Awesome tips in this video tutorial! I find it very useful. Thank you, Gary! I’m always learning something new! 👏❤️

Thank you Gary! Very clear and helpful instructions.

Thanks Gary, Ive been wondering about this very thing

Thank you, exactly what I needed!

Wow, thanks for the tips!!!

Excellent! Thank you, Gary!

Very helpful thanks!

Love your videos Gary! For my money though, this topic is a bit more nuanced in regards to when to update. As a professional audio engineer, I can tell you that it is absolutely crucial that you make sure the apps you depend on can be used with your newest OS. Also this means every plug in needs to be ready as well. For example, although I'd like to update, I still can't go to Big Sur yet -- and it's not because I have outdated versions of my go-to apps. In general I agree with your approach, because it's much easier to learn (and upgrade) a little at a time than find out most of your software doesn't work if you've been holding out for years and then need to do an update, but there is that caveat for those of us who rely on a lot of third party software. Thanks gain for your great videos! I'm a big fan.

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

That's a crime that app (or plugin) developers aren't supporting their products, the ones you paid for. Apple gives them about 6 months of betas, plenty of time to update and get ready for the new macOS. If a developer isn't keeping up, I'd look for an alternative.

@SgtBoudreau

Ай бұрын

@@macmost no its true. Pro Tools and many of the plugins you need as a producer or sound engineer don't upgrade well. We kinda find the sweet spot then go from there. I'm buying an older machine and need to know exactly what works with my plugins etc. I'm doing my due diligence because I don't want to lose productivity because of hardware upgrade and going from Windows to Mac can be a challenge by itself. Sgt Boudreau

When it comes to new versions of Mac OS, I will probably wait a few weeks before installing new versions to make sure there aren’t any issues with them (Im probably like this because of how unstable windows updates can be when they are released, one example being the update that messed with, and sometimes even deleted users files)

I think your advice is absolutely correct: Stick to the latest version of MacOS and update your software if needed to run under that latest version of MacOS. However, there are some reasons to keep an older boot volume around. For example, WINE (a non-emulator compatibility layer which will allow many Windows applications to run) still has 32-bit components so if you have a Windows application which you run in WINE, you need to be able to boot into Mojave (or earlier). There are some Mac applications - admittedly, mostly games at this point - which have been abandoned by their developers or porters and will never have a 64-bit version so again, so again you need to be able to boot into Mojave (or earlier). Mojave is also the last version of MacOS with a relatively simple boot volume structure; in fact, System Preferences->Startup Disk in Catalina or earlier can't even "see" a Big Sur boot volume, you need to use boot commands to choose it. More importantly, clone backups and restores to/from Mojave volumes are much more straight forward. Obviously, the new secure boot volume structure is, well, more secure which is one of the main reasons to stick with Big Sur if your Mac is able to boot to it. Catalina's boot volume structure is also more complicated but less so than Big Sur's, yet still more secure than Mojave or earlier (and of course not as secure as Big Sur's). Downgrading is, as you said, a bad idea. Just create a new APFS volume (or partition if your main drive is not APFS for some reason) or use an external drive to create a new boot volume with the older version of MacOS you want. You can then switch between your old version and the latest version fairly easily with just a reboot of your Mac.

Thank you Sir

Thanks!!!

Great video but one thing you did not address how long should you wait before you upgrade to the newest operating system that's out for example should you wait a month two months etc. etc. before you upgrade because a friend told me I should never upgrade to the newest operating system right away due to bugs and things to that nature what is your take on it just curious?

My favorite was Tiger. Fond memories from that release. Such a cool OS that, even today, some features are not present in Big Sur.

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

What was in Tiger that isn't in Big Sur?

@CameraCombo

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost For starters, iChat was a much more feature-rich program than FaceTime. Where would iChat be today in 2021 during a pandemic had they continued with it? What ever happened to RSS feeds in Safari (arguably, it's just the technology that died)? What ever happened to Front Row? ...and there's really no replacement other than Apple TV, which isn't really anything like it. And why didn't they do more with widgets in Dashboard (it was so cool)? Anyway, those are my initial thoughts. Love your channel and I always learn something.

While I of course have not yet had the opportunity to see if this holds true for MacOS Big Sur --> MacOS Monterey, I do still have a Mojave boot volume on my main Mac (in addition to its primary Big Sur boot volume) and the System Preferences icon in my Mojave Dock has a very persistent "1" on top. System Preferences->Software Update does offer me the Mojave point updates (and various Safari and security updates even beyond the latest point release) but it also tells me that I should click that button and upgrade to MacOS Big Sur. Before Big Sur was available, it did the same for Catalina. Maybe if I click the button it will take me to the Mac App Store, I don't remember. But System Preferences->Software Update at least informs the user that an upgrade is available and might do the installation, too - at least, that's how it works in Mojave and later.

