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Take Control of Upgrading to Snow Leopard
Install Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard with confidence!
Installing a major new version of Mac OS X should be exciting and fun, but without proper guidance you may find it nerve-wracking or even lose valuable files. Fortunately, many thousands of people have upgraded Mac OS X calmly and successfully with Joe Kissell's previous best-selling Take Control of Upgrading... titles. Joe's friendly, expert steps—developed over innumerable test installations—help you to avoid trouble, understand what's going on when you install Snow Leopard, and easily recover from problems that might arise. The ebook will help you:
- Evaluate if your Mac is ready to run Snow Leopard.
- Complete crucial pre-upgrade steps that help you avoid trouble.
- Make a bootable duplicate in case Joe's easy Plan A doesn't work for you.
- Understand just what you need to know about what the installer will do.
- Successfully install Snow Leopard on an Intel-based Mac.
- Perform a few important post-installation tasks and tweaks.
- Solve problems that might arise after installing—such as a Mac that won't boot.
Want help with installing a later version of Mac OS X? Check our catalog for new editions of this ebook that will help you with later upgrades.
- More Info
- Contents & Intro
- What’s New
- FAQ
- Reader Comments
- Blog
You should buy this ebook if one—or both—of the following describes your situation:
- You want to ensure a calm, successful update with no data loss or other unpleasant surprises.
- You could run the Snow Leopard installer on your own, but you want to know the ins and outs of what's new with the Snow Leopard installer because you are a Mac consultant, because friends and relatives rely on you for tech support, so you can wow everyone at your next MUG meeting, or simply because you like knowing exactly how things work behind the scenes.
Specific questions answered in this ebook include:
- Is my Mac ready for a Snow Leopard installation?
- What's new in the Snow Leopard installer?
- What's the deal with QuickTime and Snow Leopard?
- What's Rosetta, why should I care, and what should I do about it?
- Under what circumstances should I partition my startup drive?
- How can I check if I need to run a firmware update before installing?
- What are smart ways to free disk space to make more room for Snow Leopard?
- How do I back up Boot Camp before upgrading, just in case something goes horribly wrong?
- I clicked Customize in the installer—which checkboxes should I select?
- How can I do what was previously called an "Archive and Install"? I know it's fussy, but I like it.
- I just installed Snow Leopard and my Mac won't boot. Help!
- What should I do if Time Machine wants to start backing up?
Book Info
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About the Author
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Book Reviews
Reviews of Previous Editions
Author Interviews
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Joe Kissell has written numerous books about the Macintosh, including many popular Take Control ebooks. He's also Senior Editor of TidBITS and a Senior Contributor to Macworld, and previously spent ten years in the Mac software industry.
Table of Contents
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Read Me FirstUpgrading to a new version of Mac OS X can be a daunting prospect, but with some expert advice, you’ll be running Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard in no time. This book eliminates the uncertainty and the confusion, guiding you through every step of the process. This book was written by Joe Kissell and edited by Tonya Engst. |
Introduction
I learned to drive on a car with a manual transmission, so it always seemed normal to me to be in charge of exactly when the car shifted into which gear. The first time I sat in a car with an automatic transmission, I was so confused and befuddled that I had to call my mother for instructions! It may have been simpler to operate, but I didn’t know how to deal with the lack of control I was used to.
The Snow Leopard installer reminds me a bit of my first experience driving an automatic. Apple has gone to great lengths to make it less complex and easier to use, but in so doing they’ve also removed the option to make certain decisions many of us have grown used to over the course of several major releases of Mac OS X. They’ve also added a few options we never had to think about before. Although the installer usually does the right thing automatically, it’s still not entirely foolproof, and if you’re not careful, you can lose important data.
Apart from the specifics of running the installer, upgrading to a new version of Mac OS X means changing a ton of important files and fundamentally altering the way your Mac works. You might encounter hardware or software incompatibilities, be confused about where certain features have gone, or wonder why Snow Leopard is asking a lot of questions that it should already know how to answer. For all these reasons and more, I’ve written this guide to walk you through every step of the process—before, during, and after the upgrade itself.
