Updating OS

[Dr.Dub]

Hi

A couple of years ago I bought a 2nd hand imac. At the time it had OS 10.5 loaded and came with a set of 10.4 installation disks, but no 10.5 disks.

I had to load 10.4 in order to run some recording software and this has all been working fine.

I'm currently on 10.4.9. but I now want to upgrade to the original 10.5 OS and maybe download the most recent upgrade for this version of OS.

When I originally loaded 10.4 I was prompted to make a back up of the existing OS onto the internal hard drive, which I did.

How do I now access this in order to get back the original OS? I don't want Snow Leopard.

Thanks

DD

 

[EndlessMac]

I believe the backup feature you are referring to is the archive feature when you upgrade your OS. If this is the case then all it backed up was some system files, preferences, etc. It's been awhile since I have used that feature so I don't remember exactly what it backs up.

Regardless of what it backed up it doesn't save the entire 10.5 so you have to have the 10.5 Leopard discs in order to get it back on your computer. In other words the files that it saved is not the whole OS so 10.4 was installed over your 10.5 OS.

Unless I'm mistaken, the only way for you to get 10.5 back is if you got a 10.5 disc so that you can upgrade your computer. As you have learned, anytime you upgrade or downgrade (like you did) you lose the current OS because you wrote over it. The only way I know to backup your whole OS before upgrading or downgrading is to make a clone copy of it onto an external hard drive.

 

[chscag]

To Dr. Dub:

Endless is correct. Besides what he said, purchasing a new copy of Leopard may give you "sticker shock". You can check around at NewEgg, Amazon, and other on line sellers and you will quickly see what I mean.

My advice is to purchase a copy of Snow Leopard for $29.99 at your local Apple store or Best Buy. If you really for whatever reason do not want SL, then you're probably better off staying with Tiger.

Regards.

 

[harryb2448]

Before doing as chscag correctly suggests, make sure your iMac is an Intel model as Snow Leopard only installs on Intel machines. Otherwise up to $150 for a copy of Leopard which was placed on the machine illegally.

 

[toMACsh]

... purchasing a new copy of Leopard may give you "sticker shock". You can check around at NewEgg, Amazon, and other on line sellers and you will quickly see what I mean.

Don't do that. Instead, go to the Apple Online Store and find the toll free number. Call it. Ask for a Leopard retail disc. As recently as two months ago, another poster reported getting one that way for $80 US. This is much less that what you'd find on any of the sites mentioned in that quote. If you do this, please post here to let us know if Apple still has these discs available, and at that price.

 

[Dr.Dub]

Hi

Thanks for replies. I don't think the original install of 10.5 was illegal, I just don't have the disks as I bought it 2nd hand and the guy hung onto the disks.

At the time it wasn't an issue as I couldn't run my recording software on 10.5 anyhow, only 10.4. I now want to upgrade, but the imac won't be powerful enough to run S.L so 10.5 will be fine.

I will investigate the possibility of getting 10.5 from the Mac online store.

Thanks

DD

 

[JUKE179r]

Otherwise up to $150 for a copy of Leopard which was placed on the machine illegally.

What are you on about? How can you insinuate that he had an illegal copy of Leopard just because the seller didn't give the disk to him?

 

[harryb2448]

LOL it is illegal to sell a copy of the software installed on a machine without the discs so what are you on about?

Whenever one buys a second hand machine, make sure you get the original system discs with it and the operating system if it is not the original!

 

[chscag]

Don't do that. Instead, go to the Apple Online Store and find the toll free number. Call it. Ask for a Leopard retail disc. As recently as two months ago, another poster reported getting one that way for $80 US. This is much less that what you'd find on any of the sites mentioned in that quote. If you do this, please post here to let us know if Apple still has these discs available, and at that price.

That's a possibility. More than likely the local Apple stores are out of Leopard retail. (Black set) They probably do have some original sets of Leopard specific for the machine it was installed on. But even those may be in limited supply. Your advice to call the main Apple online store is what the OP should do.

Regards.