@JohnMHammer

3 жыл бұрын

@@charcoaljoe20 Easy links to various installers here just in case you have trouble searching directly in the Mac App Store: support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

Thanks, Gary, great tips. Can you comment on 'dual OS' - say having an older OS on an older mac & also having a much later OS that your mac is compatible with?

@macmost

2 жыл бұрын

I'd only do that using an external drive rather than taking up space on your Internal. I'd try every alternative before setting up an external drive with another macOS on it too.

@graemesalmond9241

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks, Gary, I'll keep that in mind

Gary, thanks for sharing. How set an old Mac to factory settings if I want to get rid of it?

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/oZOFtqmwmK2plKg.html

iMac (21.5 2017) that os big sur is suppose to work on that mac and i get the spinning beach ball and all the memory is all used

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

It should work on a 2017 Mac without issues. Take it to the Genius Bar and have them figure out what is wrong.

I’m on a mid 2014 13” MacBook Pro I just bought it and I’ve been trying to update it since then and I can’t seem to figure it out it’s on version 10.9.5 any help?

OK, hold on a second. Big Sur is, to put it mildly, buggy. You wouldn’t really recommend someone upgrade to Big Sur as soon as it was released, would you? That sounds pretty reckless. This isn’t Apple of twenty years ago, this is Apple today, and Apple today makes software with lots of bugs…

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

All software is buggy. All OSes are buggy. Software is never bug-free. There are bugs in Big Sur. There are bugs in Catalina. There were bugs in every version of macOS, Windows, and every other operating system ever. Apple 20 years ago would release new versions of macOS without any public beta testing. Now Apple does 4 months of public beta testing. It is risky to upgrade when a new version of macOS comes out. It is also risky to stick with older software.

@mitchellsmith4601

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost I'm not talking about small problems, these are huge. Not pruning APFS snapshots properly so the disk runs out of space, while showing hundreds of GB free. Deleting email during mailbox moves. Displaying inaccurate folder contents. Data loss isn't a bug, it's a deficiency. I can't in good conscience put clients on an OS I know to be unreliable. And I'm not alone. Lots of consultants have avoided upgrading their clients to Big Sur.

What about creating a virtual drive through a program like Parallels with your old operating system to run programs not compatible with the newer operating systems?

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

That's a lot of effort, expense and disk space to use. I'd imagine that if a task were that critical where you would want to do all of that, it would also be critical enough that you'd want to use an app that is actually supported by the developer.

I'm not certain of this, but didn't Apple used to issue security updates separate from OS updates? Many times, on many Macs, updates added features that my processor wasn't powerful enough to handle, but I wanted to keep the old machine secure. Latency is currently a big issue on my iPhone 6s. A "supported" device doesn't necessarily mean the update is optimized to run on older specs.

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, Apple does issue security updates on older versions of macOS. See kzread.info/dash/bejne/jKV807eidZfAZ5M.html

@RetNemmoc555

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost Thanks a bunch.

Hi ! I'm running macOS Mojave 10.14.6. is there anyway I can upgrade to a newer version I've been told I couldn't ? I have a Macbook Pro 13 inch (late 2011). Is there anything I can do or should I leave it alone?

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

Look at the link and check. If it isn't supported, just use the latest macOS that is until your next Mac.

Great video. I have a MacBook Pro retina 13'' 2015....I recently purchased it off eBay, nearly a week now. The battery cycle is at 453...is that good? The status for the battery says normal. Should I keep it plugged in to stop using too many cycles?

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

453 means it is probably more than halfway through its life. But you don't know other things about it, like if it was subjected to lots of temperature variations, etc. If you keep it plugged in, it will not use the battery, so it is always good to do so when convenient, naturally.

@TheLFCPundit

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost Oh Ok… thanks for the feedback… So in other words, I can keep it plugged in without unplugging it? this battery subject is very confusing… lol Will the battery develop swelling?

@TheLFCPundit

3 жыл бұрын

@@charcoaljoe20 Thanks, I just downloaded the battery health check app... the battery health is at 94%.

How about getting M1 features on Monterrey if you have an Intel Mac? any workarounds to that? Just got one before new M1 was released.

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

Nothing you can do about that.

@MyDogSteppedOnaBeee

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost ok thank you Gary! I appreciate your feedback and videos.

@MyDogSteppedOnaBeee

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost I finally figured out a keyboard shortcut for sharing messages from file menu. Boy what a pain. I had to google that one. Thanks for the tip!!

Gary, My 2010 has gotten somewhat bricked by upgrading to Catalina. How can I get back to the Yosemite. In recovery it's trying to reinstall Catalina which won't boot.

