How Can I Properly Upgrade This 2012 Macbook Pro

Azakaircredear wrote:

I've read it can go up to Catalina which is fine. I threw in older SSD I had an added memory for 8GB. It's stuck on 10.9.5 macOS. The browser on that thing cannot even get to many websites.

The original https security protocol was found to be insecure, and there was a movement to upgrade browsers and Web sites to use a more secure one.

On the Mac, the change first appeared in some version of OS X 10.11.* (El Capitan). It's very likely that the browser on Mavericks is offering to use the old security protocol, and most modern https sites are having none of it.

What are my options? I have a new Macbook Pro but it doesn't have any USB ports that I can plug a usb stick into just USB-C.

There are USB flash drives now that have connectors other than USB-A.

I have one that swivels in its holder. It has USB-A on one end, and USB-C on the other. This lets you plug it into whichever of the two types of ports is most convenient at the time.

You can also use an adapter like the Apple USB-C to USB adapter to plug USB flash drives and other accessories with USB-A connectors into the USB-C ports on current Macs.

I downloaded the full installer on my PC but have no idea how to create a bootable usb and when i tried I wasn't able to eject the usb stick from my Windows device

The instructions for making a bootable installer say that you need to do it on a compatible Mac. Your new MBP can't run Catalina.

I would suggest

• Backing up the old Mac. (Bootable clone backup preferred.)
• Using the new Mac to download the .DMG file containing the Sierra installer, and put it onto a USB flash drive. This will NOT create a bootable installer. The idea is simply to let you get to the Support article with the Sierra link.
• Transferring the USB flash drive to the old Mac, copying the .DMG file to it, opening/mounting the .DMG image, and running the installer within.
• Backing up the Sierra installation to save your progress.
• Using the versions of Safari and the App Store in Sierra to upgrade from Sierra to Catalina. (Possibly with another intermediate step at High Safari, due to the APFS consideration that Mr. Bennet-Alder mentioned.)

How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Note that Catalina is enough to let you run current versions of Firefox and LibreOffice, but that it will also break any old 32-bit applications.

<< The browser on that thing cannot even get to many websites. >>

If you use Software Update (on the Apple menu) to apply ALL available updates, in MacOS 10.9 Maverick you will be given Safari 9, the oldest Safari that can do modern encryption and get somewhere on the Internet.

Then you can use the "App Store" section of the article Phil0124 posted to upgrade further, using the full power of MacOS to assist you, rather than trying to do this in the much more limited environment of Recovery or bootable USB sticks.

At MacOS 10.13 High Sierra, the format of the Boot drive started the transition to Apple File System (APFS).

You may not be able to DIRECTLY install Catalina unless/until you have installed macOS 10.13 High Sierra FIRST.

in addition, at macOS 10.15 Catalina. NO 32-bits Only Apps are allowed, so you may lose access to some older apps.

One this is the Mac Pro forum for the desktop Mac Pros different to MacBook Pro laptops. I'll request the moderators move it to the MacBook Pro forum.

The 2012 MacBook Pro can be updated to macOS 10.15 Catalina but no further.

You can download the installer form the following website on the 2012 Mac.

click here ➜ How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

Or user an adapter to plug in the USB stick into the new MacBook Pro.

click here ➜ Ugreen USB-A to USB-C Adapter - Amazon.com

<< On the Mac, the change first appeared in some version of OS X 10.11.* (El Capitan). It's very likely that the browser on Mavericks is offering to use the old security protocol, and most modern https sites are having none of it. >>

That is all true, but not the whole story:

SSL to TLS:

In 2015, researchers discovered that Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Internet encryption was not nearly as secure as was thought, and needed to be replaced. Internet encryption quickly moved to Transport Layer Security (TLS) which was rapidly deployed across the Internet. Over time, sites tightened requirements for what was acceptable for encryption.

Apple issued Safari version 9 in 10.11 El Capitan version of MacOS, which included TLS encryption. It was later provided by Security Update into the two previous versions of MacOS. 10.10 Yosemite and 10.9 Mavericks, PROVIDED you applied all available software updates.

MacOS versions older than those can not make a lot of secure [httpS:] connections on the Internet, because by todays standards, your proffered SSL encryption is considered inadequate.