Mac OS X 10.5.8 (9L31a) upgrade

I have an imac Mac OS X 10.5.8 (9L31a),
Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac8,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.4 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 6 MB
Memory: 1 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: IM81.00C1.B00
SMC Version (system): 1.29f1
Serial Number (system): W884357LZE2
Hardware UUID: 909184E2-BB23-5EA0-A2EC-9B959C86125E

And I need to upgrade my operating system. Seems I need snow leopard before lion. Snow leopard wont instal. any suggestions? Can I upgrade?

Do you have a copy of Snow Leopard that you are trying to install? What errors are you getting specifically? Your machine supports Mountain Lion (the latest release) as long as you upgrade your memory from 1GB to more. You should do that anyway since RAM is relatively cheap these days. You can go up to 4GB which should be fine with ML.

Now you do have to download ML from the Mac App Store, but if you have a friend with a Mac that's Snow Leopard and newer, you could use your Apple ID on their machine to download it, or you can go to an Apple Store and see if they can help with that..

HoldThePromise said:

Seems I need snow leopard before lion.

Click to expand...

Yes & no. 2-3 months ago this was true. You needed SL installed (minimum of 10.6.6) to access the Mac App Store (MAS). Then you could download Lion (OS 10.7). But now…Lion is no longer available on the MAS…since OS 10.8 "Mountain Lion was released. So even having Snow Leopard (OS 10.6.6) installed won't help to get Lion.

If your eventual goal is to install OS 10.7 "Lion"…you need to call Apple at their 800 number (not retail Apple Stores).

HoldThePromise said:

Snow leopard wont instal. any suggestions? Can I upgrade?

Click to expand...

If you have a retail Snow Leopard install disk (whitish disk with a photo of a Snow Leopard on it)…it most definitely will install.

- Nick