# Can't install Leopard over Tiger



## propagandhi87 (Feb 22, 2008)

Hey,

Can someone help me out with this problem. I bought a new macbook about two months before Leopard came out, then got another recently that came with Leopard. When i use my leopard cds to try and install it on the first macbook with Tiger, it gets to the language screen, i select English, and then it says 'Leopard cannot be installed on this computer'

Does anyone know how to get over this - it is a brand new macbook!


Thanks!


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## jbarley (Feb 22, 2008)

propagandhi87 said:


> Hey,
> 
> Can someone help me out with this problem. I bought a new macbook about two months before Leopard came out, then got another recently that came with Leopard. When i use my leopard cds to try and install it on the first macbook with Tiger, it gets to the language screen, i select English, and then it says 'Leopard cannot be installed on this computer'
> 
> ...


The only legal way to "get over this" is to purchase a retail copy of Leopard.
The install disk that comes with a new computer is specific to that computer.
1 license -> 1 computer.

jb.


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## dkennedy (Jun 19, 2009)

I am in the same boat. Based on the above post I purchased a retail version of Leopard only to have the Leopard installer tell me that it can't install on this computer...vicious cycle a year later...


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jun 19, 2009)

What kind of computer is it?  Did you purchase the retail version of Leopard in a store, in a box?  Or did you purchase a set of CDs/DVDs off of a place like eBay that someone was advertising as "retail?"

What color are the Leopard disks?  Black or gray?

Does your computer meet all of the system requirements for Leopard -- 867MHz processor, 512MB RAM, etc?


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## dkennedy (Jun 19, 2009)

ElDiabloConCaca said:


> What kind of computer is it?



17" MBP Intel 2 Duo 2.6ghz 4GB memory 500GB HD 512mB graphics nvidia



ElDiabloConCaca said:


> Did you purchase the retail version of Leopard in a store, in a box?



Apple Store purchased MAC BOX SET (Leopard, iLife, etc...)




ElDiabloConCaca said:


> What color are the Leopard disks?  Black or gray?



Black



ElDiabloConCaca said:


> Does your computer meet all of the system requirements for Leopard -- 867MHz processor, 512MB RAM, etc?



Sure does...


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jun 19, 2009)

dkennedy said:


> 17" MBP Intel 2 Duo 2.6ghz 4GB memory 500GB HD 512mB graphics nvidia


That computer shipped with Leopard (10.5.2, 10.5.3, or 10.5.4)... you should be using the gray-colored "Software Restore" disks that came with the computer should you wish to reinstall Leopard.

More than likely, the Leopard box set you purchased has a version of Mac OS X that is less than the version that your computer originally shipped with.  You cannot install -- nor boot with -- a version of the operating system that is older than what the Mac originally shipped with (and more often than not, can't install even if the version numbers match -- a good rule of thumb is that you must use an install CD/DVD that has a version of Mac OS X that is _greater than_ the version originally on the computer).

Did you purchase this computer brand-new, or did you buy it used?  If used, and if the seller did not include the Software Restore disks, then it may be prudent to contact the seller and ask them to complete the purchase by including the disks.  They can't be used on another model of Macintosh anyway, and the disks should follow the computer from buyer to buyer.

If you wish to only get at the iLife portion of the bundle you purchased, use the gray-colored disks to reinstall Leopard and bring it up to date, then use the box set to install only the iLife portion.


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## dkennedy (Jun 19, 2009)

I purchased brand new in 2007 and it came with MAC OS X 10.4.10 TIGER not Leopard. 

I have the original two disk and purchased the retail version of Leopard to upgrade. I just can't upgrade, it gets to the language screen, I select English, and then it says 'Leopard cannot be installed on this computer' the same message the original poster that started this thread in 2008. Vicious cycle...


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## ElDiabloConCaca (Jun 19, 2009)

Can you verify which of the following you own?

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...k-pro-core-2-duo-2.4-17-santa-rosa-specs.html

...or...

http://www.everymac.com/systems/app...ore-2-duo-2.5-17-early-2008-penryn-specs.html

...but the Santa Rosa system (the one that shipped with Tiger) wasn't offered with 512MB of video RAM.  The Penryn one is offered with 512MB of video RAM, but it says it shipped with Leopard.

