Upgrade to the latest version of MacOS!
To stay up-to-date with the latest security and software updates, we recommend any Macs upgrade to the two supported operating systems: Catalina (10.15) or Big Sur (10.16).
First to figure out which version your Mac currently has, click the apple logo in the upper left corner of your screen and click About This Mac. You’ll see an image similar to the one below:
Next see if your laptop or desktop computer is compatible to upgrade here: macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers.
Two things to note before beginning the upgrade process. First, please make sure any data or documents stored on the Mac is backed up with either a cloud storage option (Shared Drive, Box Folder, Google Drive) or an external hard drive. Big Sur, the latest macOS upgrade, requires 35GB of free space on the computer before you can update. Use this as a time to clean up old files! Second, there are some compatibility issues with 32 and 64-bit applications from previous versions of macOS. If you do not know of any 32 bit apps, do not fret, you can upgrade without an issue. If you do know of 32-bit apps that you would continue to use, we’d be happy to discuss your options going forward. Please contact us (SMPH IT) via email at support@med.wisc.edu.
To begin the upgrade, find the System Preferences (gearbox icon) application and select Software Update from the menu. Alternatively, you can click the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of your Mac’s home screen and type in Software Update then select the top option.
Here it will present you with this screen:
When you click Upgrade Now, it will prompt to download the 12 GB file which will take some time. The total install time on a steady internet connection is between 30 – 120 minutes. Help us stay secured by updating your Mac!