All mac os updates. How to Upgrade Your Mac Operating System to OS X Mountain Lion

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Any operating system sooner or later needs complete reinstallation. The reasons for this may be different: infection virus programs, bugs and so on. As a result of "pollution" unnecessary files, the device starts to work much slower due to processes. In some cases, it is easier to reinstall the system than to find the cause of the problem and fix it. Let's figure out how to reinstall Mac OS and what is required for this.

What is needed to reinstall?

Those users who are familiar only with operating computers Windows system, they won’t be able to without additional help reinstall OS on Mac. To reinstall Mac OS on a MacBook, you must prepare the following:

MacBook () which is connected to the network;
our step-by-step instructions.

Now let's move directly to the installation process clean version Mac OS. This instruction Suitable for those who have operating system version 10.7 or later installed. If you have more than old version, then it should be updated with standard means OS. You can check the software version using next steps:

How to reinstall Mac OS Sierra from scratch?

To begin with, it is worth noting that reinstalling Mac implies complete removal data from your computer's hard drive. Therefore, first copy all important information to third party media.

You can do this using a backup program Time Machine. Following the instructions of the Copy Wizard, you can easily create a backup copy on external media. Time Machine can also create backups in automatic mode. Old copies will be deleted, and new ones will be saved on disk. This way you won't have to worry about the data being up to date.

Now you know how to reinstall mac os x on a macbook pro or air, as well as on an iMac. Next, you need to configure the system and complete the installation process.

Final setup before use

After the installation is complete, the program will prompt you to basic settings:

On the first screen, select the Mac OS language. In the future, it can be changed within the software settings;
on the second screen you will be prompted to connect to Wi-Fi (optional). You can skip this step;
the next step is transferring information. Before you reinstall your MacBook Pro, Air or iMac, you can back up all your data;
authorization via Apple ID (optional);
Adoption license agreement;
creating an account Mac recordings OS for computer.

Ready! Now you can independently install Mac OS on a MacBook of any version or an all-in-one iMac. The whole process is as simple as possible: only a few keystrokes are required from the user.

its new desktop operating system OS X 10.9 Mavericks. Most likely, this particular build will become the final one and will soon be available for everyone to download from Mac. App Store. The release of Mavericks is just around the corner, so now is the right time to properly prepare your Mac for upgrading to the latest OS X. Read about how to do this correctly in our material.

What you will need

So, first, let's decide what Mac models support the new OS X. Apple has not officially announced the system requirements for its new operating system, but judging by the fact that it works on any Mac that supports OS X 10.6.8 and later versions of OS X, the list of supported models includes:

iMac (mid 2007 and newer);
MacBook (aluminum model - late 2008 and later; new model- beginning of 2009 and later);
MacBook Air(late 2008 or newer);
13 inch MacBook Pro(mid 2009 or newer):
15-inch MacBook Pro (Mid-Late 2007 or newer);
17-inch MacBook Pro (Late 2007 or newer);
Mac mini (early 2009 and newer);
Mac Pro (early 2008 and newer);
Xserve (early 2009).

Important Note: Please note that the ability to install OS X Mavericks on these Mac models does not guarantee the functionality of features such as Power Nap, AirPlay-mirroring and AirDrop, which system requirements tougher.

Apple also didn't say how many random access memory must be installed on your Mac for it to run Mavericks, but experience suggests that the minimum value is 2GB, but if you want to run comfortably in the new OS X, then it's better to have 4GB of memory on board. If your Mac only has 1GB of RAM, we recommend upgrading the hardware to more RAM if possible.

In Lion or Mountain Lion You can check your Mac's specifications in the About This Mac window, which is available in Finder. Snow Leopard users can use the MacTracker utility

Don't know how much is on yours Mac RAM memory and what capacity is your HDD? This information can be viewed by clicking on apple menu, in the About This Mac window, select More Details. In Lion and Mountain Lion, the "Learn about this Mac" option by default displays your computer model and year, as well as the amount and frequency of RAM. To view details about your RAM, click on the “Memory” tab. To view information about free space On your hard drive, select the "Storage" tab.

