Install Lion On Unsupported Mac

Mac Pro 2006 MacPro1,1 (kext not required) Mac Pro 2007 MacPro2,1 (kext not required) For ATI graphics card, i do not have a Mac to test them, I believe its the same, try ATIRadeonX1000.kext, ATIRadeonX1000GL.bundle, ATIRadeonX1000VA.bundle and report back. In this video I show you how to install OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion on an unsupported computer using VMWare Fusion. This is method is not as good as actually ha.

An AppleScript and command line based tool that offers you the possibility to install OS X Yosemite on unsupported Macs with 32-bit processors

What's new in SFOTT 1.4.4:

Add curl to the Key

Read the full changelog

Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite can be installed only on certain Apple computers that come with 64-bit support which means, that if you have an older, 32-bit model you cannot run the latest OS.

SFOTT is an AppleScript utility designed to help you prepare a USB disk or media storage device for installing Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite on unsupported 32-bit Macs.

The script is based on a boot.efi developed by Tiamo at MacRumors, and its goal is to automate the key creation.

Make sure your Mac can support the respective OS

Before you get started, verify that you have installed the SFOTT app on the target Mac, that you have downloaded the Yosemite installer, and that you have a USB drive connected to your computer (a 8GB USB should be enough).

In some cases, some upgrades, such as changing the graphics card, or adding more RAM, can make your Mac compatible with the Yosemite OS X, even if it's not officially supported.

Note that you must decide on your own if this is the case, and that the unsupported OS installation might lead to data loss or to breaking your Mac.

Adjust the SFOTT settings via the Terminal and generate keys for the target computer

Once installed, the SFOTT script can be launched from the Utilities folder included in the Applications directory.

In a Terminal window you can see details about the current computer, about the current configuration settings, and if you have a 32-bit or 64-bit firmware. Even though you can change the configuration settings, it is advisable to run the SFOTT app on the target computer.

SFOTT offers you the possibility to generate new URB or media keys for the Yosemite installation step by step or in autorun mode.

To make sure everything works properly, check out the online SFOTT documentation made available by the developer, or the Read Me file included in the archive.

Install the latest OS X releases on your unsupported 32-bit Mac

To conclude, SFOTT can help you prepare for installing OS X Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite on unsupported Mac computers.

Install Mountain Lion On Unsupported Mac

The overall procedure is explained in detail by the script’s developer, but you still need to judge on your own if your Mac can support the OS or not.

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SFOTT

Upgrade Unsupported Mac

was reviewed by Iulia Ivan

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SFOTT 1.4.4

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runs on:: Mac OS X 10.6 or later (Intel only)
file size:: 14.7 MB
filename:: SFOTT_install_Yosemite_beta.dmg
main category:: System Utilities
developer:
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Install Mountain Lion On Unsupported Mac

I know this is not a common scenario, but for the few people that upgraded a Mac originally equipped with a Core Duo processor to a Core 2 Duo processor, here is the procedure. I have an iMac version 4,1 that I upgraded years ago, and it worked. The person who found the solution had an upgraded Mac Mini. You will need a second computer that is Lion capable for this tip to work.
As always, Make sure you have a backup of the original install! This worked for me, but always be prepared for the worst.
I made, and used, a Lion Mac OS X Install ESD on a thumb drive. Instructions to make one can be found all over the Mac centric web sites. Then follow this procedure:

Put the unsupported Mac in Target Disk mode and plug it into a Lion supported Mac.
Run the Lion installer and make sure to choose your unsupported Mac's hard drive. Let the install finish.
Boot back into the supported Mac's OS, and put the unsupported Mac back to target disk mode.
Delete the PlatformSupport.plist at /System/Library/CoreServices on the unsupported Mac's hard drive.
Reboot the Unsupported Mac and it should boot into Lion normally.

[crarko adds: I don't have the equipment to try this, but it seems plausible. As recommended in the hint, have a complete system backup handy in case something goes awry.]