Partitioning Mac OSX retrospectively

[jen147mac]

URGENT - Can anyone please help - I'm currently using Mac OSX Snow Leopard - recently upgraded - and it appears that 'overnight' Adobe 'CS3 Suite' is no longer supported by this version.
I really have no need to upgrade from CS3 - and simply can't afford it right now.

I still have my disks for my previous system OSX 10.5.

Question - Can I re-install my old OSX 10.5.3 system - by the partitioning method. If so, can someone tell me how to do this - but 'retrospectively' so to speak.

Most advice online assumes that I'm running the earlier software and wish to 'add' Snow Leopard via the partition process. But . . . . . .

I'm running Snow Leopard and wish to re-install OSX 10.5.3 to run in tandem / as an option, which I assume will then allow me to continue using Adobe CS3.

I'm looking for a knight in shining armour - are you out there, and can you help this damsel in distress?

Jenni

[Turboladdade]

CS3 should work just fine on Snow Leopard. What is the exact error message you get?

[jen147mac]

Hi - thanks for you reply. No error messages as such. All I can suggest is what appears to be incompatibility - read on.

I can open Illustrator from the programme icon or any file.
Once on screen ALL drop down menu options are in faded grey - not black - so not live / useable.
Hence can't do anything with the program at all.
Also noticeable is that the Adobe box that always appears on screen prompting me to upgrade, etc. only shows an orange button.
The other two - red and green - don't appear.
I also have to force quit illlustrator.

All of the above occurred after Friday midnight - seemingly coinciding with the 'notice' I found on the web telling me that "Adobe CS3 is no longer supported by Snow Leopard".
I'm guessing this is hot off the press - has just been implemented - or so it seems.
Problem appeared around Sunday lunchtime when I logged in next.

All other software on my iMac is functioning properly - just not CS3 - hence my assuming the "no longer supporting" message I found online is valid / correct.

Based on the above & assuming support is no longer offered - is partitioning the answer? Any ideas?

If I can retrospectively partition - at least I can see if the old system will revive CS3.
What do you think?

Jenni

PS - I had to upgrade my eBay 'GarageSale' software for SnowLeopard - the menus on the older Garage Sale, pre-upgrade, also had drop down menus in 'faded grey'.

[Turboladdade]

I mean some quick Googling shows CS3 is "unsupported" in the sense that Adobe will not offer you technical support. Everyone says it still runs fine. Did you check to see if there are updates to CS3 you yet need to install?

Snow Leopard and CS3 is pretty old BTW - and you said you just upgraded to Snow Leopard? From what?

[mark_42]

Hi Jenni,

First make a bootable backup of your drive (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper come to mind). Boot from the clone (hold the option key down while booting) and repartition your original boot drive. Re-clone your backup to one partition and install the older OS on the other.

Mark

[Turboladdade]

First make a bootable backup of your drive (Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper come to mind).

You can do that with Disk Utility, no need for third-party software.

[mark_42]

I recall that it's possible, just a bit convoluted and requires a lot of spare disk space. Then again I haven't looked into this in many years, so could you provide a quick rundown of the process?

[Turboladdade]

You would first attach an external hard drive, partition it as a Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) volume, then choose "Restore" and make the internal hard drive the source and the external the destination. Then you can boot from the external by restarting and holding down "Option" and choosing the external, then format the internal one however you like using the same Disk Utility.

I still don't think any of that is a good idea, because CS3 should work fine in Snow Leopard and there's probably something else going on.

[jen147mac]

Hi guys,

You've all been absolute stars with your enthusiasm and advice. For the sheer hell of it, I tried the program late this afternoon and - hey presto!
It appears there was some kind of glitch that appears to have cleared itself.

The only thing I did recently - Friday - was change my password on my Adobe account - they reported a massive hack and recommended this in a recent email.
However I binned it - was getting some suspicious emails at the time - appx 2 weeks ago - so played it safe, as it appeared in my Junk box.
In changing my password and user name, I wonder if there was a lead in time, or my being frozen out, or similar, while this was verified, for my own protection!
This is me guessing wildly / grasping the air for some kind of logic - or it was simply a coincidence.

Any way all is good right now and yes CS3 is fine with Snow Leopard.

Again - thanks all, for your input, I can't speak highly enough of this Apple community.
If I need advice in the future, I know I'm in safe hands.

Jenni x

[Turboladdade]

I would guess something more like a corrupt preferences file or something that was cleared away and replace with a new one. Anyways, glad it's working now!

[jen147mac]

Hi - I did a CS3 'repair / re-install' prior to posting the cry for help - but the end product of that exercise didn't remove the problem with immediate effect - something I thought it may do.
But, as you say, now its working again, I can get on with my work - was working to catch up on lost time until 4am this morning - UK time.

Thanks again for 'caring'.

Jenni x