How to and what to download on my mac
My mac needs to update in order to get the newest version of excel and word for one of my classes. I need to download the newest version of mac 10.5 to have it
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Apple differentiates updates (what you’re likely checking) from upgrades (what you’re asking about), as updates are minor changes and fixes a d expected to be compatible with existing apps a d upgrades are larger and more complex changes and can potentially break some applications.
For how to get macOS Catalina (assuming you meant 10.15, and not 10.5), see: How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support
Your Mac may well support Big Sur, the current version, see: How to upgrade to macOS Big Sur - Apple Support
If you’re using an iMac or other Mac with an SSD and have enough room for the upgrade, Big Sur should work fine. Some of the lower-end hardware configurations can have performance issues with newer releases. you’re using an iMac 21.5” with 8 GB and a hard disk drive (the base model) for instance, that tends to have performance problems on Catalina and Big Sur.
Upgrading to macOS Catalina and macOS Big Sur means you will need all 64-bit apps, and no 32-bit apps. This means upgrading apps, or potentially finding replacements or alternatives to existing apps when no 64-bit upgrade is available for the app. To find your 32-bit apps, use the Go64 tool. This can involve printer and scanner drivers, from the vendors for the devices you might be using. If you’re using it, Microsoft Office must be Office 2016 or later, or Office 365 subscription, and not Office 2011 or earlier.
macOS Mojave will run both 32- and 64-bit apps.
Have a complete and current backup prior to the upgrade.
If you tell us which Mac model and which model year you have (we need both model and year), we can tell you what your upgrade options are. See the 🍎 > About This Mac menu for this info.
