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Any sense in keeping MacOS Sierra Installer?
- Thread starter dbrandt6
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Doesn't really matter either way, unless you really need the space.
Worth bearing in mind that any newer versions released (10.12.1, etc.) will update the installer if you download it again. You've already got it on a thumb drive, so...
I think that you should. That way the installer gets updated automatically, and you can update your pen with it.
No
Doesn't work that way. To download a new installer, you delete the old one anyway so there's no benefit.
Do you often install the operating systems? Here, I usually use PCs and it's been an install-fest for 15 years. I have divers copies of Windows on disc and USB up to ding dang.
On the other hand, if you rarely install operating systems, the copy you have will be out of date in a few months and you will be looking to get the latest (or even if nothing's changed you will want a fresh one), so keeping the old one is just a waste of harddrive space.
On the other hand, if you rarely install operating systems, the copy you have will be out of date in a few months and you will be looking to get the latest (or even if nothing's changed you will want a fresh one), so keeping the old one is just a waste of harddrive space.
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Yes, it makes sense to keep a copy of the installer.
I keep copies of ALL software installers (of importance) that I use on my Macs.
I have a separate drive partition pretty much dedicated to such stuff.
We see numerous posts here at MacRumors from folks who say (to the effect), "help, I need to reinstall my original OS, and I can't seem to download it from Apple…"
If they had kept the original installers around, they could have just used those instead, without cries for help.
I've got the installers for 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.8, etc… (didn't care for Mavericks)
(Actually, I still have installers for System 3.x from back in the old days, on 3.5" floppy disks!)
I keep copies of ALL software installers (of importance) that I use on my Macs.
I have a separate drive partition pretty much dedicated to such stuff.
We see numerous posts here at MacRumors from folks who say (to the effect), "help, I need to reinstall my original OS, and I can't seem to download it from Apple…"
If they had kept the original installers around, they could have just used those instead, without cries for help.
I've got the installers for 10.12, 10.11, 10.10, 10.8, etc… (didn't care for Mavericks)
(Actually, I still have installers for System 3.x from back in the old days, on 3.5" floppy disks!)
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I only started with Macs late in 2015, only about a year. It came with OS X Yosemite. I do not have a Yosemite.
I'm new to this, but I think you downloaded the installer, upgraded and then booted into the upgraded system. There's more space because the upgrade process deletes the downloaded installer freeing up a lot of space?
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just curious: what's the point in saving the older OS's? ie 10.8. still, my vote goes to recovery mode, internet recovery. don't understand what having, for example, 10.10. etc does for you. but as long as you've got the disk space, whatever works. i mean, at the most, why not just always keep the current installer on hand?
i keep a installer for al lthe os versions as well. had to buy lion for my 1,1 mac po. never have tried mountion lion maverics yosemite and el cap as well as seirra. yes i have access to all of thease from the mac app store but why would i want to redownload an installer that is finlized now i do re download the latest os installer after every update but it does come in handy especially when u like to do comparison videos with defrent oses or youtube and such.
My general policy -- whether it is an OS installer, or any other app for that matter -- has always been to keep the latest installer, as well as the version just before it. That way, if you run into any serious problems -- such as bugs, incompatibilities, instability, conflicts with apps that you really need to use, etc. -- you always have the option to return to your former state.
As a matter of fact, even during the past few days, I have read several accounts on this forum where folks have complained that Sierra hosed their system, and yet they don't have a backup of their former system, or even the installer for it, because in their haste they deleted it.
Operating in such a fashion, in my view, is foolishness. It is playing with fire.
Hard drives are so big these days, that keeping installers -- even if they are 4-6 GB in size -- is not a problem.
Also, if you are on an older machine which uses an older OS, you never know when Apple may remove something that you really need from their servers, from the App Store, etc.; so it pays to have that installer local on your own hard drive.
Another instance where it is good to keep at least the latest OS installer in your "Applications" folder is if you use mas-cli, instead of the GUI version of the App Store. In such a case, if you remove the installer from your "Applications" folder, then mas-cli will no longer list that OS installer when you use the "mas list" command in the Terminal.
