Highl.i.t - Entrepreneurship, life-hacking and le web.
« Back to blog

Getting Ready For Snow Leopard

Having just ordered a single user license for Snow Leopard, I had a few questions about the install process.

After a few hours of research, here’s what you’ll need to know:

  • Some applications may choose not to play nice with the latest OS. But lets be honest, if the developers haven’t worked with Snow Leopard in the past year, there application isn’t worth using.
  • Creative Suite 3 will run on Snow Leopard, but is not officially supported by Adobe.
  • Have an external HDD? I strongly advice backing up your data before an upgrade. If possible, do this in two places.
  • There are no obvious options for “Erase and Install” so you’ll need to use the disk utility to wipe the drive and install Snow Leopard a fresh.
  • Planning on a fresh install? It would be worth while to download all of your existing application DMGs now, and simply push them across when your OS install is complete.
  • Have a MobileMe subscription? Make sure that your latest passwords, bookmarks etc... are backed up to the cloud before you wipe your HDD with the new OS.

I’ve always been one for a clean install, rather than an upgrade. Very touchy about file structure and keeping the OS optimized.
If you’re like me, you’ll probably be starting with a clean slate, but if you’ve recently formatted your drive, I wouldn’t think you need a fresh install.

In any case, best of luck. Do you think I’ve missed something in my breakdown? If so, please sound off in the comments below.

Comments (8)

Aug 27, 2009
Tiop said...
After performing the erase and install, what happens when trying to sync your iPhone? Are you able to sync as previous, or do you have to erase and sync to the "new" library?
Aug 31, 2009
Armin Talic said...
@tiop From my experience, it's simply meant plugging in the iPhone and iTunes asking to associate it with the new library. No new 'erase & sync' required.
Aug 31, 2009
René Schäfer said...
Oh look… it's 10.6.1 and 10.6.2
Aug 31, 2009
andrewbonner said...
good thinking about DMG's
Aug 31, 2009
andrewbonner said...
If I want to do the fresh install do I just go to the Disk Utility and select erase, then select the HDD? Then once it's erased just put in the snow leopard disk?
Aug 31, 2009
Tiop said...
@andrewboner- I think that will probably work since people have been able to install Snow Leopard onto new drives.
Another (perhaps proper) method is to insert disc, restart, then hold 'C' to boot from disk. Then select Disk Utility from the menu bar, and erase that way.
Afterwards, you can proceed with normal install.
Aug 31, 2009
andrewbonner said...
ok because this is my first mac coming from xp and vista so I'm not sure how to do such things :p
Aug 31, 2009
andrewbonner said...
which is why I asked Armin to make a YT vid on it but he hasn't

Leave a comment...