Mac Yosemite Downgrade Gone Wrong

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Mac Yosemite Downgrade Gone Wrong

I have to downgrade Yosemite from my Macbook Pro. I honestly don't have any preferences to which OS X I want to downgrade to as long as I will get rid off Yosemite.

I have 15-inch, mid-2009 MacBook Pro, disc version 1.1 that came with Mac OS X 10.6.3 but just before installing Yosemite I have had Mac OS X 10.6.8 installed. So I was always working on Snow Leopard.

My original plan was to downgrade Yosemite with internet recovery so I went to OS X Utilities to Disc Utilities and erased my disc and all the free space. But after doing that that I have found out that on 2009 MacBook Pro internet recovery is unavailable.

I did not back my system up with Time Machine because I don't have needed hard drive and to be honest I didn't understand how important this is (until now) so I just stuffed all my data into millions of old USBs so even though I won't lose anything I can't downgrade using Time Machine Backup.

I have also heard about downgrading Yosemite with Mavericks bootable USB but I have read that if you didn't download Mavericks in the past, there is no way of getting in now because it's no longer available so I guess this option is out too.

I have also tried to turn on my MacBook Pro with my original Mac OS X 10.6.3 installer CD and than press "C", I could hear that the computer was trying to read the CD but than the CD just came out by itself and the screen was white all the time.

When I go to Reinstall OS X in OS X Utilities the only option is to reinstall Yosemite which I really don't want to do.

I don't know what to do now...I am starting to feel out of options. If any of you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know because I am honestly losing my mind over this.

Thanks everybody 🙂

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8), MacBook Pro mid 2009, disc 1.1

Posted on Jun 10, 2015 9:50 AM

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Answer 1

OldGnome

Level 3

813 points

Jun 10, 2015 10:08 AM in response to joannaloves1

Were you experiencing a problem with the CD drive before you erased the disk? Why were you trying to downgrade?

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Answer 2

joannaloves1 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 10, 2015 10:26 AM in response to OldGnome

I only tried running CD after I had erased disk.

I have to downgrade because I just hate Yosemite, I can't stand it ... 😟

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Answer 3

OldGnome

Level 3

813 points

Jun 10, 2015 10:30 AM in response to joannaloves1

What about Yosemite do you hate? I am asking because if there is a problem within that version of OS X, it will be much faster and easier to solve than trying to figure out how to get an earlier version that you can install.

At this point, your best approach is going to be to recover Yosemite. If we can figure out what is wrong with the CD, we might be able to get you back to 10.6.3.

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Answer 4

Eric Root

Level 10

684,039 points

Jun 10, 2015 10:41 AM in response to joannaloves1

CD/DVD Loading Problems

CD/DVD Drive - Troubleshooting See troubleshooting section.

CD/DVD Drive - Troubleshooting (2)

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Answer 5

joannaloves1 Author

Level 1

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Jun 10, 2015 10:57 AM in response to OldGnome

I did put the CD in just after getting Yosemite but without turning the computer off and pressing "c" but just like any other CD when the computer was already turn on and it was fine to me, I just got this grey no sign on the CD icon and if I remember right the computer told me that I can't install this version of OS X on this computer.

Than I just put the CD with turing computer off than on and pressing "c" but only after erased disk and it did not work. I even tried again couple of minutes ago just to be sure and the same thing happened.

The CD is grey and it's called: 15-inch MacBook Pro Mac OS X Install DVD.

When it comes to my hate to Yosemite it's quite simple really. I hate the new look and use of icons, I can't get used to it, I just don't feel it, it makes me frustrated all the time. I feel like the computer works much slower... and you know, sometimes you try something new and you know it's not for you, there is no technical problems with it, everything seems fine but I just can't stand it, it's just not for me I would really like to go back to Snow Leopard.

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Answer 6

OldGnome

Level 3

813 points

Jun 10, 2015 10:59 AM in response to joannaloves1

Did you try the information in the links that Eric Root provided?

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Answer 7

joannaloves1 Author

Level 1

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Jun 10, 2015 11:42 AM in response to OldGnome

Yes I just did try and I guess the CD was dirty because after I cleaned it it did work so silly me...:(

But for some reason I got the info "Mac OS X can not starup from this disk" ( I am so sorry about the picture quality I was taking it with old laptop camera)

Here is my Disk Utility

:

I don't understand what's wrong..I can't proceed with installation

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Answer 8

OldGnome

Level 3

813 points

Jun 10, 2015 1:46 PM in response to joannaloves1

Are you able to get to the Disk Utility? I can't tell from your photos.

