How to do incremental upgrades of MacOS

Question

How to do incremental upgrades of MacOS

I want to upgrade to only MacOS 10.15 so that I can install some Apps. How can I do that without being forced to update to the latest MacOS version?

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on Feb 28, 2023 12:30 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

D.I. Johnson

Level 7

30,971 points

Feb 28, 2023 12:37 PM in response to samuelfromnewark

❗️ Do NOT upgrade until you have made a Time Machine or other backup of your startup drive.

Learn How to Back up your Mac with Time Machine

How to Upgrade  macOS:

The macOS version you can upgrade to depends on the year your Mac was released.

Click the  (Apple) menu at the top of your screen and choose About This Mac.

Check the Compatibility of your Mac with newer versions of macOS:

➡️ macOS 10.15 Catalina is compatible with the Macs listed here

❗️ – IMPORTANT – None of your 32-bit apps will work in macOS Catalina or newer.

32-bit app compatibility with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later - Apple Support

Use the free utility Go64 to check the compatibility of your apps:

https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/

✅ - IF your Mac and apps are compatible, then using Safari only, download the macOS upgrade installer app:

Click > Catalina.

Once downloaded, double-click the “Install macOS…” app in the Applications folder to begin the upgrade.

Please see > How to download macOS.

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Answer 2

Mar 2, 2023 08:55 AM in response to samuelfromnewark

You'll now want to restart the Mac in Recovery mode to reinstall the OS.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

Once booted into the Recovery mode you can select Reinstall From Time Machine Backup, connect your backup drive and follow the onscreen prompts. This will get the Mac back to the condition it was in when you started this.

Also...

> If you use Shift-Option-Command-R during startup, you might be offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.

> If you use Option-Command-R during startup, you might be offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.

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Answer 3

Mar 1, 2023 08:11 AM in response to D.I. Johnson

I started upgrade after ensuring time machine back up is complete. Now I am stuck with the message for the last one hour "Estimating time remaining" Nothing seems to be happening. If I press the caps lock key the light comes on which means the the laptop is not Frozen. Why there is no progress? Any suggestions? Should I hard reset?

Thanks for your help

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Answer 4

Mar 1, 2023 08:21 AM in response to samuelfromnewark

I do believe a hard reset – press the power button until the Mac shuts down – may be in order.

After that, disconnect any external devices except the power adapter and restart the machine.

It my very well pick up where it left off and complete the upgrade.

Aren't you glad you created that Time Machine backup? 🙂👍🏽

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Answer 5

Mar 2, 2023 04:23 AM in response to D.I. Johnson

Thanks I reset. I let it run overnight. Stuck at the same message. I rebooted again.

I saw another thread in the discussion about Catalina upgrade. 27,000 discussions

Omg! Looks like this is a regular problem with apple upgrades

Is there any way to reverse this upgrade and get back to my old one? I'm sort of getting desperate to get back my laptop working. Thanks for your help

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Answer 6

Mar 4, 2023 02:20 PM in response to samuelfromnewark

Finally, I am back on track with Monterey MacOS after multiple multi-hour sessions on chat and phone with Apple Support. The upgrade to Catalina didn't work. I had to revert back to Mojave. Finally, a person from their upper-tier support helped.

Here is what you need to do if you have an intel machine. While powering up, click on Option-Command-R simultaneously till you see a rotating globe (earth with a picture of continents). It will lead you to a menu where you will be allowed to install the fresh latest OS that your machine can support from the internet (not from the local disk or anywhere else).

In my case, when this menu came up, the message came up that my internet is not working. I don't know why. I clicked on the greyed-out Wi-Fi icon on the top right and had to enter the password again (this is very weird as I was using the internet a minute back). Once I got connected, it was a breeze. The program found that I could install 'Monterey' on my 2017 MacBook Air and proceeded to install it from the internet. No uncertainties. It went all the way through and help me enjoy the new OS.

Apple has great support, but you need to get real help at the right level. I was surprised that Apple offers support to everyone who is using Apple products, whether under warranty or not. This is a great option!

So I am finally up and running after 3 agonizing days!

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Answer 7

Mar 4, 2023 03:24 PM in response to samuelfromnewark

Hey, thank you for the update. It's good to know you got this sorted out.

Yes, I've been impressed with Apple's support of their users and products for many, many years. I'm happy to know they took good care of you, my friend. 🙂

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Answer 8

Feb 28, 2023 01:08 PM in response to D.I. Johnson

Thanks so much! That is a very helpful, step-by-step answer. Appreciate the quick reply

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Answer 9

Feb 28, 2023 01:24 PM in response to samuelfromnewark

You're welcome. 🙂

Please post again if you need any additional assistance.

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How to do incremental upgrades of MacOS

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