WYCowboy

Q: More than one version of OS X on Mac Pro

Can you have more than one version of OS X on a Mac Pro?

Posted on Feb 22, 2015 4:34 PM

Close

Q: More than one version of OS X on Mac Pro

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by Niel,Helpful

    Niel Niel Feb 22, 2015 4:36 PM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 10 (312,660 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 22, 2015 4:36 PM in response to WYCowboy

    Yes; install the second version onto a different partition or drive. It needs to be at least as new as the computer, and the computer needs to meet the system requirements for it.

     

    (122922)

  • by WYCowboy,

    WYCowboy WYCowboy Feb 22, 2015 4:58 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 22, 2015 4:58 PM in response to Niel

    Thanks for your reply.  I am running OS 10.10.2 at the present time, but want to install OS 10.6.3 on to a different hard drive.  It would not allow the install.  My Mac Pro is the early 2009 quad core.  I can't find if the OS 10.6.3 is compatible with this version Mac Pro or not.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,Helpful

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 22, 2015 5:13 PM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 9 (60,909 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 22, 2015 5:13 PM in response to WYCowboy

    You must use a the original "shipped in the box" DVD or a "Full Retail" DVD to install 10.6 on that Mac -- a DVD for a different Mac is model-specific, and will not boot that Mac.

     

    Mac Pro

    Date introduced

    Original Mac OS X included
    (see Tips 1 and 3)

    Later Mac OS X included
    (see Tip 1)

    Mac OS X Build(s)
    (see Tip 2)

    Mac Pro (Late 2013)Dec 201310.910.9.2, 10.9.413A4023, 13C64, 13E28
    Mac Pro (Mid 2012)Jun 201210.7.310.8, 10.8.311D2001, 12A269, 12D78
    Mac Pro (Mid 2010)Aug 201010.6.410.7, 10.7.2, 10.7.310F2521, 10F2554, 11A511a, 11C74, 11D2001
    Mac Pro with Mac OS X Server (Mid 2010)Aug 201010.6.410.7, 10.7.2, 10.7.3 (Server)10F2522, 11A511a, 11C74, 11D2001 (Server)
    Mac Pro (Early 2009)Mar 200910.5.610.69G3553, 10A432
    Mac Pro (Early 2008)

    Jan 2008

    10.5.1

    10.5.2, 10.5.4

    9B2117, 9C2031, 9E25
    Mac Pro

    Aug 2006

    10.4.7

    10.4.8, 10.4.9, 10.4.10, 10.5

    8K1079, 8N1430, 8N1250, 8K1124, 8P4037, 8R3032, 8R3041, 9A581, 9A3129

     

    Mac OS X versions (builds) for computers - Apple Support


    .

  • by Niel,

    Niel Niel Feb 22, 2015 5:14 PM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 10 (312,660 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 22, 2015 5:14 PM in response to WYCowboy

    Yes, it is. The compatible Mac OS X versions for it are 10.5.6 and newer.

     

    (122925)

  • by WYCowboy,

    WYCowboy WYCowboy Feb 22, 2015 6:12 PM in response to Niel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 22, 2015 6:12 PM in response to Niel

    Thanks to both Neil and Grant.  The OS 10.6.3 DVD I am trying to install on a second hard drive is the one that was in the box when I got the computer, but it will not install on this machine.  I am confused as to why it will not install.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Feb 22, 2015 6:42 PM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 9 (60,909 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 22, 2015 6:42 PM in response to WYCowboy

    NB> you cannot just click on the Installer on the DVD and expect it to Install. You MUST boot from that DVD.

     

    If no joy, do this:

    Pull out your main Hard drive.

    Do an SMC reset

    Do a PRAM Reset

     

    now there is no trace of the current 10.10.2 that was running, and the 10.6 should boot and install happily.

  • by WYCowboy,

    WYCowboy WYCowboy Feb 22, 2015 6:48 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 22, 2015 6:48 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    Thanks again for the tip Grant.  I'll give this a try.

  • by kahjot,

    kahjot kahjot Feb 23, 2015 5:31 AM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 4 (1,347 points)
    Desktops
    Feb 23, 2015 5:31 AM in response to WYCowboy

    You should probably format the second HD using Disk Utility on your Snow Leopard installer DVD before you install Snow Leopard.

     

    Also note that the Startup DIsk preference in your Snow Leopard system preferences will not "see" your Yosemite drive. To boot into Yosemite while you are running Snow Leopard, you will need to restart while holding down the Option key, which will bring up a choice of bootable systems.

  • by The hatter,

    The hatter The hatter Feb 23, 2015 7:05 AM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 9 (60,935 points)
    Feb 23, 2015 7:05 AM in response to WYCowboy

    It depends a bit on what graphic card it has for one thing what the minimum OS will be.

     

    Also, you could run Snow Leopard in a VM under Mavericks or Yosemite instead of dual booting.

     

    If you have more than 4 cores, and more than just basic RAM a VM is very useful for some.

     

    SSDs and blade type SSD (faster than SATA III and less trouble too) offer a lot of performance and the biggest bottleneck and lack of bandwidth for getting files and data into memory.

     

    The 4,1 processors and firmware can be upgraded which is why some still buy them, plus they sell for less than $900 to get started.

  • by Smokerz,

    Smokerz Smokerz Feb 23, 2015 9:41 AM in response to WYCowboy
    Level 6 (9,699 points)
    Feb 23, 2015 9:41 AM in response to WYCowboy

    The minimum OS X which will install is Leopard 10.5.6