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Answer 9

joannaloves1 Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 10, 2015 1:50 PM in response to OldGnome

Yes I am able, those 2 last photos are from there...again sorry about the quality

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Answer 10

OldGnome

Level 3

813 points

Jun 10, 2015 2:03 PM in response to joannaloves1

Excellent - that's progress!

Please take a look at this link -> https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203482

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Answer 11

joannaloves1 Author

Level 1

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Jun 10, 2015 3:38 PM in response to OldGnome

I did read the instructions you sent me - thanks 🙂 But one them was to reformat the target disk (If possible, back up and reformat the target disk before installing) --> which took me to another link which suggested erasing disk so I went ahead and did it once again and I noticed that I can only erase the partition disk.

.

In Disk Utility I have:

-320,07 GB Hitachi HTS545032B9SA02 Media... (this one I couldn't erase - "Disk Erase Failed with the error. Couldn't unmount disk"

- (partion) Macintosh HD (this one I was able to erase)

So maybe that's the problem?

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Answer 12

Drew Reece

Level 6

10,660 points

Jun 10, 2015 3:53 PM in response to joannaloves1

Your images are tough to see but it looks like you are running a newer version of Disk Utility (it doesn't look like a 10.6 installer to me). That suggests you may have booted from the recovery partition. If that is true it explains why you cannot edit the entire disk - the recovery partition would be part of that disk.

It seems like the first image is from the 10.6 installer disc, so I apologise if the second & third images are also from a 10.6 install disk boot.

Reboot from the 10.6 CD/DVD to edit the disk.

It is possible that 10.10 created a 'logical volume group' for the entire disk - that is not supported on 10.6. Select the disk (the '320GB Hitachi' item in the sidebar) and look at the bottom of the Disk Utility window. It will say what the partition type is. That will need to say 'GUID' for 10.6 to be installable.

It seems like the solution is to erase the entire disk & create a new partition table. You can only do that when running from another OS or from another Mac (using target disk mode).

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Answer 13

joannaloves1 Author

Level 1

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Jun 10, 2015 4:27 PM in response to Drew Reece

Yes it's not 10.6 Disk Utility becuase before I have just installed Yosemite and than went to command+R and tried to erase everything so I guess that's why...

And yes the first image is from 10.6 installer, it's from my OS X10.6.3 CD after I have tried to erase disk I turn off computer put in CD and than turn it on again holding "c" and it went into the installer but it was not able to install -> ""Mac OS X can not starup from this disk" so I just turn it off again and went to Disk Utilitiy again

And the second and third images are from the Desk Utility and they do have Yosemite stye.

I did look at the partition type and it does say "GUID" 🙂 so i guess that's good, right?

"It seems like the solution is to erase the entire disk & create a new partition table. You can only do that when running from another OS or from another Mac (using target disk mode).: -> I am not sure if I understand you right, since I do not own another Mac computer I have to install Yosemite (as this is my only option to turn on the computer normally, 10.6.3 for some reason won't install) and than I have to erase the entire disk & create a new partition table since I have no idea how to do this I have just looked it up and it says to do this in Disk Utilities so since I am there now can I do this?

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Answer 14

cdhw

Level 4

3,588 points

Jun 10, 2015 4:43 PM in response to joannaloves1

I'm not in a position to actually test these methods at the moment, but from memory...

1. Try holding down the option key instead of the C when booting.

2. Reboot using the 10.10 recovery, insert the 10.6.3 DVD, and then set it as the startup disk using the preferences panel provided by the recovery version of OS X.

C.

FYI, I have Yosemite on a couple Mac Book Pro's from 2012 and 2013 and it works like a champ (4GB RAM).

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Answer 15

babowa

Level 9

78,103 points

Jun 10, 2015 4:44 PM in response to joannaloves1

In Disk Utility I have:

-320,07 GB Hitachi HTS545032B9SA02 Media... (this one I couldn't erase - "Disk Erase Failed with the error. Couldn't unmount disk"

You cannot erase a disk unless it is unmounted. So I am not sure what is going on, but when you got that message, you were still booted into that system. You need to be sure to be booted from the CD and then you should be able to erase the disk. And you need to erase it before you can proceed with the install.

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