@macmost

5 ай бұрын

support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904#:~:text=Shift%2DOption%2DCommand%2DR%3A%C2%A0When%20you%20press%20and%20hold%20these%20four%20keys%20at%20startup%2C%20macOS%20Recovery%20might%20offer%20the%20macOS%20that%20came%20with%20your%20Mac%2C%20or%20the%20closest%20version%20still%20available.%C2%A0

The updates can make my computer more slow right? Then why should I update it if my apps don’t need me to update the system?

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

Updates mean changes. Sometimes some things will run faster, and some things will run slower. More often it makes no change to speed. But there are lots of reasons to keep your Mac up-to-date. I always run the latest version of macOS and all apps.

Why does FaceTime no longer work between Mac Sierra and any iOS version beyond 13? Thank you.

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

I haven't heard of any problems. If it isn't working for you, I'd contact Apple Support.

@joshualebowitz

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost Thank you. I did, but they were unable to help.

@joshualebowitz

3 жыл бұрын

@@charcoaljoe20 Thanks. It was frustrating, as I need Sierra on that Mac due to the old file system format and this change just happened back in October. Appreciate your help.

I have Macbook 2014. And I was mistakenly upgraded to macOS Sonoma. And it’s not compatible with my MacBook 2014. So I go for recovery mode, if I choose reinstall OS X in recovery mode so can I get my data or I will loose it.

@macmost

2 ай бұрын

Not sure. Sounds like you used a patcher to upgrade and I'm not sure what will happen if you try to recover. Either way, I'd have an extra backup of your data before doing anything (the regular Time Machine backup you are already doing, right?, and then an extra copy of your data on another drive or all in iCloud Drive).

I just got a brand new MBP 2020 but its an intel, i have Catalina currently but its telling to update to sonoma, should i do it ?

@macmost

9 ай бұрын

Why stick with an older version macOS? Apple is giving you a free upgrade, why refuse it?

@azurite_-

9 ай бұрын

@@macmost performance-

@macmost

9 ай бұрын

@@azurite_- Are you asking would performance be better if you stick with an older version of macOS? Maybe? Maybe the opposite. New updates bring performance enhancements too. Also, performance isn't one thing. You've got lots of apps and processes going. Some may be faster, some slower. Most you probably can't tell. But one thing for sure is that you won't get the new features if you don't update. Also, you'll eventually miss out on security updates too.

@azurite_-

9 ай бұрын

@@macmost alright thanks man

I have a late 2013 MacBook Pro and as soon as I upgraded from Catalina to Big Sur my laptop has multiple shut downs daily, even with each Big Sur update it keeps getting worse. So now the challenge is to downgrade to Catalina which was perfectly fine.

@macmost

Жыл бұрын

It is very possible that it has nothing to do with the operating system version installed. Before doing something extreme like trying to go back a version, I would take it to the Genius Bar. Sounds like a battery issue to me. How many times have you had the battery replaced? Was it from Apple?

@ph3426

Жыл бұрын

@@macmost I bought it refurbished so maybe the battery was replaced five years ago. However, I rarely use my laptop on battery power, so the shut downs are occurring while plugged in. Also, when I have to restart it about 3 times over a 40 minute period, it will run for 5 or 6 hours.

@macmost

Жыл бұрын

@@ph3426 Age affects the battery as much as use. What does it show for Condition, Cycle Count and Max Capacity in Apple Menu, About This Mac, System Information, Power?

@ph3426

Жыл бұрын

@@macmost Max Capacity - 6773, Cycle Count - 1013, Condition - normal

@macmost

Жыл бұрын

@@ph3426 1013 probably means you have the original battery and it may be having trouble.

My MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) can't run Big Sur :(

@marchangel7462

Жыл бұрын

Mine can. OCLP

@trenzu2

Жыл бұрын

@@marchangel7462 How? I'd like to install it!

@marchangel7462

Жыл бұрын

@@trenzu2 follow the instructions and you can get big sur on 2012 macbook pro.

BigSur took up so much space on the hard drive it made sense to go back.

👏👍

I meant Catalina not El Capitan Sorry

@macmost

Жыл бұрын

Context?

I upgraded to Catalina and found none of my MS Office applications worked anymore and they wanted me to start paying a subscription to use it. All of this software upgrading is just a scam to squeeze more money out of people.

@macmost

3 жыл бұрын

Or ... it is a way for software to be a sustainable business. Pay once and use forever was a disaster for software developers and could never have continued. As for Office, it sounds like you paid once and got many good years out of it. But your version is out-of-date. So it is time to upgrade. You don't need to subscribe. Microsoft gives you the option to subscribe and not worry about being out-of-date, or you can pay once again, but then expect that your software will be outdated and it will be time to update again at some point, the same as before.

@tensortab8896

3 жыл бұрын

@@macmost My software was working just fine. It was only "out of date" because the creators arbitrarily and unilaterally decided to declare it so. By this logic, I would need to continuously rebuy every book or movie on my shelf. Instead, Microsoft lost a customer, and I'm likely to say goodbye to Apple as well. That's my sustainable business plan.