Apple has just published the release version of macOS Mojave on the Mac App Store. But over the first few days of release, users are likely going to face various issues while trying to update macOS through the MAS. Install macOS Catalina on Mac Direct Download Catalina has been released. STEP 1: Download macOS Catalina The full operating system is a free download for anyone who has purchased Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Lion, or Mountain Lion or has a Mac preloaded with OS X Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, macOS Sierra, macOS High Sierra, or macOS Mojave.
From a desert to an island, the Mac is all set to welcome the brand new OS Catalina. With a number of new features like Sidecar, voice control, Music, Podcasts and Apple TV, it may be the best OS yet. But before you get started, there are a couple of things you can do to prepare your Mac for the new OS Catalina. Read through this blog to understand the important prep work before installing along with steps on how to install Catalina.
Note: When you are upgrading from Mojave to Catalina or from High Sierra to Catalina, you may encounter a Pre-Boot volume error. Know how to fix ‘Could not create a pre-boot volume for APFS install’ here.
Prep work for installing Mac OS Catalina
1. Check your Mac for compatibility
Before you install Catalina, make sure that the Mac you have is compatible and supports the new OS. The following list of Mac devices support Catalina.
·iMac (2012 and above)
·iMac Pro (2017)
·MacBook (2015 and above)
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·Mac Book Air (2012 and above)
·MacBook Pro (2012 and above)
·Mac Pro (2013 and above)
·Mac Mini (2012 and above
2. Clean up your Mac
If your Mac contains a number of outdated and unnecessary files, now is the time to clear them all up. This will save tons of space on your Mac and also helps your Mac perform better.
To clean up your Mac, you can either go through every file/folder manually and clear them. Or you could use a third party software to do the job automatically.
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3. Create a backup
Sometimes even simple tasks like a macOS Catalina upgrade can cause data loss when you least expect it. Hence, creating a backup is the most essential thing to do to avoid data loss or photo loss on Mac after update.
You can easily create a backup on Mac using Time Machine as follows:
- In the menu bar, click on the Time Machine icon
- Select ‘Backup Now’
Time Machine will back up all your data and set it up. Alternatively, you can manually backup or use third party software to create a backup for you.
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Mac OS Catalina Download & Installation Guide
After you have cleared up your computer and created a backup, you are all set to download and install Catalina.
There are 2 methods of installing Catalina, one is a regular install and other a Clean install (regular installation process is covered here). The regular installation installs Catalina over the previous OS, whereas the Clean install wipes the entire boot drive.
In the next section of this post, you will learn how to install Catalina.
How to install Mac OS Catalina?
If you choose this method, all the applications on your Mac will remain, so you will not need to reinstall any apps to start using your Mac. Your Mac with the new OS will be exactly similar to the state before OS upgrade, the only difference being the addition of new features with Catalina.
These steps will help you upgrade your Mac to OS 10.15 Catalina:
- Have your Mac connected to a reliable Wi-Fi connection and a source of power
- Click on the AppStore in the dock and launch it
- Search for ‘Mac OS Catalina’ and click Get
- Now, the new OS will be downloaded
- Click Continue to install and enter your admin credentials
- Allow the installation to complete fully
After installing, your Mac may restart several times to complete the set up process. Please don’t turn OFF your Mac during this time. After the process completes, you will have Catalina set up on your Mac.
Turning OFF your Mac in the middle of an OS upgrade can cause your Mac to hang and may cause data loss. If encountered with such a situation, Remo Recover Mac can help you recover data lost during OS upgrade/reinstall. Check out the free trial for a reliable and safe Mac data recovery experience.
Conclusion
The new features of Catalina like Sidecar, Music, Apple TV along with additional security certainly makes it exciting for users. However, please note that when you install Catalina on your Mac, the older 32-bit apps will not be supported. So, if you have any 32-bit apps, upgrade them to 64-bit apps or install alternative apps that are supported by Catalina.
If you are planning to install Catalina, we hope that this guide has provided you with the information required to carry out the installation process smoothly. Just remember to create a backup before you install Catalina, this will save you from bitter data loss situations.
macOS 10.15, also known as macOS Catalina, is Mac’s most recent—next-generation—operating system. Apple’s macOS Catalina comes with more to offer compared to its predecessors. A few of this operating system’s features include experience-dedicated apps for podcasts, TV, and music. The best part about this OS is that upgrading is easy and free for all Mac users.
