Installing Snow Leopard in TDM

[drmdavis]

I have a black, non-unibody MacBook with a gig of RAM, running tiger, so I know I can run snow leopard, but the optical drive won't read DVD's anymore. My cousin has a new MacBook Pro that I can use in the Target Disc Mode to update via snow leopard disc.

I was wondering, though, if I upgrade this way, will I still have the option to save all the files on my MacBook? I've tried to back up files on a hard drive, but the MacBook has lost the ability to write on external hard drives/install software/flash support and more... thus, the upgrade on the OS X. I don't want to upgrade if it means erasing all the files on my MacBook, there's no way to get them back.

Thanks!

 

[Doctor X]

I have a black, non-unibody MacBook with a gig of RAM, running tiger, so I know I can run snow leopard, but the optical drive won't read DVD's anymore.

1. Max the RAM--you can do that cheaply.
2. Spend $30-50 for an External DVD burner. Did that when my old Macbook's MatSHITa drive semi-died.

I was wondering, though, if I upgrade this way, will I still have the option to save all the files on my MacBook? I've tried to back up files on a hard drive, but the MacBook has lost the ability to write on external hard drives/install software/flash support and more...

Really? Why is that? You should consider getting either SuperDuper!--cost money or the FREE Carbon Copy Cloner and simply clone your drive to an External HD. You WILL have to prepare the Ex-HD--format it for Mac. A cloning program, unlike TimeMachine, will make a bootable clone--so you can actually boot off your external drive.

If you mean that Tiger is so old that programs do not recognize it, you can get earlier versions of the programs noted, clone, then upgrade. Technically, you should get your own version of Snow Leopard--which is reasonable at about $30.

I don't want to upgrade if it means erasing all the files on my MacBook, there's no way to get them back.

Upgrading should absolutely NOT destroy your data. However it is just basic safety to back up before doing anything.

--J.D.