In Snow Leopard, to do this, you need to go to the System Profile, select the Memory or Serial-ATA tab to view data about the RAM and hard drive, respectively.

Unfortunately, Snow Leopard does not display the actual model and year of your Mac in the Profiler window. Nevertheless, great program MacTracker will allow you to get this information as well.

To install Mavericks, you will need OS X 10.6.8 and newer versions (including any release builds of 10.7 and 10.8). The main reason for this limitation is that Mavericks, like Lion, Mountain Lion will be distributed through the store Mac applications App Store, which is available in OS X starting with version 10.6.6, but Apple recommends using 10.6.8 to ensure everything goes smoothly.

In addition, Cupertino residents advise installing the latest updates for the operating system, so be sure to check for updates for your OS X.

What if your Mac is compatible with OS X Mavericks, but is running older OS X 10.5? The easiest way is to buy Snow Leopard for $20 and upgrade from there to Mavericks - you'll pay very reasonable money for a really major updates your OS X.

We strongly recommend getting a Magic Trackpad if you don't already have one - starting with Lion, OS X is well designed for trackpad control, and it's much better to use it rather than a mouse or other input device. MacBook owners, of course, do not need to buy a trackpad.

Before installation

Even though Apple calls the OS X update quite simple process downloading and installing software, not always everything goes so smoothly. Therefore, we advise you to complete the following tasks before installing a new axle.

Make sure that system disk your Mac is in good condition. To do this, open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities), select your startup disk from the list on the left, click the First Aid tab, and then the Check button. If Disk Utility finds any problems, you will have to boot from a different volume to fix the problems using the Fix Disk button. If you are upgrading from Lion or Moutian Lion and your Mac can use OS X in Recovery mode, then you can boot into recovery mode (Ctrl + R while Mac launcher) and use Disk Utility to troubleshoot problems there directly.

Additionally, if you have created a bootable Mountian Lion installation disk, or a bootable Lion disk for older or new Macs, or created separate disk to recover, you can boot from one of these volumes and use Disk Utility from there. If you are upgrading from Snow Leopard, then you can use the disk utility from the included installation disk or OS X Snow Leopard flash drives.

Disk Utility OS X will allow you to check the status of your boot disk

If you are not confident in your abilities, you can use special utilities Apple Hardware Test or Apple Diagnostics, which were released very recently.

Back up your Mac and test it. Do not neglect this point, because in case of trouble, it can save your life and save your data from your Mac. You can create a backup using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner, although you can get by with standard Time Machine. Each method has its own advantages: backup with help third party utilities lets you get back to work right away if problems arise, and Time Machine saves multiple versions of the documents you've been working on. It is recommended to use these two methods in combination.

To check if your backup is bad, use the disk launcher in System Preferences. This will allow you to check if it works backup disk everything is the same as if you booted from standard disk Macintosh or not. To test Time Machine, try restoring several old and new versions of documents you've been working on.

Snow Leopard users only: Disable FileVault. If you are upgrading from Snow Leopard (OS X 10.6) and using the built-in encryption tool FileVault, it is recommended that you disable this feature before upgrading to Mavericks. This is because Mavericks, Lion and Mountain Lion use more new algorithm FileVault 2 data encryption. So, you should not test your luck on the compatibility between these two data encryption algorithms. Disable old FileVault on Snow Leopard before installing Mavericks and after a successful download, launch FileVault 2 in the system settings.

Disable third-party disk encryption algorithms. The same applies to those who use third party solutions to encrypt data on disk. Before installing the new OS X, disable them, otherwise the update may end in disaster for you. Only after you have installed Mavericks and are confident that it is working can you re-enable third-party data encryption algorithms. But keep in mind that the built-in FileVault 2 copes with this no worse.

You can check for OS updates using Mac App Store

Check for system updates and built-in applications from Apple. To make sure you are using the latest software and applications from Apple, go to the Mac App Store in the Updates tab and check if the software requires updating. This is necessary so that all programs run correctly on the new OS X and there are no problems with application compatibility. In Lion and Mountain Lion, you can do this by using the Software Update option in the Apple menu. Also, be sure to check that your Mac's firmware is up to date.

