If your Mac supports macOS Mojave, then it also supports Catalina (except for a couple Mac Pro models). In this edition, I share some important guidelines of the upgrade process.

I ask that you be especially cautious this time around and ensure all of your applications are ready for you to transition to the new version.

Old Apps

As I discussed in Mac Mondays: Future Incompatibility, scan your Mac using Go64 to determine whether you have any old “32-bit” applications that won’t work in Catalina. If you find one that you know you rely on, you’ll need to check for an update or find out from the developer whether there is a new version available.

If you still use Microsoft Office 2011, that’s a prime example of such apps. There are also certain apps that may work but aren’t officially supported.

For example, QuickBooks 2016 technically runs in Catalina but Intuit doesn’t support it and says some users may experience data corruption. Intuit encourages these users to upgrade to 2019 or 2020, or stick with macOS Mojave.

If you’re only using Apple apps that came with your Mac and/or apps you installed from the App Store, you probably have nothing to worry about. However, even if you come up clean in Go64, I would still encourage you book an appointment with me to validate your system.

Backup!

Never run a major software upgrade without completing a fresh backup immediately before. “The cloud” is not such a backup. Use Time Machine, SuperDuper!, or Carbon Copy Cloner to back up your whole Mac to an external drive. If anything goes wrong with the installation, you’ll have a much easier time restoring your data and settings.

Upgrade

If you feel confident to upgrade on your own, here are some valuable guidelines:

  1. Look in your Applications folder for Install macOS Catalina. If you have a copy from before December 2019, trash it.
  2. Have you backed up yet? Do that first.
  3. If you don’t already have the Catalina installer for 10.15.2 from December 2019, download it. The installer is about 8GB. If you have a slow Internet connection, it might take a while. Or, you can book time with me to provide it (from my pocket).
  4. You can expect the installation to take 45–90 minutes

Post-Install Setup

Beyond what’s required by the Setup Assistant, here are some steps I recommend doing after installation:

  1. If you use Mail, open it and make sure your email looks okay. If you prefer the “Classic” column layout, it’s been changed: no more column headers, sort options top left and in the View menu, additional column choices in the View menu, and you can’t resize the columns. However, if you resisted the “Modern” layout because you couldn’t increase the font size of the message list, now you can!
  2. The system will start asking you whether you want to give your apps permission to send you notifications. Maybe you didn’t know you can configure these. Well, here’s your chance to start. It’s up to you.
  3. Open Photos to see the new app design, which I’ll explain in a future edition. Open any other apps you use regularly.
  4. Catalina adds some more areas that require you to give apps special permission to do certain things. These areas include Speech Recognition, Files and Folders, and Screen Recording. I encourage you to read each message carefully, decide whether you rely on the app or function described, and reach out to me if you have any doubt.
  5. Give me a call if you run into anything else of concern

macOS Mojave is a fine version and I encourage you to have no qualms about sticking with it for now if you have any concerns about upgrading. Of course I’m also available to discuss your situation and help you decide.