My wife's iMac is running 10.6.8. I would like to upgrade her to Mavericks and have already prepared a thumb drive with DiskMaker X. As part of the process, I would like to create a recovery partition to use in emergencies going forward. My tentative process is
My feeling is my 7 step plan is safer because it does not involve moving user directories and applications, etc., back into place from TM.
- Jul 26, 2012 Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion was released in the Mac App Store Yesterday. Here's how to do an upgrade install from OS X 10.7.4 Lion to Mountain Lion.
- Mar 31, 2020 Apple also releases system updates that keep your Mac secure and stable. When a new major version of OS X is released, you can download the upgrade for free from the App Store. If you're using an older version of OS X, updates are handled through the Software Update utility.
- Back up!
- Boot from an external disk. Part of previous step is a SuperDuper! (SD) update.
- Erase the internal disk.
- Run Mavericks installer from thumb drive. This is a 'clean' install due to the previous step, so it's supposed to offer to create a recovery partition.
- Boot again from the SD external and use SD to clone it back to the internal disk's main partition after erasing it.
- Boot from internal disk.
- Back at the original system, run the Mavericks installer again to install over 10.6.8, leaving all my files in place.
I have an iMac12,2 with Mac OS X 10.6.8. I want to upgrade to the newest possible Mac OS. If I click the Software update button it says 'Software Update doesn't have any new software for your computer at.
I also run Time Machine - it too is part of the above back up step. I can replace steps 5-7 above with the Migration Assistant pulling my stuff from my TM disk. Which way is preferable? Are there other methods?My feeling is my 7 step plan is safer because it does not involve moving user directories and applications, etc., back into place from TM.
If your computer can support the newest version of Mavericks 10.9.4, you'd use the
Mac App Store to look into that aspect of getting it, as a download. This would be a
large file and take quite a bit of time over a slow internet connection.
OS X - Upgrade to Mavericks?
If it is too old, it may only be upgradable to Lion OS X 10.7.5, not hardly worth a
jump off the Snow Leopard and Rosetta bandwagon of support for older quality
Mac 10.6.8 Update To 10.7
applications you may have already bought, and have useful relationship with..
See about Mavericks OS X 10.9.x here, along with links to applications in Support:
Your computer likely would need a RAM upgrade to near maximum capacity supported Mac full screen app frozen.
for best function of both the latest release of Mac OS X, and any applications you'd run. Best household finance software mac.
Also, the hard disk drive may also need to be replaced with a new larger capacity one.
There may be a Firmware update for your computer model, whichever exact one it is.
Most/all of the hardware upgrades should be done before upgrading the OS X & apps. Project time tracking app for mac.
Sometimes, the issue in an older computer is, the idea an upgrade to a newer OS X
will somehow make it run faster. Not so. Unless the computer is ready for the larger
load of a newer system it was not intended to run when built, it won't be happy.
Do not upgrade over a set of troubles and expect them to go away. You have to
prepare the computer for continued use over its lifetime, and an upgrade is more
than installing software over old software, layering issues under a new learning
curve, and to find the old problems are harder to find under a new coating!
A good upgrade to such a new OS X from Snow Leopard 10.6.8, would be a
refurbished MacBook/Pro 13-inch mid 2010 from reputable reseller online, or
a MacBook Pro 13-inch 2012 (-without retina, +with optical drive) & UPgrade.
These come equipped to run Mavericks and should also handle Yosemite.
You can have the Store add RAM to the MB/Pro, in the order page online, as
the 13-inch non-retina is upgradable that way; or the Apple Store can add it.
Mac Software Upgrade From 10.6.8 Air
The macbook/pro series has better graphics and cpu capabilities than the Air.
And the MB/Pro 13-inch w/o retina is a good value. Get optional AppleCare.
retail new (entire MB/Pro series)
refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook PRo 2.5GHz DualCore intel i5:
I'd choose the latter one, & check to see if I could add the extra RAM later, myself.
Good luck & happy computing! 🙂
Jul 21, 2014 4:30 AM