Check to see if third-party app updates are compatible with Mavericks. When OS X receives major updates, you need to make sure that the software you're using third party applications are able to work in the new version of the operating system. It’s better to immediately make sure that your programs are updated to the latest versions and work correctly in Mavericks, so that after installation you will be disappointed with non-working applications.

To check compatibility, you can visit the website of each specific application developer, but it is better and easier to use the special list of compatible programs compiled by RoaringApps. The list includes columns for different versions OS X - Be sure to check out the Mavericks column.

If the check shows a more recent version of the application, then update. For applications downloaded from the Mac App Store, this is very simple - click on the "Updates" tab and download updates for such programs.

For apps not downloaded from the Mac App Store, you'll have to install updates yourself. Some programs include a function automatic check updates - if this function is not available, you will have to visit the developer’s website and download latest version applications directly from there.

List compatible applications With different versions OS X on RoaringApps

When it comes to software that is incompatible with new OS X, the apps that will have the most problems are those that integrate with the system at the so-called “low” level. An extended OS kernel and an upgrade to the new OS X are incompatible things, everything can end badly. True, some of the applications will most likely work correctly, but overall this is not the best option.

Snow Leopard users only: check for really old programs. If you're still running Snow Leopard, you may have multiple PowerPC- compatible programs, which do not run on Mac with Intel processors. In Snow Leopard and more earlier versions OS X, Apple provided the Rosetta utility, which made it possible to transform the code of PowerPC-compatible applications to run on Intel. Snow Leopard doesn't have this utility installed by default; your Mac will only prompt you to download it when you open a PowerPC-compatible application. Please note that in OS X 10.7 and newer utility Rosetta cannot be installed at all.

Any PowerPC application will not run under Mavericks, so if you have a really important PowerPC application, be sure to make it Intel compatible. Or find them something more acceptable modern alternatives. As a last resort, you can keep the old OS X to run such programs.

To check the PowerPC-compatible applications you have installed, use the Profiler utility (Applications > Utilities), and then click on the View column, which can sort applications by type compatible processor. Don't forget that no PowerPC-compatible program in Mavericks, Lion and Mountain Lion will work will not be.

Set up your iCloud account. Cloud service iCloud sync integrated into many components of OS X. So, to avoid problems, make sure. that you are logged in to your iCloud account and have enabled synchronization in it various types data. If you are upgrading from Snow Leopard, then create an account for yourself. iCloud recording immediately after installing Mavericks.

Get an extra drive. It never hurts to have another disk in reserve on which you can install an operating system. For example, you might want to install Mavericks on a second drive first to test the functionality of your new OS X. This is especially true if for some reason your primary drive is damaged. In general, availability additional disk will never be superfluous.

Congratulations - you are ready to upgrade to Mavericks

Thanks to the Mac App Store, the process of updating OS X has become simple and you no longer need to use CDs or flash drives to install new software. Now that your Mac is fully and properly ready to update to OS X 10.9, all you have to do is wait for the final version of Mavericks to be released on the App Store. Apparently, this will happen very soon.

We hope that this guide will help you properly configure and prepare your Mac for upgrading to the new OS X. If you have any questions or additions, leave them in the comments, we will be glad to hear your suggestions. Stay with MacRadar - it will only get more interesting.

However, you first need to ugprade to 10.6.6 or 10.6.8 from Apple via the support website. Once you do this and you have the Mac App Store installed, go there to update. And in fact, you can no longer upgrade to Lion, as it has been removed from the Mac App Store as of July 2012. You must upgrade directly from Mountain Lion. If you already have Lion installed and you need to install it again, though, hold down Option and click on the tab, purchased in the shop Apple Mac to see the download link again.

Upgrade from 10.7 “Lion” (or 10.6.8 “Snow Leopard”) to 10.8 “Mountain Lion”

Mountain Lion system requirements:

2 GB RAM
8 GB hard drive space
OS X 10.6.8 or later

Early Mac models supported: Mid 2007 iMac, late 2008 or early 2009 MacBook, mid 2007 MacBook Pro, late 2008 MacBook Air, early 2009 Mac Mini, or early 2008 Mac Pro

If you have a system that meets the requirements above, you will be able to upgrade your Mac from Lion to Mountain Lion (or even from later version Snow Leopard to Mountain Lion) via the Mac App Store. It will cost $19.99 US with at different prices to other regions.