...or maybe I've got the wrong model altogether, in which case, can you pick it out from this list?

http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/macbook_pro/index-macbookpro.html

(or better yet -- find it in the MacTracker program, freely downloadable)


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## DeltaMac (Jun 19, 2009)

dkennedy - can you provide more decription of that 'cannot install on this computer' window.
Do you see that when you first start the installer, or later when you select the destination hard drive?
Which do you see - yellow triangle, or red octagon?
Are you still running Tiger now, or - have you previously upgraded to Leopard...?
How much free space do you have on the hard drive volume?


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## dkennedy (Jun 19, 2009)

It is the first link, the Santa Rosa system with the 512mb video. I just got to the Apple store for help because ever since I tried to install Leopard my system wont boot now and the Genius can't find the serial number in the system to open a ticket because he stated that my machine got re-serialized the last time it was here for service...whatever...that means...and the tech forgot to re-label...

---sent via blackberry


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## dkennedy (Jun 19, 2009)

DeltaMac said:


> dkennedy - can you provide more decription of that 'cannot install on this computer' window.
> Do you see that when you first start the installer, or later when you select the destination hard drive?
> Which do you see - yellow triangle, or red octagon?
> Are you still running Tiger now, or - have you previously upgraded to Leopard...?
> How much free space do you have on the hard drive volume?



the installer doesn't get pass the select language...so I couldn't pick the HD to install on...

I was running tiger...and tried to install Leopard...bricked my MBP it wont boot up now...I have 300gb free before trying to install leopard


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## DeltaMac (Jun 19, 2009)

Red stop sign? - or yellow triangle?

Can you click on the Options button on that screen? If so, you can choose the Archive & Install option (which is the preferred choice for upgrading to Leopard, over an upgrade install.) Others will point out that an Erase & install is the best way to avoid possible future issues with your new Leopard install...


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## Lance666 (Aug 2, 2010)

Seems we lost the OP; got his answer and split.

dkennedy:
You took over in his place, it seems. I think you are not stating this correctly. You did not buy a "Leopard Mac Box Set" because their never has been a Leopard Mac Box Set. You bought a "Snow Leopard Mac Box Set".

The "Mac Box Set" includes three DVDs: Snow Leopard, iWork, and iLife '09. The US$29 DVD of Snow Leopard is the same, but without the other application suites.

If your Mac is currently running Tiger (OS 10.4.x), you cannot upgrade directly no matter which DVD you use. The Snow Leopard installer will refuse to install over Tiger. It will install over Leopard (OS 10.5.x). Those who claim they "installed Snow Leopard over Tiger" have to finally admit that they did this by removing Tiger. Well, duh! That isn't exactly "over", now is it?

With Tiger on the computer now, you will have three choices:
[1] Erase the entire hard drive.
[2] Create a new partition to install Snow Leopard separate from Tiger. This has the advantage of allowing you to boot to your old Tiger system to use older software. To do this, you have to either boot to target disk mode, connect your Mac to another Firewire Mac that is running OS 10.5.x or 10.6.x, or boot to an OS 10.5.x or 10.6.x Install DVD. 
[3] (if your Mac has Firewire and you have enough available space on the hard drive) you can make a folder called "Previous systems", boot to target disk mode, connect your Mac to another Firewire Mac, move the Tiger folders (Applications, Library, System, and Users) into the "Previous Systems" folder, and then boot to the Snow Leopard DVD to install normally. With a non-Firewire Mac, you could do this in single user mode (UNIX command line), but it's not for the faint of heart or those with bad typing skills, as you can mess things up by typing incorrectly.


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## DeltaMac (Aug 2, 2010)

@Lance666 - where did you get your facts?
you seem to know a lot, but you did miss that dkennedy posted in June 2009, 2 months before Snow Leopard was released, and, of course, he could buy the existing Leopard box set that you claim didn't exist at that time. Apple simply continued on with the Box Set when Snow Leopard was released
I believe the box set was released shortly after the 10.5.6 update was released - along with the retail 10.5.6 install, which is the last Leopard complete install. That would have been in Jan or February 2009.
And, you can still purchase 10.5 Leopard box sets - http://compare.ebay.com/like/280540...fe71ce0&itemid=280540726932&ff4=263602_263632


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## jbarley (Aug 2, 2010)

Lance666 said:


> dkennedy:
> You took over in his place, it seems. I think you are not stating this correctly. You did not buy a "Leopard Mac Box Set" because their never has been a Leopard Mac Box Set. You bought a "Snow Leopard Mac Box Set".



I seriously dought that ' dkennedy' is still waiting around for an answer to his problem, over a year after posting it...


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