Upgrade To Sierra Os

  



The Mac OS Sierra has a major upgrade in the Gatekeeper user interface by adding two new security features that make the usage of your system much safer and save you from data theft. There is an Anywhere option in the system preference tab that allows the user to execute software programs without getting permission to run the same. Download El Capitan OS X is also significant since it’s the last version of Apple Mac OS X releases as its successor Sierra was released in the year 2016 under the brand macOS. El Capitan is a rock formation found in Yosemite National Park, which gives out the meaning that the new release is a solid version of its predecessor, Yosemite.

24 Apr How to Upgrade Mac to macOS High Sierra

April 24, 2018

The latest version of the macOS operating system, macOS High Sierra, was released on Monday, September 25, 2017.

In this article, we will explain how to upgrade mac to macOS High Sierra.

Why Should We Upgrade to macOS High Sierra?


Apple released the latest macOS, High Sierra, and added some new features including a new and improved Apple File System (AFPS), a faster browser, stellar graphics, better gaming capabilities and VR support. MacOS 10.13 is absolutely worthwhile to upgrade your Mac.

macOS High Sierra System Compatibility


You can download and install macOS High Sierra OS for free in 2009 or later. Basically, if your Mac is currently running macOS Sierra system (macOS 10.12), you can smoothly upgrade to macOS High Sierra.

The following is the device compatibility information released by Apple:

  • iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
  • MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
  • MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
  • Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
  • MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
  • Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)

Some features, such as High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) encoding and decoding require newer processors and devices, some of which unfortunately cannot run on older devices.


If you are running OS X Lion (10.7.5) or later, you can upgrade directly to macOS High Sierra.

How to Upgrade macOS


There are two ways to upgrade macOS: directly in Mac App Store, or upgrade using an USB device.


No matter which way you choose, always remember to back up your data before performing an upgrade.

Time Machine Backup


Apple has its own official backup tool: Time Machine. This feature was released in OS X 10.5 Leopard. If you have never backed up, let me tell you how important it is.

Time Machine can connect to your Mac and any external hard drive via USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt port. Back up everything on your Mac directly to your hard drive, in case the Mac cannot upgrade properly.

It also supports Apple’s Time Capsule and backup disks connected over a network as long as the disks support AFPS. As long as the disk is available to your Mac, you can use it for Time Machine backups.

When enabled, Apple’s Time Machine will periodically transfer all files and store data on an inserted external hard drive or on a Time Capsule connected to the network.

You can choose hourly, daily or weekly backup to store your data on the external hard drive. When the external device is full, Time Machine will delete the oldest backup and replace it with the newer version.

Let’s check how to enable Time Machine backup on Mac devices.

1. Choose “System Preferences…” from the Mac menu.

2. Double-click the Time Machine icon.

3. Click “Select Backup Disk…” to select the disk you want to use as a Time Machine backup.

High

4. Select the “Back Up Automatically” check box so that your Mac will automatically back up data to your chosen disk.

If you want to restore files from Time Machine, make sure your Mac is running. Click “Enter Time Machine”, find the previous file or folder, and then click “Restore.”

Besides Time Machine, you can try other great backup and restore software such as Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) and SuperDuper.

1. Direct Upgrade in Mac App Store

Generally, you can upgrade your system directly in the Mac App Store by clicking “Check for Updates” or click the following link to download macOS High Sierra:

https://itunes.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?l=en&mt=12

If you use a Beta version, you still need to click the link above to download the system, or go to the developer’s website for download information.

If you want to choose “USB clean upgrade”, check the detailed information below.

2. Upgrade using USB device

i. USB Preparation

Before formatting your current operating system, download macOS High Sierra from the Mac App Store first. You will need a copy of macOS High Sierra to perform a clean installation later. If you want to upgrade to this version, it is possible as long as your current operating system version is lower than macOS High Sierra.

Lion skin pack for windows 10 64 bit free download

Mac upgrade to sierra os

Natively, look for “Disk Utility” in your application, select an external USB device with a capacity of 8 GB or larger, format it directly, and remember to choose the format “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)”. If it is a hard disk, it would be better to make a partition beforehand.

If you have already downloaded the macOS High Sierra package, do not click on the installation. Directly open the “terminal” program, which you can find in the application.