Before getting started, you first have to check if your Mac meets Catalina’s hardware requirements so you can proceed to install it. Here is a list of Mac devices and models compatible with macOS Catalina:
- MacBook 2015 and later
- MacBook Air 2012 or later
- MacBook Pro 2012 or later
- Mac Mini 2012 or later
- iMac 2012 or later
- iMac Pro 2017 or later
- Mac Pro 2013 or later
You can follow these steps to find out the kind of Mac you have:
- Navigate to the Apple menu.
- Select About This Mac.
- The Overview tab will display your Mac from the Overview tab.
Important Information About macOS Catalina
In macOS Catalina, Apple no longer supports any 32-bit apps. Therefore, any apps on your Mac that have not been updated from 32-bit to 64-bit will not function on this OS.
To identify the 32-bit apps on your Mac, follow these steps:
- On your screen’s top left corner, click on the Apple icon.
- Select About This Mac.
- At the bottom of the window, click on the button labeled System Report.
- On the window’s left side, click on Applications (under the Software section).
- A list of applications will populate.
- To find the 64-bitcolumn,move to the right using your cursor. Any 32-bit apps will have No listed in this column.
Before you can upgrade to macOS Catalina, there a few things you have to sort out first, such as:
- Confirmation of your Mac’s compatibility for macOS Catalina.
- Creation of a Time Machine backup.
- Ensuring your Mac has sufficient storage to download, install, and upgrade to macOS Catalina.
Creating a Time Machine Backup
Before upgrading to macOS Catalina, it is crucial to create a Time Machine backup. The reason for the backup is a safety measure for when you find your Mac to be incompatible with the Catalina OS, which means you can erase the upgrade and restore it using the backup you created.
Creating a backup whether upgrading or downgrading your Mac is not only a good idea, but also imperative. Unless you would not mind losing everything, we highly recommend creating a Time Machine backup before upgrading to macOS Catalina. Without the backup, it would take a lot of time to restore your system to its previous OS. You would have to download each program, plug-in, and driver once more.
Follow these steps to format an external hard drive for macOS:
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- Start Disk Utility, which you can find by navigating to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
- Choose the hard drive device and then click on Erase (if initiated, the process is irreversible)
- Choose a name for your drive (e.g., My Backup) and select the format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled), then click on Erase.
Follow these steps to create a Time Machine backup drive:
- Start Time Machine and click on Select Disk.
- Connect a drive (reformatted or empty).
- Select the drive you have just connected (e.g., My Backup) and click on Use Disk.
- Click on the Backup taskbar icon and then select Backup Now.
Downloading macOS Catalina
The upgrade to the macOS Catalina process involves two steps: backup and installation. After you have created a backup, the next step is visiting the App Store to download the macOS installer. Depending on your internet speed, the download may take some time. Upon completing the download, you can install the macOS Catalina app that you can find in your Applications folder.
Storage Space Required for the Download
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macOS Catalina needs storage of 12.5GB to 18GB for upgrading. Therefore, if you have insufficient space on your Mac, you can make a backup of some files then delete them from your system to avail the storage required.
Upgrading from Mac OS X Older Versions
Any older versions of Mac OS X 10.7-10.10 have to first upgrade to Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11 version before upgrading to macOS Catalina, which you can download from Apple’s Catalina download page.
To do this, follow these steps:
- Launch the System Preferences menu, and thenselect Software Update.
- Click on the Download or Upgrade Now button to begin the download of the Catalina installer.
Installing macOS Catalina
Follow these steps to install macOS Catalina:
- After completion of the macOS Catalina installation app download, the installer will automatically launch itself. If not, go to your Mac’s Applications folder and double click the Install macOS Catalina app.
- Follow the instructions that appear on-screen to finish the upgrade and start using the OS.
- Select an external drive to create an external drive for macOS or an internal drive to upgrade the Mac when prompted.
macOS Catalina’s New Features
Follow these steps to complete installing macOS Catalina’s new features:
- After macOS Catalina installs, your Mac will restart.
- After it has started, click on the Apple icon and select About This Mac to view the Catalina OS version.