[X4U] Leopard Install from retail version (Solved by reinstall OS)

[John Erdman]

> IIRC you started with 10.4.8 and did an upgrade install using the retail version of 10.5 . . .and then Software Update didn't work. By original DVD…does that mean you reinstalled 10.4 then upgraded to 10.5 with the retail DVD or did you just do a new install of 10.5 using the retail DVD? IF the latter; then it sounds like something was amiss with the original 10.4 install.

 Yr memory is correct I don't know why it didn't work the first time either,. When I reinstalled from the DVD, I did it over the 10.5.1 that I had just installed. I did not reinstall Tiger first. Tiger was the factory installation and had been updated 3 or 4 times.  I hadn't worked on the computer for a while so I couldn't say whether there were any symptoms of the install problem. My wife couldn't remember anything either (tho she doesn't do any maintenance tasks?)

I'm curious. Why does this sequence lead you to the conclusion that the problem probably lay with the Tiger. I'd have thought that the DVD Leopard install would have wiped all that out. 



> I gave up on upgrade installs a long time ago…not because they don't work (they usually do) but because since the installer doesn't really know what you have installed you can easily end up with old cruft mixed in with the new stuff. My standard new version install consists of (1) disk maintenance with Disk Utility followed by whatever other commercial utilities you have (DiskWarrior, Drive Genius, TechTool, whatever); (2) clone the drive with SuperDuper just in case, and (3) Archive and install with preserve network settings checked. Before I do any of that I make a list of all installed extras in System Preferences, login items, and other always running utilities so I know what to reinstall if they break or what to selectively disable if strange things happen until they're updated.
> 


Neil this is a priceless process description. I've read several articles on the subject and never seen it spelled out so clearly and succinctly. I will keep a copy for future reference.

Thanks for yr help.

John