How To Boot Snow Leopard into 64-bit Mode

Even though Mac OS X Snow Leopard is a 64-bit operating system, by default it boots into 32-bit mode, but the apps run in 64-bit. Here's how to boot the system itself into 64-bit mode.

Terminal Command to check your EFI:
ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• mac os x
• snow leopard
• terminal
• 64 bit
• boot
• efi

[SuperPhg]

step 1 get a mac pro

step 2 be happy

[DanWantsTech]

@SuperPhg oh how I'd love to, bit expensive though. Just a slight problem ;)

[benthemiester]

Does the 6 and 4 keys work even if your not using an official Apple keyboard and do you have to do this every time you want to open up in 64 bit. Last question how do I know it actually worked?

[DanWantsTech]

@benthemiester it should work on any keyboard that works with your Mac, and yes, unfortunately you'll have to do it every time, but since i've made this video there's increasingly less need to actually do this because most apps Apple make are in 64bit already, it's just really for people with Mac Pros.

And you'll know it worked because it should take much longer to start up :)

[derkakid1]

What if I want to boot 32bit mode from 64? Just shutdown and hold 3, and 2?

[DanWantsTech]

@derkakid1 just restart and it should automatically default to 32 bit...

if not, ye i suppose you could try 3 and 2 :P

[calcalownz]

nice vid

[unboxingaddict]

thanks for the vid !

[ThemastergeekGuy]

I think this guy is trolling us.....

[2Cool4Games]

@campaingboy73 yes 

[campaingboy73]

i have an intel core i5 processor will this work?

[benthemiester]

Yeah I get it, but since I have 4 gigs of ram and supposedly 32 bit kernel only accesses 3.2 gigs (or something like that) I just wanted to see if that small differential would make things a little more snappier. When I upgrade my audio recording program I will be booting into 64 bit but for other technical reasons. Thanks for the info.  PS. When I tried the 6-4 boot it actually booted up noticeably quicker. Ill try again later. Maybe I didn't press keys long enough.

[HapplyFace]

@DanWantsTech lol 32 Gb RAM! My computor has a 6 Gb limit! And all the newest ones have a 16 Gb RAM limit. So this is really only for the mac pros?