Installing Snow Leopard (and Rosetta) into Parallels on modern Intel Macs

[gilby101]

Hello, besides SL Server and Clienr, what other OS X versions can be emulated in Virtualbox, Parralells or VMWare Fusion ?

Strictly speaking it is not emulation. But in partial answer to your question:

VMWare Fusion 11.5 (current version) supports:
OS X Server 10.5 and 10.6
OS X/macOS 10.7 to 10.15

Fusion has never supported OS X Server 10.4 or earlier.

As you are aware from this thread the OS X (not server) 10.6 can be made to run under Parallels and Fusion, but this is not supported for Apple licensing reasons.

You can find recipes online for making OS X 10.4 and 10.5 work with Fusion - similar steps to those in this thread for 10.6.

I can't find Parallels list of supported client versions or what can be made to run.

OS X and macOS have always been somewhat difficult (and very slow) under VirtualBox, but my understanding is that at least some versions of VB don't protect you from breaking Apples EULA.

Older versions of OS X (pre 10.4) did not run on Intel hardware and so can't be made to run under VB, Parallels or Fusion. If it were possible it would require the PowerPC instruction set to be emulated on Intel hardware.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Strictly speaking it is not emulation. But in partial answer to your question:

VMWare Fusion 11.5 (current version) supports:
OS X Server 10.5 and 10.6
OS X/macOS 10.7 to 10.15

Fusion has never supported OS X Server 10.4 or earlier.

As you are aware from this thread the OS X (not server) 10.6 can be made to run under Parallels and Fusion, but this is not supported for Apple licensing reasons.

You can find recipes online for making OS X 10.4 and 10.5 work with Fusion - similar steps to those in this thread for 10.6.

I can't find Parallels list of supported client versions or what can be made to run.

OS X and macOS have always been somewhat difficult (and very slow) under VirtualBox, but my understanding is that at least some versions of VB don't protect you from breaking Apples EULA.

Older versions of OS X (pre 10.4) did not run on Intel hardware and so can't be made to run under VB, Parallels or Fusion. If it were possible it would require the PowerPC instruction set to be emulated on Intel hardware.

understood, all I want to do is run 32 bit stuff. MacMame, for example is 32 bit. I was able to get 10.6 to install under virtualbox, but I think I have server somewhere. Thank you for explanation.

 

[MichaelLAX]

2020 Update: Snow Leopard (client) and Parallels 15: Apparently Parallels "breaks" the ability to boot Snow Leopard client, as modified below, on versions of Parallels sometime around version 10 or 11.

IvanExpert has recently posted his updated method to install Snow Leopard client into Parallels 15 here and I just upgraded to Parallels 15.1.4 and it works like a charm! This renders my Snow Leopard client instructions above obsolete; so use Ivan's method (6/24/2020).

I will keep this thread open for future comments, question, etc. since Ivan's blog does not accept comments.

 

[Ivan X]

Thanks, Michael! I thought I'd mention that I just tried out what I wrote up using Parallels 16.0.0, and it continued to work well.

 

[MichaelLAX]

OK, Ivan; I will update the initial post on this thread! Good work!

PS: a member of this forum from Australia is having me guide him in your process as he is stuck between Steps 2 and 3.

 

[spanish2]

Hi, part 2 step 4 of Ivans method, the hard disk 2 shows up quickly then disappears. I did set hard disk 2 to 20gb as instructed. I then proceeded with the instructions, however the Hard disk 3 shows as Hard disk 2 when I continue with the tutorial. after opening finder I see only two macintosh hd present. not sure what went wrong. I used Mac OS Mojave installer app to begin with. I am also on High Sierra officially. Just trying to set up an ancient Apple airport base Graphite. seems like it can only be configured using snow leopard. please help.

 

[gilby101]

Just trying to set up an ancient Apple airport base Graphite

I hope this is just for the challenge of getting it working. You do realise how slow it is by today's standards. Maximum of 10 mbps.

That is not what you asked, I know. I am a VMWare Fusion user of Snow Leopard.

 

[spanish2]

I hope this is just for the challenge of getting it working. You do realise how slow it is by today's standards. Maximum of 10 mbps.

That is not what you asked, I know. I am a VMWare Fusion user of Snow Leopard.

lol yes I know... just want to get it working and really see how slow it is.

 

[MichaelLAX]

TBH: I have only done Ivan's installation method once, to show myself that it works.

It is SO much easier to install Snow Leopard Server into Parallels and operate it there the same as Snow Leopard.

Have you tried to call Apple and purchase a copy, as indicated in the first post?

 

[Edisrevir]

I am running Parallels 16 on my 2014 MacBook Pro (Mojave) and have an older 2007 MacBook Pro with Snow Leopard on it. Is it possible to make a copy of Snow Leopard on a USB from the older MacBook and install it using Ivan's procedures? I am only looking to run Quicken for Mac 2007 using Snow Leopard. How much space should be allocated to allow for this? Not that tech savy so any assistance appreciated...

 

[MichaelLAX]

There is an "Intel" version (16.2.4) of Quicken 2007 that I use almost daily in High Sierra. Intuit used to sell it for $15.

Versions of Quicken for Mac after 2007 were based on the inferior Quicken Essentials, so I am very happy to continue to use Quicken 2007.

 

[Edisrevir]

The version of Quicken for Mac 2007 I have is 16.0.1 and it will not run on software after Snow Leopard. I haven't been able to find a copy of the later 2007 version that will run past Snow Leopard.

I do agree that Quicken for Mac 2007 is superior to later versions. In fact I did a trial of the 2020 software and found that the Mac version was lacking in reporting for investments and I had to enter prices for stocks multiple times as it did not automatically input a price that was already in the system. Just wondering MichaelLax are you still able to download quotes for stocks and mutual funds in the version you are using?

