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Snow Leopard install disk question.

Hello OSX community!


To install OSX10.6 on a 2010 MacBookPro, must I use a MacBook specific install disk? (I misplaced the original disk). I do have a clean Apple OSX10.6.3 disk -is that OK? Or are there necessaryMacBook specific files that are missing from that disk?

Also - are updates to 10.6.8 still available?


Thank you!

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Mar 28, 2014 5:23 AM

Reply
18 replies

Mar 28, 2014 5:41 AM in response to omaticnyc

There are OEM discs and retail discs.

OEM discs are machine (hardware) specific and they're grey. (notice this one is for iMac)

User uploaded file

OEM discs will either be white or they'll have a picture of the OS "cat" on them.

User uploaded file


Retail discs can be installed on any machine that meets the system rquirements for the OS.

You can update to 10.6.8 here: http://support.apple.com/kb/dl1399

Mar 28, 2014 7:06 AM in response to omaticnyc

You have to tell your season or time frame of 2010 the MacBook Pro was manufactured, or Model Identifier.

Use the serial number search here to find that out:


https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6413


MacBook Pro Mid-2010 and later must use the prebundled 10.6 installer disk.

MacBook Pro 6,x and later must use the prebundled 10.6 installer disk.


Older ones may use the 10.6 retail disc.

Call AppleCare if your model is too new for the retail disc, as they will give you your system specific disk.

Mar 28, 2014 9:56 AM in response to a brody

Thanks to both of you for taking the time to help me with this!

I'm thinking that - rather than wait for Apple to send me a new 10.6.8 install disk - I'll make an appointment with a "Genius" at an Apple store instead. I live in New York City, so that's easy for me. And I think that they'll be able to install OSX on the MacBook's replacement hard drive. I can boot the new HD from an external HD I have and format the disk...


But I'm also thinking that it may make sense to use this opportunity to upgrade to Mavericks, since it's downloadable and free. Which leads to a new question - if I boot from OSX 10.6.8 on an external HD, will I be able to download and install Mavericks onto the MacBook? I'm not sure what the proper protocol is here, so I'm going to post that as a new question.


Cheers!

Mar 28, 2014 10:35 AM in response to a brody

a brody wrote:


You have to tell your season or time frame of 2010 the MacBook Pro was manufactured, or Model Identifier.

I am not sure why you continue to beat the drum that some 2010 MacBook Pros cannot use the retail Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.3 Install DVD.


The "higher" version of Snow Leopard (i.e., 10.6.6) required by some model Macs (that will not boot from the retail 10.6.3) were not introduced until the 2011 model year.

Mar 28, 2014 10:25 AM in response to omaticnyc

omaticnyc wrote:


Which leads to a new question - if I boot from OSX 10.6.8 on an external HD, will I be able to download and install Mavericks onto the MacBook?

BE SURE to keep your existing OS X environment intact! Do NOT install Mavericks over it. You can install Snow Leopard over it with few, if any, problems.


Use a separate partition or external hard drive to install Mavericks and you will save yourself hours and hours of grief!

Mar 28, 2014 11:37 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

With all releases prior when there was a hardware revision after the retail release, Apple released system specific discs for those machines. http://www.everymac.com/ shows that the MacBook Pro mid-2010 model was released after April 1, 2010 on

Introduction Date: April 13, 2010

And we have this:


From Wikipedia:

Version Build[72] Date OS name Notes Download
10.6 10A432 August 28, 2009 Darwin 10.0 Original retail DVD release N/A
10A433 Server edition; Original retail DVD release
10.6.1 10B504 September 10, 2009 Darwin 10.1 About the Mac OS X v10.6.1 Update Mac OS X v10.6.1 Update
10.6.2 10C540 November 9, 2009 Darwin 10.2 About the Mac OS X v10.6.2 Update Mac OS X v10.6.2 Update
10.6.3 10D573 March 29, 2010 Darwin 10.3 About the Mac OS X v10.6.3 Update Mac OS X v10.6.3 Update
10D575 April 1, 2010 Second retail DVD release N/A
10D578 April 13, 2010 About the Mac OS X v10.6.3 Update; v1.1 Mac OS X v10.6.3 v1.1 Update (Combo)
10.6.4 10F569 June 15, 2010 Darwin 10.4 About the Mac OS X v10.6.4 Update Mac OS X v10.6.4 Update (Combo)
10.6.5 10H574 November 10, 2010 Darwin 10.5 About the Mac OS X v10.6.5 Update Mac OS X v10.6.5 Update (Combo)
10.6.6 10J567 January 6, 2011 Darwin 10.6 About the Mac OS X v10.6.6 Update Mac OS X v10.6.6 Update (Combo)
10.6.7 10J869 March 21, 2011 Darwin 10.7 About the Mac OS X v10.6.7 Update Mac OS X v10.6.7 Update (Combo)
10J3250 March 21, 2011 For the early 2011 Macbook Pro Mac OS X v10.6.7 Update for early 2011 MacBook Pro
10J4138 May 4, 2011 For the early 2011 Macbook Pro MacBook Pro Software Update 1.4
10.6.8 10K540 June 23, 2011 Darwin 10.8 About the Mac OS X v10.6.8 Update Mac OS X v10.6.8 Update (Combo)
10K549 July 25, 2011 About the Mac OS X v10.6.8 Update; v1.1 Mac OS X v10.6.8 v1.1 Update (Combo)

I rest of my case. If you are able to successfully get it to work, then Apple needs to revise the system specific knowledgebase article:

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

Mar 28, 2014 11:57 AM in response to a brody

Your own post proves my point:


If the 2010 iMac was released on April 13, 2010, then it would include the last revision to 10.6.3:


User uploaded file


You're assuming that the 2010 MacBook Pro will only accept the 10D578 version to boot from. I posit that it will boot from the retail disc and then of course need an update to v1.1 online.


