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I am trying to update my OS software from High Sierra V. 10.13.6 to Catalina V. 10.15 on an iMac 21.5" 2017
I cannot find it anywhere to download. Is this compatible with my iMac? I am being told I must update or I will not be able to use certain programs.
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.13
❗️ Do NOT upgrade
until you have made a Time Machine or other backup of your startup drive.
Learn How to Back up your Mac with Time Machine
How to Upgrade macOS:
The macOS version you can upgrade to depends on the year your Mac was released.
Click the (Apple) menu at the top of your screen and choose About This Mac.
Check the Compatibility of your Mac with newer versions of macOS:
➡️ macOS 10.15 Catalina is compatible with the Macs listed here
➡️ macOS 11 Big Sur is compatible with the Macs listed here
➡️ macOS 12 Monterey is compatible with the Macs listed here
➡️ macOS 13 Ventura is compatible with the Macs listed here
❗️ – IMPORTANT – None of your 32-bit apps will work in macOS Catalina or newer.
32-bit app compatibility with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later - Apple Support
Use the free utility Go64 to check the compatibility of your apps:
https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/
✅ - IF your Mac and apps are compatible, then using Safari only, download the macOS upgrade installer app:
Click > Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey or Ventura.
Once downloaded, double-click the “Install macOS…” app in the Applications folder to begin the upgrade.
Please see > How to download macOS.
❗️ Do NOT upgrade
until you have made a Time Machine or other backup of your startup drive.
Learn How to Back up your Mac with Time Machine
How to Upgrade macOS:
The macOS version you can upgrade to depends on the year your Mac was released.
Click the (Apple) menu at the top of your screen and choose About This Mac.
Check the Compatibility of your Mac with newer versions of macOS:
➡️ macOS 10.15 Catalina is compatible with the Macs listed here
➡️ macOS 11 Big Sur is compatible with the Macs listed here
➡️ macOS 12 Monterey is compatible with the Macs listed here
➡️ macOS 13 Ventura is compatible with the Macs listed here
❗️ – IMPORTANT – None of your 32-bit apps will work in macOS Catalina or newer.
32-bit app compatibility with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later - Apple Support
Use the free utility Go64 to check the compatibility of your apps:
https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/
✅ - IF your Mac and apps are compatible, then using Safari only, download the macOS upgrade installer app:
Click > Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey or Ventura.
Once downloaded, double-click the “Install macOS…” app in the Applications folder to begin the upgrade.
Please see > How to download macOS.
Caution: If you have an iMac with the 8 GB memory configuration and with a hard disk drive (see the Apple Menu > About This Mac… for these details), your performance is already slow, and is going to get worse as you upgrade it.
An iMac with more memory and particularly with a Fusion drive or an SSD will work fine.
Configuring an external SSD will help speed up a hard disk drive iMac considerably. Internal upgrades tend to be much less affordable.
Why is my hard disk drive iMac so slow? - Apple Community
Use an external SSD as your startup disk … - Apple Community
I am trying to update my OS software from High Sierra V. 10.13.6 to Catalina 10.15 on an iMac 21.5" 2017
