a new Mac."

Also on putting Snow Leopard on a flash drive

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Answer 4

sigkill-9 Author

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Sep 17, 2012 1:42 PM in response to WZZZ

Those are some GREAT articles! Thanks! 🙂

It sounds like I dont need the specific 10.6.6 disks at all, correct? I dont want to pass up the rare opportunity to buy them, unless I really dont need them.

Can anyone confirm or deny that the 2011 iMac will run much faster if the 10.6.6 disks are used, rather than the retail disk / 10.6.8 combo update method?

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Answer 5

WZZZ

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Sep 17, 2012 8:20 PM in response to sigkill-9

Can anyone confirm or deny that the 2011 iMac will run much faster if the 10.6.6 disks are used, rather than the retail disk / 10.6.8 combo update method?

Faster? Either way you've go an OS, why faster? Who said that? That sounds like pure nonsense.

The Apple rep was probably only speaking in the most strict sense about the license. I know for a fact that the ordinary retail version, which will be 10.6.3, won't work, since the 2011 iMac doesn't have the drivers to run anything earlier than whatever version of Snow would have shipped with it.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159

It can probably run either 10.6.6 or 10.6.7 and up, but I don't think anyone can say with 100% certainty that those 10.6.6 discs will work, though they probably will. But, since they shouldn't be too expensive, why not go ahead and get them. That way, if they do work, you won't have to go to all the trouble involved in Kappy's procedures.

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Answer 6

sigkill-9 Author

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Sep 17, 2012 8:46 PM in response to WZZZ

In response to your question about who said 10.6.6 disks would be faster, here: http://discussions.apple.com/thread/3264421?answerId=17212045022#17212045022 is the article I read, in which someone suggests using the factory discs will result in the iMac running faster (unless I'm misunderstanding what the person is saying?). Either way, it certainly isnt a credible source, but thought I would double check anyway.

Good advice on getting the 10.6.6 disks, thanks.

Earlier today I installed 10.6.8 on a USB flash drive by first installing Snow Leopard Retail on it, then booting from it and installing the 10.6.8 combo update. Do you think this would be sufficient to install SL on the iMac?

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Answer 7

WZZZ

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Sep 17, 2012 9:03 PM in response to sigkill-9

Earlier today I installed 10.6.8 on a USB flash drive by first installing Snow Leopard Retail on it, then booting from it and installing the 10.6.8 combo update. Do you think this would be sufficient to install SL on the iMac?

As far as I know that should work. There was some small doubt - never confirmed one way or the other - about whether Apple had installed some firmware revision in those Macs that might prevent booting to Snow. I'd like to know how this turns out for you.

I looked at that link. I think the speed issue, at least on the page (and if I'm not missing something) that brought me to, was that Lion was slower than Snow, not 10.6.6 vs. something else 10.6.x

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Answer 8

steve359

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Sep 17, 2012 9:02 PM in response to WZZZ

I (vaguely) recall another senior poster saying that iMacs ar the last holdouts of EFI upgrades, thus allowing SL to still run.

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Answer 9

sigkill-9 Author

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Sep 17, 2012 9:24 PM in response to WZZZ

I've heard about the firmware revision issue as well. I'm hoping that since my iMac is a mid 2011 and not a late 2011 version, I might have escaped the firmware issue. I guess I'll find out.

Regarding the speed issue, I guess I just misunderstood what the poster was trying to say. Thanks for clarifying 🙂

I bought the 10.6.6 disks just-in-case. If it turns out that I dont need them, I can always re-sell them I guess.

I dont get my iMac until early next week (just wanted to be prepared), but I'll definately let you know how this turns out.

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Answer 10

Sep 18, 2012 7:02 AM in response to sigkill-9

Well, May 2011 21.5" and 27" both shipped with the same version of Snow Leopard, BUT some of the later ones in that mid-2011 cycle shipped with 10.6.7.

The build nos. are - 10.6.6 build 10J4026, 10.6.7 build 10J4139.

However, the Apple Hardware Test versions are different.

In which case, the seller should transfer the original dscs with the Mac you're getting (this is a condition of the licence)

Either way, the 10.6.6 should work provided yours originally shipped with 10.6.6. If it shipped with 10.6.7, it won't.

You will, however be violating the licence terms (as is the seller of the discs).

Message was edited by: noondaywitch

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Answer 11

WZZZ

Level 6

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Sep 18, 2012 7:19 AM in response to noondaywitch

Maybe I'm not reading the chart correctly, but what do you make of this? Looks like there would be 10.6.6 drivers on all of these builds, even though it may have shipped with a later point version or OS.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159

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Answer 12

Sep 18, 2012 10:19 AM in response to WZZZ

Using MacTracker, WZZZ. Thanks for the link - for some reason mine just takes me to the store (same for G series ones).

Makes sense for Lion to be on the last models, and would account for the lack of discs (if that is the case) with the one the OP is acquiring.

Of course, if it did ship with Lion, the likelihood is that the only compatible SL version would be 10.6.7

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Answer 13

sigkill-9 Author

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Sep 18, 2012 10:40 AM in response to WZZZ

The seller stated in his eBay ad that Lion was installed on the iMac and that he didn't have any disks for it because it didn't ship with any.

Regardless which version originally shipped with it, wouldn't 10.6.8 also be compatible?

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Answer 14

WZZZ

Level 6

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Sep 18, 2012 10:44 AM in response to sigkill-9

Yes, according to that chart -- and if Apple didn't do something nasty with the firmware, which they probably didn't. But you'll have to find out for sure. I guess some nail biting until it arrives.

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Answer 15

sigkill-9 Author

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Sep 18, 2012 7:37 PM in response to WZZZ

I was given the iMac model number today, by the seller. It's a Z0M7, if that helps.

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