DownloadingOS X 10.6.8 for early 2009 iMac

[Gary N]

My mom has an early 2009 iMac that some of the internet has stopped working on. We need to upgrade the system to 10.6.8 and then to 10.11. I know it will work once we get the system upgraded because I have a MacPro laptop with similar specifications that is running Sierra OS-X. Does anyone know where I can get a working copy of OS-X 10.6.8?
Thank you advance...

 

[eww7633]

My mom has an early 2009 iMac that some of the internet has stopped working on. We need to upgrade the system to 10.6.8 and then to 10.11. I know it will work once we get the system upgraded because I have a MacPro laptop with similar specifications that is running Sierra OS-X. Does anyone know where I can get a working copy of OS-X 10.6.8?
Thank you advance...

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

 

[Fishrrman]

Hmmmm.....

Couldn't you just download the El Cap installer, then use a 16gb USB flashdrive and the free app "Boot Buddy" to create a bootable USB installer?
And then use that to upgrade the iMac "directly"?

Try these URLs for a direct link to the El Cap installer:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886
https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12
(no promises they work, had them in my archives)

I believe going the above route would produce better results, or at least make the process quicker...

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

To work on the later operating systems, consider tossing an SSD into the iMac for a huge improvement and then follow what the fisho suggests. Google and ifixit will help with instructio ns and that model is reasonably easy to open up.

Also both the 20/24" models can handle up to 8GB of memory. If less than that consider an upgrade from Crucial or OWC.

 

[EugW]

An SSD would definitely make it faster, but doing the replacement isn't for the faint of heart. If she's OK with long boot up times, then it may not be absolutely necessary.

If you already have the El Capitan installer for your MacBook Pro, then you could just use that to create the USB installer for El Capitan. (I personally have kept every installer from 10.1 to 10.13, just in case.)

 

[thefriendshipmachine]

Hmmmm.....

Couldn't you just download the El Cap installer, then use a 16gb USB flashdrive and the free app "Boot Buddy" to create a bootable USB installer?
And then use that to upgrade the iMac "directly"?

Try these URLs for a direct link to the El Cap installer:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886
https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12
(no promises they work, had them in my archives)

I believe going the above route would produce better results, or at least make the process quicker...

if you do this make sure to format the USB drive with a GUID partition scheme and to use carbon copy cloner to restore the dmg (mount it first) to the thumb drive. Images restored in disk utility aren't always bootable.

 

[Fishrrman]

"if you do this make sure to format the USB drive with a GUID partition scheme and to use carbon copy cloner to restore the dmg (mount it first) to the thumb drive. Images restored in disk utility aren't always bootable."

"dmg" has NO relevance to what I posted above at all.
If the installer app is in the applications folder, it's not in dmg format.

Just use Boot Buddy to select it and install it onto the USB flashdrive.

CarbonCopyCloner has no place in this at all.