Mac Upgrade Question

[Rayvenx2208]

Im running PT LE 7.4 on a Mac Pro with OSX Tiger. I need to upgrade to snow leopard to eventually upgrade to PT LE 8, but im a little sheepish about the process.

I dont know much about MACs internally, will the upgrade to OSX Snow leopard affect my current version of pro Tools? Or anything else on my Mac Pro. The only thing i use a mac for is Pro Tools so i just wanted to maek sure i didnt run tino any Mac suprises when i try to upgrade my system. Thanks!

[nst7]

You have a couple of issues here.

1. Protools 7.4 will not work with Snow Leopard. You need to be on Protools 8.

2. Since you're going from Tiger to Snow Leopard, you can't just buy the $29 Snow Leopard, that's only if you're going from Leopard to Snow Leopard. According to the Apple Store, your only option is the Mac Box set, which includes Snow Leopard, Ilife, and Iwork, which goes for $169. However, you can get it on Amazon much cheaper (like $110).

Make sure that you do a complete uninstall of Protools 7.4 before upgrading to 8. 8 is a full install and works better when there's not an older version on the computer.

Your existing Protools sessions won't be affected.

Also, if you have any 3rd party plugins, make sure you download the latest versions or updates for them.

[Slim Shady]

2. Since you're going from Tiger to Snow Leopard, you can't just buy the $29 Snow Leopard, that's only if you're going from Leopard to Snow Leopard.

Sez who?

You can absolutely just buy Snow Leopard and install it. No need to also buy Leopard. However I would recommend backing up your system drive, wiping it, and then installing Snow Leopard fresh as opposed to doing it as an OS upgrade.

[Bender]

I was under the impression you had to have leopard to use the $29 upgrade.

[Slim Shady]

If it installs onto a completely blank drive (which it does), why would you need a previous version around? Are you going to hold the Leopard DVD up to the screen and say "See! I have a Leopard Disk! Even though it has no bearing on the installation you're currently doing I have it!!"

[Rayvenx2208]

Awesome. Im glad you told me 7.4 would not work with Snow Leopard. I was gonna upgrade the OS today and worry about PT8 when i got around to it.

When i do all this upgrading, will i have to reinstall my plugins as well? I have plugins i dont even know how i got.

[Bender]

Slim I don't doubt you. When I updated and older imac for the kids it had Tiger and the upgrade to Leopard was $129. If I waited for the snow leopard upgrade it was $29. That really sucks for people who upgraded from tiger to leopard.

[nst7]

The Apple website specifically says you need the box set if you're going from Tiger. Read it here in the right hand column:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html

It also says it when you look at it in the Apple store section.

Seems pretty clear, but you might want to double check with someone at the Apple retail store to be sure.

[Craig F]

I would ether install it a new drive or back up the old one, reformat it then install 10.6x

[CME]

I'll agree. I think you can get by with just the "upgrade" disc. As it includes the full installer. There may not be a way to upgrade "from" 10.4. They could have programmed in something that checks the version before it upgrades.

But if you wipe your drive, def back up first, then I don't see why you can't install 10.6 after that. That's what I did going from 10.5, but only because I wanted to not install a bunch of the extra stuff the standard installation includes.

I will repeat though, that I have not done this, so I can't confirm it will work.

And just one question. You're Mac Pro is an Intel one right? Just wondering as I've seen some G5's on ebay titled as Mac Pros. And 10.6 is NOT compatible with anything with PPC processors.