When typing the following text in the terminal, check the name of the formatted external USB device. If you do not name it “Untitled”, you need to change the command syntax of the path name: Volumes/Untitled. The names of external USB devices cannot contain spaces and are case sensitive.

sudo /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/Untitled –applicationpath /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app –nointeraction

Press “Enter” on your keyboard to execute the command. You will then be prompted to enter the administrator password. It will start the process after the operation, which can take a long time, depending on the transfer speed of the external USB device. When done, the terminal window will report “Done.”

ii. USB Upgrade Installation

a. Click the Apple icon .

b. Choose “Restart…” from the drop-down menu.

c. Press and hold “Command+R” when you hear a startup ring (or when the screen on your newer Mac device turns black), and hold down the keys until your computer restarts.

d. Open “Disk Utility”, choose your startup disk, and then click “Erase”.

e. Select “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” from the list of volume formats and start formatting.

f. When it returns to the former page, insert your USB and click “Continue”.

g. When the installation window appears, click “Continue” again.

h. Agree to the software terms and conditions. Choose your hard drive.

i. Click “Install” and wait until the upgrade is done

How to Keep Your Mac Always Clean

If you have done a complete installation of macOS, you must be enjoying the completely new macOS now. I believe you also want to keep your Mac clean. Let’s say someday your Mac has a lot of junk files and duplicate photos. There are also probably many apps you have never used and don’t need them anymore. I must tell you there is a savior for your Mac! Its name is Cleaner One. It’s really great to have such a system optimizing tool. With its “Junk Files” feature, it not only cleans temporary files including logs, mail caches, iTunes and iOS temporary files, and empties trash for the current user, but also detects remaining files after deleting apps.

It also has a function called “Duplicate Files”, which can find duplicate files on your Mac through fast and accurate scanning techniques covering your entire home folder. Duplicates are selected not only by the file name but also by their contents. Files are shown in detailed previews. It can further help you decide which copy to delete by presenting the “Auto Select” button.

Duplicates can be sorted by file type and listed in their full route for you to track. You can decide which way to clean these files; either by sending them to trash or deleting them permanently.

You probably also need an intelligent app uninstaller. Don’t worry, Cleaner One has this function. It can auto-clean leftovers of deleted apps and manage all the applications installed on your Mac easily. When you remove an app you don’t need anymore, it can get rid of all the associated files of the uninstalled app as well. It will also notify you of new updates to installed apps.

Mac operating system’s twelfth major version is the El Capitan Installer (version 10.11). All the Mac computers which don’t have the privilege to upgrade to MacOS High Sierra or the computers that need to upgrade to El Capitan first, can download this twelfth version on the computer. This is the very last version of the Mac operating system which comes under the name OS X. And it is named as ‘El Capitan’ after the formation of a rock in the Yosemite National Park. El Capitan Installer is the post version to the Yosemite, and it was built by adding up more improvements to the Yosemite. In this version of the Mac operating system, the Apple Inc. has focused on the performance, stability, and security of the computer. Anyone who is interested can download it on the Mac PC.

How to download El Capitan Installer?

If you want to upgrade to OS X El Capitan, first you have to collect gather your Mac PC and then download the El Capitan Installer. That’s what we are going to do now.

  1. Go to the App Store and open the El Capitan page there.
  2. Then you must click on the ‘Download; button on the El Capitan Page.
  3. If your Mac PC is compatible to perform this upgrade, a file named ‘Install OS X El Capitan’ will download to your Applications folder.
  4. The installer will open automatically after finishing the download process. All you have to do next is click on the ‘Continue’ button and follow the onscreen instructions.

Upgrade Mac OS Version with El Capitan Installer while Protecting your Data

Before executing the Upgrade, you must prepare the Mac PC for the El Capitan Update. For that, gather these requirements first.

  • The Mac PC must have at least 2GB of memory and 8.8GB of storage space.
  • The PC must have at least 45% of battery life.
  • Connect the Mac PC to Wi-Fi or any other internet connection.
  • The Mac Apps must be up to date with the latest versions.
  • Take backups of all your personal data and present OS of the Mac PC.

Important! It is very important to backup your important data on the Mac PC to an external storage device because it will help you to avoid the data loss issues. If any case, you forgot to backup the data, your data may be lost while executing the El Capitan Installer update. So make sure you make a backup of the device data.

How to use El Capitan Installer for a Clean Install?

01. El Capitan Clean Install on Empty Volume with El Capitan Installer

This is the easiest method for the clean install. Here, you can install the OS X El Capitan Installer onto an empty volume, or you can use a storage space that has the content which no longer needed and don’t mind removing. What it matters here is that you don’t use the current startup volume as the destination here. What makes this method easier is the fact that it is possible to perform this clean install while booted from the current startup drive. You don’t need a special, custom-made startup environment for the empty volume clean install. All you have to do is, start up the installer and go.

