If you have macOS Sierra (the current macOS version), you can upgrade straight to High Sierra without doing any other software installations. If you are running Lion (version 10.7.5), Mountain. In Apple’s case, the company has been dealing with quite a few bugs in their updates as of late. The latest High Sierra update, 10.13.1, effectively disabled a security patch released by Apple.
Say hello to macOS 10.13 High Sierra, the new operating system for Mac desktops and notebooks that brings some impressive under-the-hood refinements. If you were expecting some big overhauls, chances are you’ll be disappointed at a first view. But look closer and you’ll discover the fine details that amount to a better user experience and more power for your Mac.
Upgrading to macOS High Sierra is seamlessly simple, taking up little time and almost no effort. And with the upgrade guide we’ve prepared, you’re going to be running the new OS in no time.
Why you should upgrade to macOS High Sierra
The team at Apple went right on target, tweaking those features and apps that promise to be in the spotlight in the near future. With a new and improved AFPS file system, a faster browser (which promises to be the fastest on the market), stellar graphics, better gaming capabilities, and VR support, macOS 10.13 is definitely here to make a stand.
To really give your Mac a boost, upgrading to the new High Sierra is kind of mandatory. Think only about how much space you’ll save with the new operating system that compresses video up to 40% more. macOS High Sierra also comes with an improved Photos app, that now offers professional editing tools that will keep you hooked to find the perfect composition. Of course, the most important upgrade comes from Metal 2, which promises stellar GPU and CPU capabilities while opening the world toward VR and AR.
So, to conclude: upgrade to macOS High Sierra for more space, speed, and power. We should have started with that, right?
How to prepare for the macOS High Sierra upgrade
Now that you’ve decided that you cannot live without the new macOS 10.13 High Sierra, it’s time to thoroughly prepare for the upgrade. Do note that the beta version now available may not contain all the features, so if you want to upgrade for a specific feature, make sure it’s included. Let’s go!
In order to prepare to upgrade to High Sierra you should, of course, verify if your Mac is compatible with the new system. As a general rule, any late 2009 Mac or newer will theoretically be able to run it without any issues.
Next, you should do a thorough Mac cleanup to have it running smoothly even before upgrading. A complete cleaning process includes deleting duplicate documents, photos, and files, while also removing temporary files and cache data that built up in the background. You can do this manually (if you have the patience) or you can turn to an app such as CleanMyMac X to have it do all the dirty work for you.
Having a healthy Mac is key to making the most and enjoying the best of macOS High Sierra. Thus, it’s mandatory to check if your Mac has any issues before performing the upgrade. How?
- Open Disk Utility
- Select your startup drive
- Click on the First Aid tab
If you’re lucky, your Mac won’t have any problems. But if you live in the real world, you’ll have to perform some repairs by using the Repair Disk. Restart and hold Command+R to perform the repairs with Disk Utility.
The final preparation step regards the free space necessary for macOS High Sierra. The official sources from apple.com recommend having 8GB of free space before upgrading to the new system, but we feel more comfortable with reserving about 15GB. What can we say, we like our space. If you don’t have enough space, that means you Mac still needs a bit of cleaning.
How to backup Mac before the upgrade
Backing up your Mac before a major upgrade is a necessity, especially if you’re going for a beta version. You don’t want to risk losing any precious info, so there’s no excuse for skipping this step.
You can easily backup your Mac by turning to Apple’s own software, Time Machine, that saves a copy of everything on your Mac on hourly, daily, monthly, and weekly backups. What’s more, except the automatic backups, you can also customize the process and have your most precious docs and files backed up manually from System Preferences.
In order to use Time Machine, you also need an external storage device. How big? The bigger the better. Choose your favorite from USB, SDD, NAS drive, or Thunderbolt hard drive.
Step by step upgrade to macOS High Sierra
Once you’ve prepared your Mac for the upgrade, it’s time to get the process started. Read on to find a comprehensive guide to a fast and safe upgrade.
- Choose a safe and trusted network for the upgrade
All major upgrades should be done from a trusted network, adding speed and safety to your download and installation. The best place to perform the upgrade is from the comfort of your home network and you should avoid WIFI connections and especially hotels, restaurants, or public networks. - Log into iCloud
This step is pretty straightforward, yet necessary for the upgrade process, as many Mac apps have iCloud integrated parts. So, to have everything run smoothly, log into your account, and proceed. - Update to the latest version of your current OS
To avoid any problems in the upgrade process, having the latest updated version for your current OS is mandatory. Why? Because your OS is going to be as stable as possible, with all the initial issues fixed and all bugs eliminated.
Make sure you’re running the latest updated version by checking the Updates folder in the App store.
It’s also important to have all 3rd party apps updated to their latest version as well. Check the apps purchased through the App Store by using the same method as above. For the other apps you’ve externally brought in you’ll need to perform a manual update. - Download macOS High Sierra
Right now, macOS High Sierra is already available for all users. You can download it in the standard fashion on the Mac App Store.
