Best practice for OS upgrade

[bladerunner714]

After years of frustration with Microsoft and Windows PCs, I converted to Macintosh beginning in November of last year. Now that the rumors about an upgrade from Sierra to the next version of macOS are starting, I am undecided how best to proceed.

Is it generally recommended to stay current with macOS versions? And if so, when should upgrades be performed and what would be a prudent protocol to follow? Any suggestions and advice will be appreciated.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

Bear in mind I'm stuck in Mac OS 10.7 but from what I've read, most like to wait until the new OS version is at least at the x.1 stage. That means patches have been applied to initial issues. There are some who based on their setup jump right on in but if you run a lot of 3rd party applications then there can be issues as those developers don't always march in time with Apple.

The upgrade would be done through the Mac App Store based on the System Requirements being met but if you are truly happy with the OS you are using then there is no real need to upgrade.

It's best to research & the web is always full of folk who upgrade then get caught with incompatible 3rd party software or they just don't like the changes they find.

So in summary, it's important to check the websites of any 3rd Party software for info & update via the App Store.

My iMac cannot be upgraded due to hardware incompatibility, it's 10 years old. It's also just recently died so I've had a very steep Windows 10 learning curve!`

 

[bladerunner714]

Spawn_Dooley - Thanks for the input.

 

[Spawn_Dooley]

You are most welcome.

 

[miniMac]

before upgrading, be sure to check the apps you used are compatible with it, also, you can see the comment about the new system before upgrading.

 

[honestone]

Yes, it always a good idea to keep current with the Mac OS. However, there are some tasks you need to perform to keep your Mac running smoothly:

1. Perform disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs on a frequent basis. For disk cleanup, you can do some of it on your own. Also, there are some excellent freeware and commercial products that can help you too. Two of them that I use, and recommend, are the venerable freeware program Onyx, and the dependable commercial program TechTool Pro. I perform a disk cleanup/maintenance/repair, and backup, process once a week and as part of that, I run Onyx, and then TechTool Pro. Doing that (along with daily disk cleanup on my own) keeps my Macs running "lean, mean, and clean", and I rarely have any issues.

2. Do frequent backups to an external device. Time Machine is fine, but I prefer to have a bootable backup, and thus I use SuperDuper! for that (Carbon Copy Cloner is a similar, excellent product).

Now, as to when to upgrade to a new version of the Mac OS, usually the initial one has some "issues". However, unless you really need the new features (even only some, or one, of them), it might be best to wait until the first update comes out. Myself, and to go along with what miniMac said above about third party software compatibility, there are 6 critical apps I use that I must have the compatibility upgrades for before I upgrade. So, for the last two Mac OS upgrades, a couple of those upgrades were not available until after the initial Mac OS release came out, and thus I did not upgrade the OS until the ".1" version came out.

Additionally, you can either upgrade "in place", or do a complete Erase and Format of your internal drop, then a clean, "virgin" installation of the new OS, and then "migrating"/copying all your needed "stuff" from your backup (hopefully a very recent one). I prefer that latter route myself, and it's how I have proceeded for at least the last 4 Mac OS upgrades. It has served me well.

 

[bladerunner714]

miniMac and honestone: thanks for the considered and thoughtful advice and my apologies for not having noticed your posts sooner. I have one external, always connected, device running Time Machine and another running a daily scheduled Carbon Copy Cloner clone operation every day. Four additional external devices are in rotation for a second, daily clone operation with one always stored in a bank vault. All of the Carbon Copy Cloner devices are bootable. I feel comfortable that I can recover from a catastrophic failure or have I overlooked something?

honestone, I'm very interested and curious about your "virgin" installation of the new OS. Don't you then have to reinstall any applications? Would you mind explaining a little more about the advantages you gain for the extra work?

 

[bladerunner714]

Oh - One last thing honestone: Would you say that since my internal storage is a SSD and protected by a UPS that I'm less likely to benefit from using tools like Onyx and TechTool Pro or should I use them anyway? Thanks again.

 

[honestone]

Yes, I can explain. And in fact, we can basically speak the same "language", as I use SuperDuper! for my weekly backups, for both of my Macs, to two external drives (SSDs, in my case). Just like Carbon Copy Cloner (CCC), SuperDuper! makes bootable backups/clones. The two differences between the two programs are 1) cost (SuperDuper! costs $27.95, while CCC costs $39.95), and 2) CCC backs up the (hidden) Recovery HD partition, whereas SuperDuper! does not. But, for me, that is not an issue, as 1) that partition gets created again on a clean installation of the Mac OS, 2) there are other ways of re-creating it, and 3) I have a much more robust Disk Maintenance program in TechTool Pro, and thus I really do not need Disk Utility being available through the Recovery HD partition.