02. El Capitan Clean Install on Startup Volume with El Capitan Installer

Upgrade To Sierra Os

This is the most common method of the two. Usually, the clean install process deletes the contents of the destination drive. Therefore, if you choose the startup drive method to perform the clean install of El Capitan Installer, you have to follow some extra steps as well.

Upgrade To Sierra Os

  • First, you have to create a bootable USB flash drive that has the Installer of OS X El Capitan.
  • Then erase the startup drive.
  • After then, start the clean install process.

How to Create El Capitan Installer with USB?

Requirements

Upgrade To High Sierra Mac Os

  • The USB flash drive must be at least 8GB
  • El Capitan Installer must be on the Mac PC’s Applications folder.

Process

  • Plug the USB drive into the Mac PC with the Installer of the El Capitan on it.
  • Rename the USB driver using an easy to remember and use name. (For the ease of the steps ahead, I will rename it as ‘ElCaptIns’)
  • Be sure that the Installer of the El Capitan named ‘Install OS X El Capitan.app’ is in its default location (Applications folder).
  • Select and copy the text of the below-mentioned terminal command.
    • sudo/Applications/InstallOSXElCapitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/ElCaptIns --applicationpath /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app
  • Now you can launch the terminal in the Applications/Utilities/
  • In this step, it deletes the data in the destination drive. So make sure it doesn’t contain any valuable data and paste the copied command into the terminal, then press ‘Return’.
  • When the windows prompted, enter the admin level account password of yours and press to Return.
  • Then a message telling “To continue we need to erase the disk at /Volumes/ElCaptIns. If you wish to continue, type (Y) then press return:” will emerge. You can type ‘Y’ and press to return to continue. You are already set if you don’t see this message.

USB installer and El Capitan Installer in Apple Store

El Capitan Installer is only available in the Mac App Store. So you can only download it from the App Store. By the way, having a USB installer to perform the El Capitan is a good idea. Because having a copy of the OS version in a separate device ensures that you always have a backup plan to install it or re-install it on the PC. When you have the USB installer with the El Capitan Installer in it, you no longer need the internet connection or the access to the Mac App Store to perform the upgrade.

What is createinstallmedia?

Should I Upgrade To Sierra Os

“createinstallmedia” is a unix program hidden inside the OS X Installer which is provided by the Apple Inc. to create a bootable installer drive. createinstallmedia is the ideal and the easier to use tool if you are comfortable to use the terminal. This is only available for the OS versions of Lion (OS X 10.7) and above.



System and Hardware Requirements for El Capitan Installer

System Requirements

  • iMac models from mid 2007 or later
  • MacBook models from late 2008 or later
  • MacBook Pro models from mid 2007 or later
  • MacBook Air models from late 2008 or later
  • Mac mini models from early 2009 or later
  • Mac Pro models from early 2008 or later
  • Xserve models from early 2009

Hardware Requirements

  • OS X v10.6.8 or later
  • 2GB of memory
  • 8.8GB of available storage
  • Some features require an Apple ID (terms apply)
  • Some features require a compatible Internet service provider (fees may apply)

FAQs:-

Upgrade Mac Os Sierra To Mojave

01. What is the best method to install El Capitan?

Can I Upgrade To Sierra

You can either use the default method to upgrade install or clean install methods to get El Capitan Installer but, without any doubt, Clean Install is the best method to upgrade your Mac OS. I hope all the above facts prove that.

02. How to save previous data when upgrading the OS X?

Simply, take a backup by using the Time Machine.

Upgrade To High Sierra Os

  1. Open the Time Machine app.
  2. Click on the ‘Select Backup Disk’.
  3. Select the external drive or internal location where you want to save the files.
  4. Click on the ‘On’ to turn on the Time Machine.
  5. Click on the Arrow Clock icon in the Finder Bar at the top of your screen and select ‘Backup Now’.

03. Is it secure to install El Capitan without Apple Store?

No, it is not safe to get El Capitan Installer outsider of the Apple Store. It is only safe to get this OS upgrade from the Mac App Store. Besides, there is no such external place to get this OS upgrade. I have provided the steps to install El Capitan in the above of this site. Just follow those steps and upgrade your Mac PC to the El Capitan.