Upgrade from 10.8 Mountain Lion to 10.9 Mavericks

The system requirements of Mavericks are almost the same as Mountain Lion. It will be released towards the end of 2013, but no release date has been announced yet. Just like the upgrade to Mountain Lion, the upgrade to Mavericks will be done through the Mac App Store and will cost $19.99 US, with varying prices in other regions.

Mavericks is only available as preview developer in this moment but that's it what he looks like.

It turned out to be true, and yesterday telephone conference Tim Cook announced that the new system will be available for download on July 25, that is, today. While the United States sleeps, you and I will prepare our Macs for the transition to new system. I hope everyone will update to 10.8?

Like last year's Lion, Mountain Lion is extremely easy to install and does not require any user skills. Apart from following the instructions on the computer screen, you will not be asked to do anything more. The first thing you need to know before upgrading to Mountain Lion is the system's compatibility with your computer. As Apple itself says, the new version of the system will work on the following computers:

MacBook (Aluminum Late 2008 or Early 2009 or later)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or later)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
iMac (Mid 2007 or later)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or later)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
Xserve (Early 2009)

Please note that despite system support, some functions, such as PowerNap or AirPlay, have more stringent restrictions and work not on all computers.

Apple says your computer must have 2 gigabytes of RAM to install OS X Mountain Lion, but we advise you to upgrade your Mac's RAM, since working with 4 gigabytes of memory in 10.8 is much more enjoyable.

Note that there is no need to install RAM in your computer from the same manufacturer that Apple itself installs. The main selection criterion is the operating frequency of the RAM. When you arrive at the store, we recommend that you provide the sales assistant with accurate data on all characteristics, for example, by saving a screenshot of the screen on your iPhone.

If you're having trouble identifying your Mac's system data, you can always use the free Mactracker app, which provides all the information about every device Apple has ever made. In the program you will definitely find your “Mac” and its technical characteristics and data.

The key software limitation when installing Mountain Lion is current version systems no lower than OS X 10.6.8. The fact is that Mountain Lion, like Lion last year, is installed on your computer only through the Mac App Store, which is only available on OS X 10.6.8 and higher. In addition, Apple advises checking your computer for all available updates. You can check it in Finder from the Apple menu - Software Update.

If your Mac is running Mac OS X Leopard (10.5), then there is only one way to upgrade it to Mountain Lion. First, you will need to purchase Snow Leopard ($29) and from there upgrade to Mountain Lion, the release of which, let me remind you, we are already waiting for tonight.

While upgrading to OS X Lion last year, I purchased a wireless Magic Trackpad for my iMac. The reason for this decision was the new multi-touch gestures introduced by Apple in OS X Lion. Since then, I've been working on my Mac using a combination mouse and trackpad. With the advent of Mountain Lion, gestures will become even more common, and it will become more difficult to manage without a trackpad. If you have not yet purchased this wonderful thing, then I strongly recommend it to you - working on a desktop Mac becomes even more enjoyable.

To do this, launch Disk Utility on your Mac, select your startup disk in the left column and click the “Check Disk” button. Checking the disk's functionality will take some time and may slow down the system somewhat, but this is not a big deal. At the end of the test you should see something like the following.

If, during the check, Disk Utility discovered some problems in the operation of your boot disk, then we advise you to boot from another partition and, running Disk Utility again, try to fix all the problems in the partition where they occur by clicking on the “Fix disk” button "

If you are upgrading from Lion and your Mac is using Lion Recovery, you have the option to boot into the appropriate mode by holding Command+R after turning on the computer and use Disk Utility from there.

Back up your Mac. We definitely recommend that you create a backup copy of your system using the Time Machine program built into OS X. To do this, you will need an external, capacious storage device that can accommodate all the information from your boot disk.

