The first public beta was made available in July 2017. MacOS High Sierra was officially launched on September 25, 2017, as a free downloadable upgrade through the Mac App Store. There is no physical retail version from Apple, though it is possible to create a bootable drive of the installer. The new Mac operating system offers more than a name change. MacOS Sierra version 10.12 moves Apple's desktop OS closer to its mobile counterpart, gaining Siri, Apple.
The first beta of macOS Sierra was released to developers shortly following the 2016 WWDC keynote on June 13, 2016. The first public-beta release followed on July 7. Feb 05, 2021 Safari uses these links to find the old installers in the App Store. After downloading from the App Store, the installer opens automatically. MacOS Catalina 10.15 can upgrade Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks; macOS Mojave 10.14 can upgrade High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion. Upgrading from an older version of macOS? If you’re running any release from macOS 10.13 to 10.9, you can upgrade to macOS Big Sur from the App Store. If you’re running Mountain Lion 10.8, you will need to upgrade to El Capitan 10.11 first. If you don’t have broadband access, you can upgrade your Mac at any Apple Store.
24 Apr How to Upgrade Mac to macOS High Sierra
April 24, 2018
The latest version of the macOS operating system, macOS High Sierra, was released on Monday, September 25, 2017.
In this article, we will explain how to upgrade mac to macOS High Sierra.
Why Should We Upgrade to macOS High Sierra?
Apple released the latest macOS, High Sierra, and added some new features including a new and improved Apple File System (AFPS), a faster browser, stellar graphics, better gaming capabilities and VR support. MacOS 10.13 is absolutely worthwhile to upgrade your Mac.
macOS High Sierra System Compatibility
You can download and install macOS High Sierra OS for free in 2009 or later. Basically, if your Mac is currently running macOS Sierra system (macOS 10.12), you can smoothly upgrade to macOS High Sierra.
The following is the device compatibility information released by Apple:
- iMac (Late 2009 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2009 or newer)
- Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer)
Some features, such as High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) encoding and decoding require newer processors and devices, some of which unfortunately cannot run on older devices.
If you are running OS X Lion (10.7.5) or later, you can upgrade directly to macOS High Sierra.
How to Upgrade macOS
Macos Sierra Apple Store Locations
There are two ways to upgrade macOS: directly in Mac App Store, or upgrade using an USB device.
No matter which way you choose, always remember to back up your data before performing an upgrade.
Time Machine Backup
Apple has its own official backup tool: Time Machine. This feature was released in OS X 10.5 Leopard. If you have never backed up, let me tell you how important it is.
Time Machine can connect to your Mac and any external hard drive via USB, FireWire or Thunderbolt port. Back up everything on your Mac directly to your hard drive, in case the Mac cannot upgrade properly.
It also supports Apple’s Time Capsule and backup disks connected over a network as long as the disks support AFPS. As long as the disk is available to your Mac, you can use it for Time Machine backups.
When enabled, Apple’s Time Machine will periodically transfer all files and store data on an inserted external hard drive or on a Time Capsule connected to the network.
You can choose hourly, daily or weekly backup to store your data on the external hard drive. When the external device is full, Time Machine will delete the oldest backup and replace it with the newer version.
Let’s check how to enable Time Machine backup on Mac devices.
1. Choose “System Preferences…” from the Mac menu.
2. Double-click the Time Machine icon.
3. Click “Select Backup Disk…” to select the disk you want to use as a Time Machine backup.
4. Select the “Back Up Automatically” check box so that your Mac will automatically back up data to your chosen disk.
If you want to restore files from Time Machine, make sure your Mac is running. Click “Enter Time Machine”, find the previous file or folder, and then click “Restore.”
Besides Time Machine, you can try other great backup and restore software such as Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC) and SuperDuper.
1. Direct Upgrade in Mac App Store
Generally, you can upgrade your system directly in the Mac App Store by clicking “Check for Updates” or click the following link to download macOS High Sierra:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?l=en&mt=12
If you use a Beta version, you still need to click the link above to download the system, or go to the developer’s website for download information.
