Upgrade Process From PTLE 8 to 9 - Seeking advice

[JCWarrior]

I am preparing to upgrade from PTLE 8 to 9 on my Macbook Pro and I was hoping someone could point me to the correct process.

I am upgrading to 4 GB Ram
I will also be upgrading my OS to Snow Leopard

Thanks in advance.

[Vitu]

I suggest you do a "clean install" instead of just upgrading so you'll leave behind a lot of Leopard only related files. With SnowLeopard this process is acomplished by going to disk utilities while in the installer and formating your HD (HFS+/GUID partition). Then follow with the instalation proccess.

Don't forget to document your settings (both in PT and in System Preferences) and, of course, backup personal files. Update Snow with the 10.6.7 Combo Update. 10.6.8 is still not qualified by Avid!

Install your apps (update those as well) and if you wish, create another user account for PT. I use an account specially for PT so I can perform the suggested system optimizations by Avid (see your Pro Tools Reference Guide, installed with PT). Verify you have the latest drivers for your soundcard. Instal PT and update it afterwards. Install your plugins and once you set and verify everything, think about making an image of your system - either via disk utility (you'll need to boot from another volume) or via Carbon Copy Cloner - so you'll have a clean OS X and PT install should you ever need to call on it.

Hope this helps. Good luck with it!

[JCWarrior]

I soooo... hate having to reinstall everything. I'm not saying your incorrect but is it neccesary to format my hard drive?

Thinking of installing all my plug ins, Drum software, reason, Motu stuff, etc, is making me feel queezy.

[Vitu]

Yeah, I know the feeling

But with a new system and new PT I wouldn't approach it any other way.

You can upgrade OSX and then PT and see if it works for you. It would be way less work and if it's stable, then cheers! You've just saved yourself a couple of mixing hours!!

Let me know how it went afterwards - whichever procedure you end up following.

[JCWarrior]

Thanks, I appreciate your help. I'll keep you posted.

[JCWarrior]

Vitu,
I am getting ready to upgrade MY OS X following your instructions and I have a question.

I need to purchase Snow Leopard to upgrade from Leopard. How do I do that and still use the combo update you listed?

[Vitu]

Hey JC,

The available boxed version of Snow Leopard is system version 10.6.3 - if you install that and follow the aforementioned combo update link, you'll be fine. Amazon and other retailers should have it (it's around $30).

[JCWarrior]

Originally Posted by Vitu

Hey JC,

The available boxed version of Snow Leopard is system version 10.6.3 - if you install that and follow the aforementioned combo update link, you'll be fine. Amazon and other retailers should have it (it's around $30).

Thank you!

[nst7]

Your local Best Buy carries Snow Leopard also, assuming they're one of the many Best Buys that carrie Apple products (I don't know if all of them do).

That would be the most convenient as those stores are everywhere.

I got my boxed version from there and it was the 10.6.3 version, making it no problem to do the combo upgrade to 10.6.6.


By the way, I did the upgrade without doing a clean install and it went super smooth, even much smoother than when I did the same thing from Tiger to Leopard. I don't think you'll have a problem.

Just make sure you back up your personal items like word processing documents, downloads, Itunes stuff, everything else. You can put a lot of this stuff on a CD, or put it in a file on your audio hard drive (that's what I did) and then delete it from there once you know everything's cool.

[JCWarrior]

Well I completed my OS X upgrade to 10.6.7 (Clean install) and installed PT 9.0.3.

I started adding my other VI's back on and I am experincing a couple of issues, so far.

1) "Reason" does not show up as a plug-in. Pretty sure I just need to update Reason (Forgot to do that).
2) Can not get Pro Tools to recognize my M-Audio Radium 49 MIDI keyboard.

Any advice to resolve these issues?