Mac users running Snow Leopard should deactivate FileVault. Mountain Lion, like Lion, has a slightly different encryption principle - FileVault 2. According to Apple, this principle is the best previously existing, and if FileVault is enabled on your Mac, then you can switch to a new system without loss by simply disabling FileVault before upgrading .

If you are using third-party disk encryption, then when you switch to new version OS X recommends that you disable it temporarily. Many of these products interact with the disk and operating system at a low level, and incompatibility with Mountain Lion may result in your Mac being unable to boot or unable to access all of your information. You can put encryption into action as soon as Mountain Lion is installed on your Mac and you have verified that the software encryption is compatible.

We definitely recommend that you check your computer for updates. For example, system 10.6.8 contains the fixes needed to upgrade to Mountain Lion. You can update the software on your Mac from the Apple menu.

In addition to the main system updates, we recommend monitoring all third-party software installed on your computer. The upcoming release of a new version of the operating system always encourages developers to work on updating their applications to support the new version of the system and a smooth transition to the new OS. To do this, you can either visit the website of the developers of each of the programs installed on your Mac, or use the Mac App Store and check for updates to the programs there.

If you are too lazy to browse developer sites, we recommend using more convenient solution. The site maintains a list of programs that have already been supported or are planned to be supported in OS X Lion and OS X Mountain Lion.

Set up your iCloud account or start one if you haven't already. On June 31 of this year, the MobileMe service ceased to exist, and if you were its user, you probably know about its closure, since Apple notified all its users about this more than once.

You can set up a cloud account in the “System Settings” program. Just go to the program and in the “Internet and wireless network” section, select iCloud. If your account has not yet been set up, you will be prompted to create a new one. There are more and more app developers now supporting iCloud on both iOS and OS X, and using this service will definitely make your life easier in the Apple ecosystem.

With a new operating system on the way, it's time to prepare your Mac for an upgrade. Of course, if you plan to switch to a new operating system. OS X Mavericks contains more than 200...

And its update. Before you begin, it is important to decide what exactly you need to do. That is, it will be necessary to understand whether a complete reinstallation of the operating system or a simple update is required. You will also need to prepare the device for reinstallation (for example, if you are going to sell your device).

In addition, you can restore from backup copy TimeMachine if you have configured this. So, first things first:

If you want to update your Mac OS, you can create a backup copy just in case, so that in case of unforeseen circumstances, you can restore the system.
If you are going to restore the operating system, then no action is required. However, you can check for backups if you want to install one of them.
For a complete reinstallation, you will need to create a copy, just as in the first point. Then be sure to deauthorize your computer or laptop from iTunes. To do this, launch the program, open the “Account” tab, select the authorization item, and then open the deauthorization item. Please note that your Apple ID password may be required. Next, exit iCloud service, after disabling Find My Mac if it was previously enabled. Also log out of your account in iMessage and FaceTime services. At this point, your preparation ends. Let's move on, friends.

Reinstallation

First of all, please note that next instruction involves reinstallation with installation of the version of the operating system that was installed when purchasing the device. That is, if you purchased a Macbook with OSX Mavericks, and then upgraded it to ElCaptain, then after reinstallation the laptop will have Mavericks again. It is also worth remembering that all your data will be deleted from your computer. This method is suitable for those who want to sell their device, give it to someone, or simply receive the device “out of the box.” If this method does not suit you, then go to the “Recovery” paragraph.
So, let's get started: immediately after turning on the computer, hold down the key combination Option+Command+R.

Once you see the logo Apple, you can release the buttons.
If you did everything correctly, Disk Utility will launch, with which you will need to clean up the built-in hard drive. Please note that Extended journal format must be used. After this you can close the window.
Now click on “Reinstall mac OS”. Follow the prompts on your computer or laptop screen to complete the steps indicated.
When your device restarts, you'll see the Setup Assistant that opens when you turn on macOS computers for the first time. If you don't want to configure it (for example, as mentioned above, when selling the device), then use the Command+Q combination to turn off the Mac. This way, you will give the opportunity to configure the settings to another user, your future buyer. Ready! This completes the reinstallation.

Update

Updating macOS is much easier than any other operating system on your computer. This process is accompanied by fewer problems and questions. This will be especially noticeable by those people who have updated Windows at least once. In order to update your Mac computer or laptop, you only need an Internet connection and a little time.