Here's the direct link. - Upgrade to macOS High Sierra
Open the installer from Applications (if it doesn’t open automatically) and hit continue. The on-screen instructions are going to make it really easy for you, so follow them religiously and you won’t be able to do any wrong. That’s it!
Next, make sure to set up for automatic updates from your System Preferences and the App Store, in order to always have your Mac performing at its best.
So there you have it! We hope you enjoy the upgraded features and your Mac’s new regained speed and, hopefully, extra space.
macOS Catalina was the newest operating system by Apple until macOS Big Sur succeeded it in 2020. If your Mac still runs Mojave or an even older macOS version, you'll be amazed by all the new features and improvements in Catalina. So here’s how to upgrade to macOS Catalina.
First, clear out the junk
When you do a regular upgrade, the installer replaces some files on your Mac with others, but leaves most untouched. That means that all the system junk your Mac has accumulated over the years stays there. And as you upgrade year after year, you accumulate more and more. As you can imagine, upgrading your operating system on a junk-filled Mac is rather like putting one layer of wallpaper on top of another — eventually you have to scrape it off and start again.
Likewise, it’s always a good idea to clear out the clutter before you upgrade. My recommendation, after years of experience upgrading Macs, is that you use CleanMyMac X. It’s very quick and easy to use and will get rid of clutter, making your Mac run more smoothly and freeing up tens of gigabytes of disk space. You can either let it decide what to remove or go through its scan results yourself and decide what to trash and what to keep.
Then, backup your Mac
As you will see below, there are a couple of different ways you can upgrade to Catalina, but before you decide, and certainly before you upgrade, you should make a full backup of your current Mac setup. Upgrading one OS on top of another carries very few risks, but they are not non-existent so be safe now rather than sorry later. If you use Time Machine you can make a backup with that. But the best idea is to make a complete bootable clone of your current startup disk on an external drive.
To clean install or not to clean install
Remember I said you had a couple of options for upgrading? Here they are:
- Regular install
- Clean install
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A regular install places Catalina files on your startup disk over the top of whatever OS you’re currently running. It doesn’t overwrite anything else. So all your applications, documents, settings, photos, movies, and music stay where they are. Unfortunately, all the junk files your Mac has accumulated also remain there. This option is quicker in the short-term, but your Mac won’t run as smoothly in the long-term. If you choose this option, I’d definitely recommend you use CleanMyMac X to clear out the clutter, before you upgrade.
A clean install erases your startup disk completely and then installs macOS Catalina on a completely clean disk. It takes longer, but in the long run your Mac will run more quickly and more smoothly. You will have to clone your startup disk before you start, and then spend time reinstalling applications and setting them up afterwards, however.
How to do a regular install of macOS Catalina
- Check that your Mac can run Catalina. Here’s the list of compatible Macs:
MacBook 2015 and later
MacBook Air 2012 and later
MacBook Pro 2012 and later
IMac 2012 and later
IMac Pro 2017 and later
Mac Pro 2013 and later
2. Make sure you’re connected to the internet and have a reliable connection. If you’re using a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, plug it into mains power.
3. Launch the App Store app on your Mac and search for 'macOS Catalina.'
4. When you find it, click 'Get.'
5. Wait for Catalina to download and when it’s ready to install, click Continue. Type in your admin username and password, if necessary.
6. Wait for Catalina to install. Your Mac will restart several times and it may take a while, so be patient! If you are using a laptop, don’t close the lid.
7. Once it has finished installing, you can continue to use your Mac as normal.
How to clean install macOS Catalina
We have covered clean installing Catalina in more detail in this article How to Clean Install macOS Catalina but here’s a summary.
- Make a full bootable clone of your Mac, just in case the worst happens.
- Grab a USB stick that’s at least 16GB capacity, or an external hard drive or USB stick.
- Erase and re-format the USB stick or external disk.
- Create a bootable installer on the disk.
- Boot from the new install disk and use Disk Utility in macOS Utilities to erase your startup disk.
- Go back to macOS Utilities and choose install macOS, with your startup disk as the location for the install.
Once it’s finished, set up your Mac, reinstall applications and restore your settings.
My apps are slow or stopped working on macOS Catalina
Okay, you’ve successfully installed macOS 10.15 Catalina. But some of your apps are no longer available. That’s a heavy blow from macOS Catalina as it no longer supports 32-bit apps. According to Apple, 64-bit apps are more memory-efficient than 32-bit ones. But for most of us it means we will lose many favorite games and applications, including Photoshop CS. To minimize the damage, you should first check how many 32-bit apps you have. It's possible to do with the same Mac maintenance app we've mentioned above.
- Run CleanMyMac X — you can download a free edition here.
- Click the Uninstaller tab.
- Now, by clicking on the 32-bit tab, you will see the list of 32-bit apps on your Mac.
Next up, click the Updater tab.
Here you can update your 32-apps (and all the rest of apps) to newer versions. Many developers have already optimized their software for 64-bit architecture. With this method you’ll update all your software in one-go to make it Catalina-friendly. As you can see, I can update 17 apps with just one button.
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Thanks for reading this article. Hope you will like it on Catalina!