I’ve previously written Take Control books about upgrading to Panther, Tiger, and Leopard, and although this current book borrows a few pieces from those earlier works, it’s essentially a brand new document, reflecting the entirely new way Snow Leopard deals with software installation. So I urge you to set aside any assumptions or biases you may have formed by reading earlier Upgrading books and approach Snow Leopard with fresh eyes.
In the first few days after any new release of Mac OS X, there’s a flurry of updated software and information about solving problems. To learn the latest news—and to see whether there’s an updated copy of this book—click Check for Updates on the cover.
Quick Start to Upgrading to Snow Leopard
This book contains a lot of details, not all of which you need to know. But before upgrading, you should be familiar with the overall process. And, regardless of the order in which you read this book, you should perform the listed tasks in the order given—for example, back up your files before cleaning out cruft. Here’s a brief overview of the steps you should take.
Prepare to upgrade:
- Find out what’s new in the Snow Leopard installer. See Explore Snow Leopard Installer Changes.
- Make sure your computer can run Snow Leopard. See Check Your Hardware for Compatibility.
- Back up before you go forward! See Back Up Your Disk.
- Get rid of clutter that could interfere with the upgrade, make sure key software is up to date, and test your hardware for errors. See Clean Up Your Mac.
- Read Partitioning: Just Say No to learn why dividing your disk into multiple volumes will probably hinder rather than help you.
- Decide which upgrade strategy is best for you. See Understand the Upgrade Process.
If you decide on Plan A (automatic upgrade):
- Work through the steps in Upgrade Using Plan A: Automatic Upgrade.
If you decide on Plan B (erase and install):
- Work through the steps in Upgrade Using Plan B: Erase and Install. In the process, you’ll Erase Your Disk, perform the upgrade itself, and then Use Setup Assistant to transfer files from your backup drive.
After the upgrade:
- Update Apple Software, including Mac OS X, important applications, and Boot Camp drivers.
- Get your new system configured, and avoid unpleasant surprises. See Set Up Your Snow Leopard Environment.
- Problems? If your computer isn’t working properly after the upgrade, don’t panic; instead follow the steps in Troubleshoot Upgrade Problems.
- If you have an otherwise unsolvable problem, then as a last resort you can return to your previous operating system. See How to Downgrade.
What's New in Version 1.1
Version 1.1 covers new information that has emerged since Snow Leopard's release, and clarifies or corrects several other items. Major changes include the following:
- A note about Updating Backup Software for Snow Leopard
- A sidebar about PGP Desktop and Whole Disk Encryption
- A list of Things You Need Not Do before upgrading
- Clarification of the way restarts are handled during installation
- Additional information about the Machine option when transferring data from a bootable duplicate
- Instructions on dealing with a rarely appearing Previous System folder
- Information about how to upgrade CrashPlan, if you use it
- A list of Web sites with information about Snow Leopard software (in)compatibilities and a tip about the latest version of 1Password
Before I buy this ebook, can you tell me if my Macintosh will work with Snow Leopard?
Sure! The most important Snow Leopard hardware requirement is an Intel processor. To determine if you're using an Intel-based Mac, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu and look in the Processor line. If it says Intel somewhere in that line, then your Mac has an Intel processor and you're good to go with Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard isn't compatible with any PowerPC-based Macs, sorry!
Can I read this ebook on an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Kindle?
There are lots of great ways to read our ebooks on these devices. For more details, please read our latest Device Advice.
Ask a Question
Feel free to ask us if you have a question about this title!
A Smooth and Successful Snow Leopard Transition
Reader O.M. wrote in to say "I bought your ebook Upgrading to SL on Thursday and read it through once that evening. On Friday, I not only bought the Snow Leopard update, but also a brand new hard drive with FireWire 800. I followed the instructions in your book 'to a T,' and I had a very easy, smooth, and successful transition with full confidence that my Leopard based [Carbon Copy Cloner] CCC clone was there in case anything went wrong. In addition, the cloning was so easy, I will be doing weekly incremental clones on both our current iMac and the new MacBook Pro we are picking up next week. Thanks for the great guidence. It is very much appreciated."
R.P. writes:
A fabulous guide, and totally indispensable!