OK, back to your question. If I have a "severe" enough disaster (or doing it once in a while), after saving some important stuff since my last backup (like transactions in Quicken, software updaters, etc.), I boot the applicable Mac from my most recent SuperDuper! backup. On both of my Macs, and on the backups, I always have two copies of the latest "Install macOS Sierra" files available (in fact, given that OS 10.12.4 came out earlier today, I'll download it soon for both of my Macs).

I next run Disk Utility on the backup to Erase and Format (I do not need an additional partition) the internal SSD on the Mac. I then launch the "Install macOS Sierra" file (on the backup), and do a fresh, clean, and "virgin" installation of that version of Sierra. So, for example, if I were to do that right now, it would be OS 10.12.3.

Finally, once that installation completes, one is offered the opportunity to "migrate"/copy stuff from a backup or another Mac. So, that is what I do, "migrating"/copying all the needed "stuff" (including applications) from that most recent SuperDuper! backup. I then re-boot my Mac, and I am back in business (I do have to re-create the TechTool Pro eDrive, and also "apply"/install any of the stuff I saved since the last backup (mentioned above))".

I actually had to do all of that about 2 weeks ago for my mid 2013 13" MacBook Air, as while we were on vacation in the Canary Islands, I mistakenly deleted all my EMails in my In Box (I use Outlook 2016 as my EMail client). Fortunately, I had not received any critical EMails between the last SuperDuper! backup I had done 4 days earlier, and the day of the "disaster".

Note that given all the disk cleaning/maintenance/repairs steps I do prior to the backup, those backups are basically "pristine".

 

[honestone]

Oh - One last thing honestone: Would you say that since my internal storage is a SSD and protected by a UPS that I'm less likely to benefit from using tools like Onyx and TechTool Pro or should I use them anyway? Thanks again.

I would say no, as the SSD is still "basically" a disk drive, and it can get cluttered (I also have SSDs inside each of my Macs, along with my two external devices). Note that UPS protection is a different "animal", and it is wise (like you are doing) to have it no matter what kind of internal drive one has.

 

[bladerunner714]

Thanks again honestone: My thought on the UPS is that, since my storage (actually all of it, both internal and external) never is subjected to a disorderly shutdown by a power failure, I'm less likely to see any directory corruption which I had understood was mainly what TechTool Pro was designed to repair.

 

[honestone]

Thanks again honestone: My thought on the UPS is that, since my storage (actually all of it, both internal and external) never is subjected to a disorderly shutdown by a power failure, I'm less likely to see any directory corruption which I had understood was mainly what TechTool Pro was designed to repair.

While in "most" respects that might be true for TechTool Pro's Volume Rebuild feature, TechTool Pro has other useful functions. For example, it checks on the machine's memory, Video Memory, Fan, SMART status, Partition Map, Sensors, Volume and File Structures, and most importantly, does a Surface Scan of the internal drive (SSD in both of our cases). And for laptops, it checks the status of the battery.

Also, Onyx has quite a few disk cleanup routines that I find beneficial.

In summary, I want to keep my Macs "lean, clean, and mean", and thus that is why I choose to run Onyx and TechTool Pro once a week. (I also am doing daily disk cleanup). I have been doing all of that for quite some time, and I rarely, if ever, have serious issues with my machines.

Again, maintaining a Mac is the same as maintaining au automobile. Without proper maintenance, issues will arise sooner or later.

 

[bladerunner714]

Good thoughts, honestone: Mebbe I'll take another look.

 

[Ormond]

My two cents would be...

First, know why you are upgrading. Don't just upgrade because it's free and sounds like the thing to do. For instance, if you want to use software that you find compelling, and it will only run on a version of OSX higher than what you have, that could be good reason to upgrade.

Next, upgrades typically give some features while taking others away. As example, I stuck with Yosemite because it has the feature where you can secure erase your deleted files, a feature which was removed from later versions. So, try to find out what you might be losing before you lose it.

As mentioned above, it's usually a wise plan to not install the earliest versions of a new OSX. Let them pound out the bugs on somebody else's machines before you get involved. Be patient and wait for the version to mature, unless you have some compelling specific need to upgrade right now.

Always test a new version of OSX on a different drive. Don't just install it on top of your existing OSX as suggested by Apple. Wipe the 2nd drive clean, do a fresh install of the new OSX, and then install your most commonly used apps. Then test it for a few days or weeks to see how things go.

This procedure leaves your existing setup unchanged, so if your testing doesn't work out, you can just delete the test and keep right on working with your existing setup.

If the testing goes well, then you can copy your new setup over the old setup using an app like SuperDuper.

