Most of the time you'll never have to worry about having to install a new operating system on your Mac - the one that's on there should work fine through thick and thin. But every once in a while you might want or need to - here are step by step instructions for making it happen.
- Oct 11, 2019 Apple rolled out its new operating system, Catalina, to desktop Macs this week, and users who have upgraded have had to make a few adjustments. The revamped OS introduces a.
- The Operating Systems and Updates category feature the latest update for your system's OS and hardware. Utilities include OS service packs, automatic driver updaters, and more.
- Mac System Software Mac OS was named by the company Apple as 'Mac System Software' in the beginning, a specially designed operating system only for 68K first Motorola processors. With own Macintosh hardware, Mac OS takes up a special role in the world of desktop systems. The first version was 'System 1' and appeared bundled with the Mac in 1984.
- Jan 18, 2018 If you are prepared for the problems that may come along and still interested in the new operating system, you may give the patch tool a shot. Should I Upgrade My Mac OS Right Away? When a new OS, e.g. MacOS High Sierra, is released, the first question that comes to your mind could be: should I upgrade my Mac to the new macOS?
Use Recovery Mode
Every Mac operating system since Lion (OS X 10.7) has included Recovery Mode, a special boot partition that enables you to recover from catastrophic failures and problems. This can be used to install a fresh copy of Mavericks on your hard drive, provided you have Internet access. To use Recovery Mode, follow these instructions:
- Shut down your Mac.
- Press the Power button (the button marked with a O with a 1 through it)
- Immediately press the command (cloverleaf) key and R together.
- Make sure you're connected to the internet through Wi-Fi. If you're not, choose a network from the Wi-Fi menu that appears at the top-right corner of the screen.
- Select Install Mac OS X, then click Continue.
- Wait.
MacOS Catalina runs in its own read-only volume, so it’s separate from all other data on your Mac, and nothing can accidentally overwrite your system files. And Gatekeeper ensures that new apps you install have been checked for known security issues before you run them, so you’re always using good software.
It's worth noting that this installs a fresh copy of OS X on your Mac without affecting either your files or your user settings, so you should be good to go as soon as it reboots. All applications are maintained, as well. This system simply replaces the core files that enable OS X to operate.
I've had occasion to see systems that don't work with Recovery Mode, for some reason. For those computers, it's often possible to restore access to the Recovery Mode partition by resetting the System Management Controller (SMC). To reset the SMC on most Macs:
- Shut down the Mac. If it's a laptop, make sure it's connected to the power cord.
- Hold down the Control, Option, and Left Shift keys simultaneously, then press the Power button.
- Release the keys.
- Press the Power button again. The system should turn on and you can give Recovery Mode another try.
If that fails to work, you can always download a fresh copy of the Mavericks installer from the Mac App Store.
Download a fresh copy of Mavericks from the Mac App Store
- Open the Mac App Store application, either from your Dock or from the Applications folder.
- Click on the Purchases tab at the top of the window or press command and 4 on your keyboard. (I'll assume for the moment that you have already installed Mavericks once - if you haven't, you should see an installation option in your Updates folder, assuming you have Snow Leopard or later installed.)
- Find OS X Mavericks in the list of files, either scrolling through the list or using the Search field in the upper right hand corner of the window.
- Click the Download button.
- You may get a dialog box advising you that OS X 10.9 is already installed on this computer. It's safe to click the Continue button.
- Be prepared to wait a while. Even over a fast Internet connection, it'll take a little while to download, since it's more than 5 GB.
- Once it's downloaded, it'll launch automatically. Follow the directions to install OS X.
Hopefully this will help you get started if you need to install a fresh copy of Mavericks. Questions? Fire away in the comments.
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How to get updates for macOS Mojave or later
If you've upgraded to macOS Mojave or later, follow these steps to keep it up to date:
- Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu , then click Software Update to check for updates.
- If any updates are available, click the Update Now button to install them. Or click ”More info” to see details about each update and select specific updates to install.
- When Software Update says that your Mac is up to date, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are also up to date. That includes Safari, iTunes, Books, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime.
To find updates for iMovie, Garageband, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, and other apps that were downloaded separately from the App Store, open the App Store on your Mac, then click the Updates tab.
To automatically install macOS updates in the future, including apps that were downloaded separately from the App Store, select ”Automatically keep my Mac up to date.” Your Mac will notify you when updates require it to restart, so you can always choose to install those later.
How to get updates for earlier macOS versions
If you're using an earlier macOS, such as macOS High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, or earlier,* follow these steps to keep it up to date:
Operating System For Macbook 2009
- Open the App Store app on your Mac.
- Click Updates in the App Store toolbar.
- Use the Update buttons to download and install any updates listed.
- When the App Store shows no more updates, the installed version of macOS and all of its apps are up to date. That includes Safari, iTunes, iBooks, Messages, Mail, Calendar, Photos, and FaceTime. Later versions may be available by upgrading your macOS.
To automatically download updates in the future, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click App Store, then select ”Download newly available updates in the background.” Your Mac will notify you when updates are ready to install.
* If you're using OS X Lion or Snow Leopard, get OS X updates by choosing Apple menu > Software Update.
How to get updates for iOS
Operating System For Mac
Learn how to update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the latest version of iOS.
Learn more
- Learn how to upgrade to the latest version of macOS.
- Find out which macOS your Mac is using.
- You can redownload apps that you previously downloaded from the App Store.
- Your Mac doesn't automatically download large updates when it's using a Personal Hotspot.