Jul 16, 2014 - Note: Before starting this tutorial, ensure that you have a USB drive with at least 8GB of storage as well as a Snow Leopard retail DVD or disk image. Creating a Snow Leopard USB Boot Drive Using Disk Utility. Restoring the Mac OS X install DVD to the USB drive.

Just reporting that I updated to 10.6.8 with no problems. Backed up entire Macbook with Time Machine and then used Disk Utility to verify permissions. Afterwards I verified the disk and once everything was OK I then went and updated everything EXCEPT 10.6.8. Rebooted, emptied trash and reverified permissions and then verified the disk. Closed all applications and downloaded the 10.6.8 COMBO update. I then installed it. Once I was back in I then (again) used Disk Utility to verify permissions, correct problems and then I verified the disk with DU as well.

At that point I began checking that everything worked. USB ports: OK. VLC player and iTunes: OK. Battery charging? Everything worked out fine and so far. I allowed the battery to drop to 25% and then I plugged in the laptop and it recharged to 100%.

The update has been very smooth and no problems so far. Very fast machine. Firefox 6 working a treat as is Safari. No delays, so slow downs, no nada.

Apple video editing laptops. So I know there are quite a few people struggling with HP Sandy Bridge dv7 laptops out there and this combo update. I finally got mine to boot, fixed resolution using Intel HD3000 (still no ATI 6770, but for others with slightly different gpus you might be in luck since the latest chimera seems to support them all but mine) QE/CI works as well so you can run nice graphics at real screen resolution. I also got ethernet working, power management (although fan doesn't seem to ever fully quit entirely during idle. I have USB 2 (I believe USB 3 hung my system, haven't tried it again), both internal disks (but they always registered) and a host of other niceties but still no wifi, audio or discrete gpu. I should also mention, I made my own dsdt (which I can provide for dv7-6195 based mods) but still have to boot with -v busratio=20 cpus=1. Without these automatic kernel panic (also had one while fiddling around in OS so not out of the woods yet.) However, I have had it up and running for most of the night as I became acquainted with OS (this is my first Mac, although I plan on getting the missus MBA soon, and can use Lion upgrade) I will post tutorial of what I did, and what I plan to do, but right now need to get some shut eye. Its taken me well over a month so I hope I can assist someone else from avoiding the agony I have had to endure.

Next time I will build a customac because trying to spec a laptop to match MBP isn't the best approach. Cheers to Tony, MacMan, netkas, etc. For blazing the trail so we can all bask in the OSX glory!