Q: Losing it here!  How to boot old OS in later OS ? ?

Sound like the disk drive died.

Try booting from install DVD and see what Disk Utility says about it.

Yyou cannot boot a Mac with an older OS than the machine shipped with. If you get a copy of Snow Leopard Server and Parallels you can set up a virtual machine to run 10.6.8

Gina B wrote:

 

After weeks of turning itself off at random, my 2011 IMac with OS 6.0.8 apparently died today.  It will not boot, just see the gray screen and the endless wheel.  Ironically though, it has not turned the screen black at all today.  No shutdown, but nothing else.  So I guess it's gone.

 

Guess I'll buy a new one but he OS will be a few generations from 10.6.8.  I'm sure many of my important apps and files will not work with the higher OS.  But I do have everything backed up on an external.

 

My question is, how can I open up the backed up OS 10.6.8 while the higher system is running?

 

Thank you.

Gina B.

Not sure what you mean by your question. I think you are asking, can a Mac that ships with a version of OS X later that 10.6.8 (it's not 6.0.8) be able to run Snow Leopard 10.6.8. If my guess is correct the answer is no it cannot. If you used Time Machine to backup your 2011 iMac, when you get your new Mac simply connect the Time Machine backup to the new machine before starting it for the first time via a USB cable. Then when you turn on the new machine it will automatically launch Setup Assistant. SA will eventually ask if you are migrating from an old Mac, select yes and then follow the on-screen prompts. Apple answers this and more in Move your content to a new Mac - Apple Support.

If you have old apps on the 2011 machine that were PPC based, meaning they will not run beyond 10.6.8 they will not migrate however the data will. You will need to upgrade those apps in order to access their data. With any computer system it is important to keep your apps and operating system up-to-date on an on-going basis because eventually you will need to replace the computer and the expense of upgrading all of your apps at one time can be difficult.

When you purchase your new Mac you can connect the external drive that has your backup files to the new Mac and copy those files to the new Mac. The new Mac should be able to read the old external hard disk. I don't recommend copying old versions of applications though as those may have problems with the newer operating system.

Parallels is a program that will allow you to run alternative operating systems on your Mac along side the native OS. I use it to run Windows 7, but you could use it to set up a Snow Leopard virtual machine. Google for instructions.

Mike Sombrio wrote:

 

Google for instructions.

You can purchase Snow Leopard Server from the Apple Store for $20 (1.800.MYAPPLE (1.800.692.7753) - Apple Part Number: MC588Z/A (telephone orders only)).  Be insistent, you need the "Server" version and it is available, at least in the US Apple Store by telephone.

Installing Snow Leopard Server into Parallels for DUMMIES:

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/installing-snow-leopard-and-rosetta-into-par allels-7-in-lion.1365439/page-23#post-17285039

For example, here is Appleworks 6.9.2 running in SLS in Parallels for use in Lion, Mt. Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite and El Capitan:

                                                            [click on image to enlarge]