With
Apple's App Store becoming the easiest, fastest, and safest way to
install apps on your Mac, the need for installing software from a
physical medium like DVDs is starting to become a thing of the past.
However from time to time you may still find yourself needing to install
an application from a CD or DVD that you have. Say for example if you
have a retail version of an Apple product that has since been moved
solely to the App Store. If you’ve ever tried to install a newer
application on an older Apple computer, you may have run into some
problems. In this tutorial I’ll be showing you two ways you can try that
will allow you to install newer applications on an older Apple
computer.
Installing Newer Apple Software on an Older Mac
Introduction:
When I purchased my MacBook Pro in 2009, the version of OS X it
shipped with was 10.5 Leopard. I updated to 10.6 Snow Leopard, and
finally to 10.8 Mountain Lion. I did a clean install of Mountain Lion on
my MacBook Pro, but the iLife application suite that came standard with
10.5 Leopard has since been moved to the Apple App Store as individual
downloads. While the prices for the individual apps are very reasonable,
you may be hesitant to purchase them when you already have a legal OEM
copy that came with your Mac, like I was.
I have unfortunately lost the iLife Install disc that came with my
MacBook Pro, but I do have the disc that came with my 2011 model iMac. I
attempted to install Garagband from the iLife disk that shipped with my
iMac, as I wasn’t using them on that machine and the End User License
Agreement allows for multiple installs for a single user on all the
different machines you own. As I was running the installer, I ran into
this error, telling me that I was unable to install the software on my
machine: The Package Installer Will Not Allow You To Install On A Machine That Is Not Included In The Approved Hardware List It Checks
Doing some research I found that this is because the installer
package is checking my MacBook Pro’s Model Identifier number against a
list of approved hardware models as part of Apple quality control.
Because the iLife disc shipped with a newer iMac, which in turn has a
newer Model Identifier number, I am seemingly unable to install the
software on my older MacBook Pro. And because I haven't purchased
Garagband through the App Store with my Apple ID, I would have to
purchase it new if I couldn’t install if from my OEM CD that shipped
with my iMac.
Manual Install
Fortunately there is an easy work around for this problem. The
Installer package is checking the Model Identifier number of my MacBook
Pro against the list of approved hardware Models, but if you look at the
size of the Installer Package by selecting the package, right clicking
and selecting Show Info, or by pressing the keyboard shortcut Command+I,
you can see that the installer package doesn’t actually contain all the
installable files. This means that if you can bypass the installer
package, and thus bypass the Model Identifier check, you will be able to
install the software you have on disc and not have to repurchase it in
the Apple App Store.
If you show the hidden files of OS X
by using a third party app such as InvisibliX, or by typing in a
terminal command, you will see that the actual installer packages are
contained in a hidden folder on the disc. The Individual Package Installers Are Contained In a Hidden Folder On The Disc All The Packages For The Various Applications Are Available To Manually Install
If you click on an individual installer, you will then be able get
passed the welcome page and be able to install the application as
normal. This is the easiest way be able to install your software on an
Apple computer that is not in the list of approved models that the
installer package checks against. Keep in mind that you will have to
manually install all the packages that the installer package would
otherwise install for you behind the scenes. You Will Need To Manually Install All The Packages For The Application You Are Wanting To Install
Using Third Party Applications
Another way that you can do this process a bit more streamlined is to
use a third party app, such as Pacifist. Pacifist is an application
that will inspect an installer package and allow you to do various
tasks, which include installing all or individual parts of an install
bundle. This is more in line with the way a traditional Package
Installer works, in that it will install all the associated packages for
you. Using A Third Party App Like Pacifist Will Streamline The
Install Process By Installing All The Associated Packages For A Selected
Application
Either way you decide to install the applications, manually or using a
third party app like Pacifist, once they are installed on your machine,
you will then be able to download any available updates that are
available for them through the App Store or by running Software Update
by clicking on Apple > Software Update... In the Menu Bard just like any other application on your Mac. Once You Have Installed The Application You Can Run Software Update To Download Available Updates From The App Store
Conclusion
Having a hard copy of your applications is a good way to make sure
you can reinstall your apps, but as newer hardware comes out, you may
find yourself unable to install the apps you already own. In this
tutorial I have shown you two ways to get around the Model Identifier
check that Apple has put into its OEM software discs; by manually
installing the hidden application packages, or by using a third party
app such as Pacifist.
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