So as you can see, contrary to what some people like to claim, there are some very good reasons for keeping around installers.
One last question: What would you do if you found yourself in a serious fix where you suddenly needed to reinstall your OS, but your Internet connection was down for an extended period?
personally i keep a backup installer for every macOS/OS X version from 10.4 on. i play with old macs and old ones regularly. but if i was in the situation id go to a friends house with my MacBook or a spare mac that i have since i have 3 and download the new installer or have them download a copy and bring me a usb is more like it as i can not drive. i even go to the extent of 3 drive partitions 1 current os 2 previous os 3 bootcamp for gaming. and thats on my laptop my mac ro has a dedicated drive for each 1tb for main os 1tb for bootcamp and the go 250gb for a native lion install since its a 1,1 pro and no sierra support as of yet
not unreasonable, but it's also like saying you should have 2 backups of your mac; what it your mac died and the backup drive failed on the same day? again, space is no issue, and nothing wrong with saving OS installers. but what are the odds your OS will crash just when the internet's out? still, whatever works.
Actually, my friend, I conduct two full, daily backups of my internal startup drive to two external USB hard drives. So I do in fact have two full, fresh backups of my Mac every single day. This machine contains my life's work for the past 22 years. I can't afford to lose it. What if my internal hard drive suddenly fails? This is an almost eight year old machine, after all. Or what if one of my external hard drives fails? So having two full backups is a smart idea after all, in my view.
Also, I am sure you realize that I posed that question in such a way to emphasize the importance of backups and keeping installers, even if the odds of same-day failures are low.
Actually, my friend, I conduct two full, daily backups of my internal startup drive to two external USB hard drives. So I do in fact have two full, fresh backups of my Mac every single day. This machine contains my life's work for the past 22 years. I can't afford to lose it. What if my internal hard drive suddenly fails? This is an almost eight year old machine, after all. Or what if one of my external hard drives fails? So having two full backups is a smart idea after all, in my view.
Also, I am sure you realize that I posed that question in such a way to emphasize the importance of backups and keeping installers, even if the odds of same-day failures are low.
i backup to crashplan and to an external drive with carbon copy cloner. but most people i know have one backup. either way, i don't get why people collect OS'es... unless, of course, they're collectors of OS'es..
if your like me and like to tinker its pretty cool to revert to an older os for experiments and video series for example bellow il link my how usable is a OS X Snow leopard in 2016 video. its pretty fun just to go to an old os and see how it stacks up in the modern world.
I always try and make a bootable USB flash drive before removing the installer as I do not see the need. And in contrary to what was said above, I do not think downloading a newer version of Mac OS Sierra actually updates the installation, but rather removes it and downloads a new one.
Well, if you are going to go back, why not go all the way back and have even more fun?
I currently run SheepShaver under macOS Sierra. Within SheepShaver I currently run Mac OS 9.0.4, and in that, I run my old Mac-based PC-ANSI BBS, which I started in 1993-1994. I also run my old Hotline server from the late 1990s as well.
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i backup to crashplan and to an external drive with carbon copy cloner. but most people i know have one backup. either way, i don't get why people collect OS'es... unless, of course, they're collectors of OS'es..
I have also used -- and recommended -- Carbon Copy Cloner for a number of years now. It is stable, reliable and a lifesaver. Never leave a computer without it.
Well, people collect all kinds of things in life. To each his own.
I used to have all of the installers from Mac OS 7 to the present, but some time ago, I ditched most of them in order to gain more hard drive space. Now I just keep OS 8 and OS 9 for SheepShaver, as well as El Capitan and Sierra.
well i am planning a is tiger usable in 2016 and a is leopard usable in 2016 iv got the go install disks for the mac pro and a retail leopard one. plan on covering tiger and leopard on ppc and intel just a fun little series subscribe if u want to see them as soon as they come out of corse i will post em here as well.