Anecdotally, I have yet to see a post on this forum where an owner of a 2010 MacBook Pro was unable to boot it from the 10.6.3 retail Install DVD.


Perhaps the OP will attempt it and report back his results on this issue.



a brody wrote:


If you are able to successfully get it to work, then Apple needs to revise the system specific knowledgebase article:

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

Your Wikipedia quote and Apple's article are inconsistent with the build numbers for 10.6.3. Since I am the publisher of neither, it is not my responsibiity to keep them consistent.

Mar 30, 2014 9:22 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

So....

I can report that the mid-2010 MacBook was able to boot up from the retail 10.6.3 disk, and I think I succeeded in installing the OS. But I can't say definitively that the whole process was have been successful, because I didn't complete it....

And the reason for that is that it became apparent that the fundamental problem I was dealing with wasn't a failed HD that needed to be replaced with a new one, it was that the cable connecting the internal HD to the computer was failing. You more experienced people are probably well aware that this is a common problem for that MacBook. In the end the original HD, which of course included a working version of OSX, was re-installed.


And since I needed to get the darn thing fixed right away so that my daughter could head back to college with it I ended up taking it to a Mac repair shop in Manhattan that had the part and could install it pronto.


Finally I want to again thank all three responders to my question. I know that good information results from the clash of different ideas in forums like this, but I'm also very happy that people are willing to give it their best shot.


I hope you're all having a good weekend.

Apr 6, 2014 8:23 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

None of the above is totally correct.


The mid 2010 MBP was supplied with a grey disk with a newer build number than the retail 10.6.3 disk. That means it will not install from a 10.6.3 retail disk onto a 2010 MBP. Fact ! I have a mid 2010 MBP and a retail 10.6.3 disk, and have tried several times to do this. Trust me - it does not work.


Omaticnyc is right though that the MBP will boot from the retail disk - but the install will not complete - it fails after 10 minutes or so with no error message, and the machine then hangs. The same thing happens if you load the disk and choose it in Startup disk then restart. The odd thing about this latter method is that usually Startup disk flags up when a disk is unsuitable for a particular computer - in this case it doesn't.


This leaves post April 2010 MBP owners dependent on keeping hold of a working grey disk for their machine if they want to stick with Snow Leopard AND stay within their licence terms. And means buyers of secondhand MBPs MUST get the original disks. Or upgrade to a post Snow Leopard OS.


There is though a way round all this - unfortunately it probably isn't within the licence Ts & Cs...


When Leopard came out, it required an 867 MHz processor to boot/install. There were several workarounds to this, one of which was to install Leopard onto a drive in a compatible computer, then switch the drive (or clone it) to a slower one. And the same trick works to boot/install from the 10.6.3 retail disk onto a post April 2010 MBP. I've done it using a Mac Mini to install 10.6.3 then the 10.6.8 combo upgrade, and the only downside I can see is that the MBP then shows up as a Mac Mini in System Profiler.


The real shame (and maybe even stupidity on Apple's part) is that for 15 months no retail OS disk was/is available for any MBP and perhaps for any other computer built in this period. Makes you wonder what the purpose of retail disks is...either they're universal install media...or they're a means of generating extra revenue. And if it's the former, then a retail disk should be made available at the point of upgrading from one OS to the next - indeed if Apple could include Drop in DVDs at upgrade time, then a complimentary fully upgraded disk could have been included too.


Better yet someone could/should devise a method of streamlining Mac OS disks...

Apr 6, 2014 9:45 AM in response to linacre6262

linacre6262 wrote:


None of the above is totally correct.


If what you say is true, then I owe a brody AN APOLOGY! ⚠😮 It is an interesting turn of a phrase however... 😁


Oglethorpe and others have consistently recommended the "install Snow Leopard 10.6.3 into another Mac, upgrade to 10.6.8, clone and move clone over" approach as one option for the 2011 Macs suffering from this same problem:


https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5942414?answerId=24997480022#24997480022


linacre6262 wrote:


Better yet someone could/should devise a method of (slip)stream^ing Mac OS disks...


http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20120123175902871


https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5942414?answerId=25009592022#25009592022


I keep a copy in my library for just such purposes!


Lastly, it IS totally correct that I wished omaticnyc's daugher, best wishes for her college career! 😁

Apr 7, 2014 2:01 AM in response to MlchaelLAX

Apologies for my errors - I too wish the lady all the best in her career.


And I did mean slipstreaming - I can't be held responsible for not being totally up to speed with these Windoze related terms - at my age, I'm only just keeping a grip on the Mac ones !


I like the idea of a universal 10.6.7 disk - I have an iMac one somewhere, so I'll try it later in the week and report back.

Snow Leopard install disk question.

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