As someone who only recently "crossed over" from Windows, although I have had nothing but good experiences using Leopard, upgrading to a new OS nevertheless still filled me with concern, and to do it with all the programs and files still in place, plus Boot Camp onboard, doubly so!
This book very smoothly walks you through preparations, and the upgrade process itself. So I never felt as if any problem that might occur was unfix-able. As it was, the upgrade went without a hitch.
Thank you for this guide, and also for making the price so reasonable. I recommend this guide to everyone!
Send Us Your Comments!
How could we not publish such kind words? If you'd like to send us your comments (good or bad, though we hope they're all good), just click the Feedback link on the cover of your copy of the ebook. Be sure to let us know if we can publish your comment. Thanks!
Update Plans
July 5, 2012 -- We do not plan to update this Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard ebook. However, a new edition, Take Control of Upgrading to Lion, is available. And, we've also now published a 10.8 Mountain Lion edition.
—Tonya Engst
Mac OS X 10.6.2 Fixes More Bugs
November 11, 2009 --
The bug bashers at Apple have been busy enhancing Snow Leopard and many of its related applications (especially Mail and Safari), as well as MobileMe, and Mac OS X 10.6.2 is now available with many improvements. If you haven't already, I recommend that you run Software Update and install it. For more information about what's new in 10.6.2, read Apple's description of the update—About the Mac OS X v10.6.2 Update or the TidBITS write-up—Mac OS X 10.6.2 Addresses Myriad Bugs and Security Issues. The TidBITS article also has comments at the end where various people have written in about their 10.6.2 update experience.
—Tonya Engst
Snow Leopard Data Loss Bug
November 2, 2009 --
Apple has publicly acknowledged a rare but nasty data-destroying bug related to using the Guest account in Snow Leopard. The bug appears to be associated with having a Guest account already set up before you upgrade to Snow Leopard. While there is currently no fix available, we hope to see one in 10.6.2. To learn more, check out my TidBITS article, Apple Acknowledges Guest Account Data Loss Bug. [This bug was fixed in 10.6.2.]
—Doug McLean
SuperDrive Gone South?
September 17, 2009 --
Although most people who've upgraded to Snow Leopard have done so without causing any unusual SuperDrive behavior, TidBITS Publishing has received several email messages recently from readers about problems with broken SuperDrives, seemingly triggered by running the Snow Leopard installation DVD.
We've done some investigating, and it seems that while the latest crop of complaints is related to Snow Leopard, the problem is older, more widespread, and more complex than a simple "installing Snow Leopard broke my drive." To read a detailed analysis of the problems and solutions that have appeared on the Internet, plus get a list of possible solutions, read Doug McLean's TidBITS article, Exploring Widespread SuperDrive Problems.
—Tonya Engst
Mac OS X 10.6.1 Fixes Minor Bugs
September 16, 2009 --
Even Snow Leopard's updates are faster and sleeker. Mac OS X 10.6.1 is out with minor fixes for Apple Mail, Flash security, and printer drivers. A few unacknowledged errors seem to have disappeared, too, although other problems remain. Read more in the (somewhat silly) TidBITS article Tiny Mac OS X 10.6.1 Update Fixes Some Bugs.
—Doug McLean
Snow Leopard Includes Outdated Flash Player
September 4, 2009 --
Adobe is reporting that Snow Leopard installs an outdated—and vulnerable—version of Flash Player (though it was likely the most reasonable version to include when Snow Leopard was locked down for shipping). So, even if you recently updated Flash Player to avoid security vulnerabilities, you'll need to update again if you've moved to Snow Leopard in the meantime. [This problem was solved with the release of Snow Leopard 10.6.1. If you update to 10.6.1, you'll get the right version of Flash Player. -Tonya]
—Doug McLean
MacJury on Getting Started with Snow Leopard
September 1, 2009 --
On the MacJury podcast for September 1, 2009, two out of five "jurors" are Take Control authors —Joe Kissell and Matt Neuburg. Find out how everyone's Snow Leopard installation experience went. And hear a vociferous argument about whether Apple's Intel-only policy for Snow Leopard is fair on users.
—Matt Neuburg
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