Since Lion's release, we've been collecting tips on reverting changes found in Lion back to behavior found in Snow Leopard. Now some might argue its better to get used to the stock installation, but if that's not you, here are the tips we've seen.

scroll1
Natural Scroll: This change seems to have generated the most outcry. In Lion, Apple has reversed the normal scrolling direction for trackpads and scroll wheels. In the past, the metaphor has been that swiping down has caused the page to scroll up. Now, swiping down means scrolling down. It takes a few days to get used to, but if you can't there's an option to revert back.

Key Repeat: @mikeindustries (requires Terminal):

To turn off Lion's stupid ban on key repeating, quit apps and type "defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool false" in Terminal.

New Window Animations: @tomasf (requires Terminal):

Want to turn off window opening animations in Lion? defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSAutomaticWindowAnimationsEnabled -bool NO

Don't Save: @tomasf (requires Terminal):

Restore ⌘D to mean "Don't Save" in Lion! defaults write NSGlobalDomain NSSavePanelStandardDesktopShortcutOnly -bool YES

Resume: Disable resume in Lion.

Spaces: Assigning apps to one space or all spaces.

classic mail
Classic Mail: Lion's Mail takes on a distinct iOS look, but the classic Mac OS X Mail look is available through a checkbox preference in Mail.

Front Row: Mad Hatter has instructions on how to re-enable FrontRow on Lion, though we've heard some mixed results about it working. - Use at your own risk, we've heard it has caused problems.

LimeiBook86 posts some instructions which duplicate ones we have shown here, but also includes restoring Finder Window's Path and Status Bar as well as turning off Dashboard as a space.

Top Rated Comments

Tastydirt Avatar
179 months ago
Anyone figure out how to make the mouse wake the computer from sleep? This is a major annoyance for me.

Just requires a click instead of mouse movement for me, IMO this is much better as it greatly reduces the chance of accidentally waking your Mac up.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ChrisH3677 Avatar
179 months ago
The most stupidest things that i ever hear is articles "how make new thing work like old". Apple always was company with advanced technology. If Apple change something they always know why and because.

The most stupidest things that i ever hear is people who blindly accept everything Apple does as the best way.

Just because Apple "know why and because" they've made a change, doesn't make it right. And certainly not right for everyone.

Check your EULA. There is no condition of owning Apple products that you must agree with and like everything Apple does.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kolax Avatar
179 months ago
"Turn off Lion's stupid ban on key repeating"?? I you kidding me?? :eek: This is the one of the small and useful function, than F.. Windows will never had.

It's a reasonable thing that people would want to turn again.

"Disable resume in Lion"! :eek: Sure! Thank Steve, that you add disable function for your new great OS, now all people around the world can turn it off!! Btw who can tell me how to disable stupidest touchscreen on my iPad?

Resume might be useful to some, but I don't want my last used things to reappear when I re-open that app. Might have personal stuff there, or open a document that you don't want to work on, so you end up having to close it anyway.

So, dear Mac users, if you are true :apple: user remember - all new functions is always look strange (because they new), but after some time, you will accustomed and THIS new functions became a great canyon between your Mac and others pfsht.

I'm not a 'true' Apple user by your definition, but I'm a power user. And small changes like ones described here can really interrupt my workflow. Whether I have to "re-learn" isn't always the case, I've got my workflow adapted to how previous OS X versions worked. Lion has changed a lot of that, some for the better, some of the worse.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GSPice Avatar
179 months ago
Here's an idea, rather than make Lion act like Snow Leopard. Stick to Snow Leopard.
Answers like this don't require any critical thinking or intellectual honesty. It's the kind of stuff people skip over in google's search results.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AAPLaday Avatar
179 months ago
Some people really don't like change, now do they?

Only if its for the better ;)
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
John.B Avatar
179 months ago
If you have slow Mac don't install Lion! Or upgrade the Mac
Maybe you didn't get the memo, but there are seriously cool security enhancements in Lion as well as that whole iCloud thing coming in iOS 5 in September, not to mention document revisions and a very cool new implementation of FileVault. Just to name a few.

I'll never understand people who insist on dictating how others should use their computers... :rolleyes:
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...