 

[MichaelLAX]

I have not used Quicken for my stock investments since 2000, after the "tech bubble" burst, but I think they did stop supporting online stock price acquisition. I believe you can still use it for all of your stock purchases and sales and periodically manually enter a day's stock prices and Quicken 2007 will give you all of the robust stock information you need.

The version of Quicken 2007 you have was written for the PPC era of the Mac and when Apple switched to Intel, they included the transparent Rosetta translator in OS X Tiger, Leopard and Snow Leopard. Lion and thereafter does not include Rosetta.

Let us both do some research on how to acquire Quicken 2007 for Intel.

 

[MichaelLAX]

Not that I am looking to move away from Quicken 2007, I did find this interesting post:

https://robservatory.com/my-choice-for-a-quicken-2007-replacement/

 

[one1]

I have read through several pages and don't see my issue, but this is definitely the right place.

I'd love to figure out why I can't apply an update to a fresh install of 10.8. The combo is downloaded, but refuses to install (error 6 n the log?). Anyone have any ideas?

MBA 2015
Parallels 16
OSX 10.8
Screen shots below:

 

[Macbookprodude]

Hi,

things like this can be resolved with maybe a PRAM reset or just rebooting and trying again.

 

[one1]

I went to /library/updates and manually mounted the update, but unfortunately I cannot help future persons with why it wasn't allowing it. There was nothing else I could have done out of the top ten things one would normally do.

 

[DeltaMac]

@one1:
I see (rare) glitches from older system updates through the App Store, too.
You can also download that combined updater directly from the Apple support page - https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1676. (Download from that page, and run the installer package. You don't need the App Store at all for that!)
Strange problem with your App Store. Maybe it was a permissions/ownership mismatch. Glad to see that you figured out a solution. (Suggest trying a Disk Utility/Repair Permissions - just as a final step)
For the future - there might be some issue with the early versions of 10.8 system, and you simply had a glitch from that install.
(If I have problems with updates on a fresh install, I will sometimes do another erase/install - with that idea that first install needs another start)
Do you have a copy of the last installer for Mountain Lion? That would get you to 10.8.5 on a fresh install, and the combined updater would simply finish things up. I think all you would have left would be Safari and iTunes updates, and Security update. I just reinstalled Mountain Lion a few days ago, using the 10.8.5 full installer. It errors out with an iTunes update, but the proper iTunes installer that works is easy to find on the Apple support pages.

 

[MichaelLAX]

This is the wrong thread for support of installing Mt. Lion (OS X 10.8) into Parallels.

The point of this thread is to install Snow Leopard or Snow Leopard Server (OS X 10.6), into Parallels, so that you can gain access to running PowerPC apps through the use of Rosetta.

Good luck!

 

[Ivan X]

If anyone still cares, I just walked through the steps again on Monterey 12.2 (as the initial guest OS) and Parallels 17.1.1, and they still work.

 

[MichaelLAX]

If anyone still cares, I just walked through the steps again on Monterey 12.2 (as the initial guest OS) and Parallels 17.1.1, and they still work.

I plan on finally upgrading to Apple Silicon on the next release of the Mac Mini and it looks like I will be forced to continue to run Quicken for Mac 2007 in some earlier version of OS X in Parallels.

I currently run it on my 2011 Mac Mini in High Sierra.

 

[gilby101]

I plan on finally upgrading to Apple Silicon on the next release of the Mac Mini and it looks like I will be forced to continue to run Quicken for Mac 2007 in some earlier version of OS X in Parallels.

I currently run it on my 2011 Mac Mini in High Sierra.

Better keep your old Mini. Apple Silicon won’t run old (intel) OS X in a VM.

 

[Ivan X]

Better keep your old Mini. Apple Silicon won’t run old (intel) OS X in a VM.

Right. When I go Apple silicon, my plan is to keep an Intel Windows box and an Intel Mac with Snow Leopard (or a VM containing one) on the network, and VNC or RDP into them when I need.

If your desire is to run something newer than High Sierra, and still be able to run Quicken 2007 in Parallels, OpenCore Legacy Patcher might do the trick for Big Sur or Monterey, while dosdude1 offers Mojave and Catalina. Or you could buy the still-being-sold Intel mini before it's replaced by an Apple silicon model.

Also, if you have the "Lion-compatible" (meaning, Intel-native) version of Quicken 2007, it's a lot easier to install a version of macOS that is Lion through Mojave, which Parallels supports. However I never found the Intel-native version of Quicken 2007 to be 100% stable, so there might be a case for Snow Leopard in a VM, running the latest PowerPC version.

Out of curiosity, what is it that Quicken 2007 can do that current-day Quicken can't? (And if subscription pricing is a concern, I believe current-day Quicken will still let you use it after your first year subscription expires, if it was at the standard or deluxe tier, though without any online integration, cloud tools, etc; it's only suitable for manual entry, but I'd think at this point Quicken 2007 would be too.)

 

[MichaelLAX]

Better keep your old Mini. Apple Silicon won’t run old (intel) OS X in a VM.

Thank you for that tip. I planned to keep it as well as I have it setup in a separate partition to be able to run Snow Leopard natively when needed.

 

[MichaelLAX]

UPDATED: Answering Ivan’s last paragraph: check out this post of a updated Quicken user who answers that very question: How I Learned to Love Quicken Deluxe and Give Up on the Past

I have to study his article and the comments below the article to decide to upgrade. I actually purchased a copy of Quicken Deluxe 2019 on eBay but I had to refund it when the authorization code would not work.

BTW: I have not had troubles with Quicken 2007 stabilility using the latest updated version available running in High Sierra. I use version 16.2.4 of Quicken 2007 for Mac (Build 25.886.100).