Newer versions of OSX tend to need more RAM than older versions. If your RAM is limited your machine may actually run slower after an upgrade. 4GB of RAM or more seems to be the current minimum. More is better.

And remember, we Mac people are all pretty much insane. We're creative geniuses, we think different, we bust boldly out of the status quo group think corporate gulag mold, and stuff like that. So if you're not already eccentric and kinda wacky, you'll need to read up on that too.

 

[honestone]

It is always better to first Erase and Format your internal drive, then do a clean installation of the new Mac OS, and finally use Migration Assistant (offered at the end of the OS installation) to "migrate"/copy needed stuff from a recent backup.

Additionally, while a newer Mac OS might not be that "inviting", using an older Mac OS does limit the software compatible with that Mac OS, in regards to any further updates developers will most likely not make. This is especially true regarding Security updates.

Finally, it's also prudent to watch our for eccentric folks who have a negative view of things. They are typically narrow minded, and don't know what they are talking about.

 

[bladerunner714]

My two cents would be...

First, know why you are upgrading. Don't just upgrade because it's free and sounds like the thing to do. For instance, if you want to use software that you find compelling, and it will only run on a version of OSX higher than what you have, that could be good reason to upgrade.

Next, upgrades typically give some features while taking others away. As example, I stuck with Yosemite because it has the feature where you can secure erase your deleted files, a feature which was removed from later versions. So, try to find out what you might be losing before you lose it.

As mentioned above, it's usually a wise plan to not install the earliest versions of a new OSX. Let them pound out the bugs on somebody else's machines before you get involved. Be patient and wait for the version to mature, unless you have some compelling specific need to upgrade right now.

Always test a new version of OSX on a different drive. Don't just install it on top of your existing OSX as suggested by Apple. Wipe the 2nd drive clean, do a fresh install of the new OSX, and then install your most commonly used apps. Then test it for a few days or weeks to see how things go.

This procedure leaves your existing setup unchanged, so if your testing doesn't work out, you can just delete the test and keep right on working with your existing setup.

If the testing goes well, then you can copy your new setup over the old setup using an app like SuperDuper.

Newer versions of OSX tend to need more RAM than older versions. If your RAM is limited your machine may actually run slower after an upgrade. 4GB of RAM or more seems to be the current minimum. More is better.

And remember, we Mac people are all pretty much insane. We're creative geniuses, we think different, we bust boldly out of the status quo group think corporate gulag mold, and stuff like that. So if you're not already eccentric and kinda wacky, you'll need to read up on that too.

Many thanks, Ormond! You sound like a real veteran of the computer troubles as I like to think of the last fifty years or so. Your advice is thoughtful and informed and appreciated. Considering all that I've read on this thread, I'll definitely approach any OS upgrades with caution. Hmmmmm ... "think different" - I've heard that somewhere before.

 

[bladerunner714]

It is always better to first Erase and Format your internal drive, then do a clean installation of the new Mac OS, and finally use Migration Assistant (offered at the end of the OS installation) to "migrate"/copy needed stuff from a recent backup.

Additionally, while a newer Mac OS might not be that "inviting", using an older Mac OS does limit the software compatible with that Mac OS, in regards to any further updates developers will most likely not make. This is especially true regarding Security updates.

Finally, it's also prudent to watch our for eccentric folks who have a negative view of things. They are typically narrow minded, and don't know what they are talking about.

Thanks again honestone. Your warning is appreciated and I'll be careful. Actually I have a general rule I apply to most of my research that might interest you:
There is value in all information and opinion. Some of the people are right some of the time and some of them are wrong most of the time but none of them are right (or wrong) all of the time. Get as much information as you can manage; compare one source to another and contrast this opinion to that. Synthesize the lot based on your own knowledge, experience and intuition and act on what you understand. Trust only yourself.

 

[honestone]

Thanks again honestone. Your warning is appreciated and I'll be careful. Actually I have a general rule I apply to most of my research that might interest you:
There is value in all information and opinion. Some of the people are right some of the time and some of them are wrong most of the time but none of them are right (or wrong) all of the time. Get as much information as you can manage; compare one source to another and contrast this opinion to that. Synthesize the lot based on your own knowledge, experience and intuition and act on what you understand. Trust only yourself.

Excellent advice, and well stated. In actuality, your thoughts mirror my belief that it is best to be open minded about things, but always be aware of the cynics/trouble makers. Fortunately, I've encountered very few folks that are like that.

Again, my motto applies: Go along, and we'll get along. That is so, so true!

 

[Ormond]

Yes, but, but, do you agree to accept Father Jobs as your personal savior or not??

 

[honestone]

No, I am just using common sense, something that some folks lack.