Launch the Mac AppStore.
In shopping or in other sections of the store, find the new version of the operating system. Most often it is in the first places of the “Top Chart” or in the “Selection”.
Click the “Download” button or “Install” if the system has already been downloaded previously. Wait for the operation to complete and continue using the now updated mac OS.

Recovery

Recover from using Time Machine

If you have a backup copy of Time Machine, you will need to boot the device from the recovery partition using the Command+R combination when you turn on the computer. In the service window mac programs OS, select the item of the same name. Please note that all data from the disk will be cleared and replaced with the information and files from your backup. The recovery itself is easy to do using the instructions on the computer screen.

They made a lot of noise. And the most interesting thing is that in most cases, users frankly don’t care about “some kind of imaginary security.” Productivity is important to us.

So, because of those same patches that close holes in Intel chips, many computers began to work much slower. True, this is in theory.

In practice, we decided to conduct our own independent testing and monitor the performance of macOS. Does the performance of iMac, MacBook and other Macs deteriorate with the release of new firmware versions?

This is what we are trying to find out.

How events developed

Since January, Apple has been actively working to fix the Specter and Meltdown vulnerabilities. At the same time, the company learned about the presence of such in early December, although information about a potential slowdown reached ordinary users only in early January.

There are already two tests behind us:

when we compared Mac performance Book Pro before and after installing the December patch with macOS 10.13.2. The developers claimed that they had fixed the Meltdown vulnerability, but what we were most afraid of was Specter.
, when another update with macOS 10.13.2 appeared in the Mac App Store. The hefty update promised to fix a security hole in Specter.

Fortunately, none of the updates hit MacBook performance. The laptop works as stable as before the vulnerabilities were discovered.

But in order to sleep peacefully (or restlessly), we decided to continue testing Apple operating systems. After all, we all know that evil awaits where you don’t expect it.

Yesterday Apple released another update in the form, and at the same time they fixed a security hole. We decided to find out whether the system performance had changed after the next update.

Test laptop

We continue to adhere to “ideal” testing conditions. The same 15-inch MacBook Pro from 2014 was chosen as the experimental laptop.

Intel Core i7 with a frequency of 2.2 GHz per core, Intel Graphics Pro, 16 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD drive.

When testing, we used a set of software that has already become a standard:

GeekBench 4 to determine processor performance.
CineBench- to calculate graphics performance.
Black Magic Disk SpeedTest- to test the read/write speed of the drive.
PeaceKeeper- to determine browser performance.

Before testing, close all third-party applications, restart the Mac and check the quantity running processes. On average, this value varies between 300 - 310.

Let's start testing.

macOS 10.13.2 from January 8

We are repeating MacBook testing Pro on macOS 10.13.2 operating system. According to Apple, this version of the OS already includes Specter and Meltdown security patches.

Install macOS update 10.13.3.

macOS 10.13.3 from January 23

The update weighs about 2 GB (depending on the Mac model). Installation took about 15 minutes. There are no visual changes. Let's start testing using the same set of utilities.

It's time to draw conclusions and compare how Mac performance has changed since the patches were released.

Visual comparison of results

Since the day we learned about the Specter and Meltdown vulnerabilities, Apple has released three public versions operating systems macOS.

As a reminder, macOS 10.13.1 comes without a patch. macOS 10.13.2 was released twice - first with the Meltdown patch, and a couple of weeks later with Specter. Update 10.13.3 was released only yesterday. It contains both patches and, by Apple versions, maximally optimized.

And now a rather interesting situation is emerging.

From the four operating system versions tested, several conclusions can be drawn.

Positive points:

CPU performance has improved slightly (according to the Geekbench 4 test);
CPU performance in the Cinebench test has improved by almost 13%;
Graphics performance remained at the same level.

Negative points:

active degradation of performance can be traced standard browser Safari;
There will be a noticeable drop in the performance of the drive.

The last point raises especially many questions. With the release of all versions of macOS, in which the Specter and Meltdown security hole was patched, the SSD read/write speed dropped significantly.