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You are here: MacNN Forums > Software - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac OS X > Moving from PPC to Intel >> Question about Universal Binary apps

Moving from PPC to Intel >> Question about Universal Binary apps
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Jan 24, 2008, 05:56 AM
 
I am about to upgrade from my PowerBook G4 to an Intel based MacBook.

I will be moving all my data (apps, files etc) from the PowerBook via the Time Machine. You get this option when running Leopard for the first time

Question is: Will the Universal Binary apps be transferred across in "PPC mode" or will I have to re-run the executables for the package to detect it's an Intel platform?

Does this make sense?

I don't want to have my UB apps running in emulation when they should be native.

Thanks for any help
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Jan 24, 2008, 06:11 AM
 
The answer is: it depends.
If you fire up the Activity Monitor it will show you if an app is running in PPC emulation mode or coded for the Intel chip. You may have to activate the "Kind" column to see them.
     
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Jan 24, 2008, 06:35 AM
 
Thanks for the advice, Sherman.

So if on the new machine, the app is (through activity monitor) is running in emulation, the "kind" will be powerpc?

If this is the case, and the installer is a UB, then it would make sense to un-install, and then run the installer again, which should then detect the Intel architecture?

Thanks again
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Jan 24, 2008, 06:52 AM
 
That is the deal. Just as an example, we had Quark 7 installed on G5s. We migrated to MacPros and Quark came across as PowerPC code. The Quark update was over 350 megs big(!) but when it was done, there was Quark running Intel native without re-installing, re-registering anything. On the other hand, Adobe CS2 turned into a bomb factory and had to be re-installed.
     
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Jan 24, 2008, 08:32 AM
 
If it is a Universal Binary, but it is running in PPC mode, get info on the application (Command-I) And uncheck "Run in rosetta."

If the application isn't a universal Binary (like CS2) It will never run as an Intel app, so you can't do anything about it.
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Jan 24, 2008, 09:47 AM
 
Cool - so it's as simple as that?

I assume the "Run in Rosetta" option becomes visible in the get info dialogue box on Intel macs only
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Jan 24, 2008, 09:58 AM
 
Yup.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
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Jan 24, 2008, 10:23 AM
 
Cool - thanks to you all
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Jan 25, 2008, 02:19 PM
 
Try migration assistant to move your information. I haven't tried Time Machine to restore a machine, but it can't be much easier then migration assistant.
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Jan 25, 2008, 11:37 PM
 
Most installers & applications keep the Intel and the PPC versions bundled together. There are very few apps (can't even think of a specific example) where only the platform-specific version is installed but the other isn't.
     
   
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