If you want to choose “USB clean upgrade”, check the detailed information below.
2. Upgrade using USB device
i. USB Preparation
Before formatting your current operating system, download macOS High Sierra from the Mac App Store first. You will need a copy of macOS High Sierra to perform a clean installation later. If you want to upgrade to this version, it is possible as long as your current operating system version is lower than macOS High Sierra.
Natively, look for “Disk Utility” in your application, select an external USB device with a capacity of 8 GB or larger, format it directly, and remember to choose the format “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)”. If it is a hard disk, it would be better to make a partition beforehand.
If you have already downloaded the macOS High Sierra package, do not click on the installation. Directly open the “terminal” program, which you can find in the application.
When typing the following text in the terminal, check the name of the formatted external USB device. If you do not name it “Untitled”, you need to change the command syntax of the path name: Volumes/Untitled. The names of external USB devices cannot contain spaces and are case sensitive.
sudo /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia –volume /Volumes/Untitled –applicationpath /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app –nointeraction
Press “Enter” on your keyboard to execute the command. You will then be prompted to enter the administrator password. It will start the process after the operation, which can take a long time, depending on the transfer speed of the external USB device. When done, the terminal window will report “Done.”
ii. USB Upgrade Installation
a. Click the Apple icon .
b. Choose “Restart…” from the drop-down menu.
c. Press and hold “Command+R” when you hear a startup ring (or when the screen on your newer Mac device turns black), and hold down the keys until your computer restarts.
d. Open “Disk Utility”, choose your startup disk, and then click “Erase”.
e. Select “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” from the list of volume formats and start formatting.
f. When it returns to the former page, insert your USB and click “Continue”.
g. When the installation window appears, click “Continue” again.
h. Agree to the software terms and conditions. Choose your hard drive.
i. Click “Install” and wait until the upgrade is done
Apple Macos Sierra Download
How to Keep Your Mac Always Clean
If you have done a complete installation of macOS, you must be enjoying the completely new macOS now. I believe you also want to keep your Mac clean. Let’s say someday your Mac has a lot of junk files and duplicate photos. There are also probably many apps you have never used and don’t need them anymore. I must tell you there is a savior for your Mac! Its name is Cleaner One. It’s really great to have such a system optimizing tool. With its “Junk Files” feature, it not only cleans temporary files including logs, mail caches, iTunes and iOS temporary files, and empties trash for the current user, but also detects remaining files after deleting apps.
It also has a function called “Duplicate Files”, which can find duplicate files on your Mac through fast and accurate scanning techniques covering your entire home folder. Duplicates are selected not only by the file name but also by their contents. Files are shown in detailed previews. It can further help you decide which copy to delete by presenting the “Auto Select” button.
Duplicates can be sorted by file type and listed in their full route for you to track. You can decide which way to clean these files; either by sending them to trash or deleting them permanently.
You probably also need an intelligent app uninstaller. Don’t worry, Cleaner One has this function. It can auto-clean leftovers of deleted apps and manage all the applications installed on your Mac easily. When you remove an app you don’t need anymore, it can get rid of all the associated files of the uninstalled app as well. It will also notify you of new updates to installed apps.
Siri Comes to Mac with All-New Capabilities for the Desktop
- Messages makes conversations more interesting, allowing users to preview web links and play video clips from right within the app; respond to messages with a Tapback like a heart, thumbs up and more directly onto a message bubble; and send bigger emoji for more message impact.
- Tabs are now available across Mac apps that support multiple windows, including Maps, Mail, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, TextEdit, and even third-party apps.
- Picture in Picture floats video from Safari or iTunes in a window over the desktop. The window can be resized, dragged and pinned to any corner of the screen so users can watch video while they work.
- Optimized Storage frees up space when a Mac starts getting full by storing infrequently used items in the cloud and helping users remove apps and files they no longer need.
- Apple Music in iTunes makes it even easier to discover new music and browse exclusives and new releases.
Availability
Images from macOS Sierra
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and Apple TV. Apple’s four software platforms — iOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
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