help about updates

[Pinkly Smooth]

Hello to you all. Currently my iMac version is 'macOS High Sierra' Version 10.13.6
I am going to use an app/plugin for my music production but it seems I may need a better update to access a better version of it. I tried to do it with my current version (listed above) and it doesn't work.
I want to update my iMac for this purpose. The trouble I am having is that I go on 'about this Mac' and then press 'software update' and there are no updates available. All there is '7 incompatible updates' - things like iMovie, pages, keynote etc. It says that they are incompatible. Also these aren't the general updates I need. Pls advise. Thanks in advance.

 

[gilby101]

What model of iMac? As in 'about this Mac' - something like iMac, 27-inch, late 2012. In other places it might be like iMac 13.2. Or A1419 on the bottom of the stand.

 

[ChrisA]

Hello to you all. Currently my iMac version is 'macOS High Sierra' Version 10.13.6
I am going to use an app/plugin for my music production but it seems I may need a better update to access a better version of it. I tried to do it with my current version (listed above) and it doesn't work.
I want to update my iMac for this purpose. The trouble I am having is that I go on 'about this Mac' and then press 'software update' and there are no updates available. All there is '7 incompatible updates' - things like iMovie, pages, keynote etc. It says that they are incompatible. Also these aren't the general updates I need. Pls advise. Thanks in advance.

It sounds like you have a very old iMac, so old that the OS can not be updated past the OS version you are running.

So you must make a decision. Buy a new Mac or stay with what you have.

 

[Ben J.]

What music production app/plugins?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

You won't get much useful help until you tell us:
WHICH Mac you have
WHAT YEAR it was made
WHAT OS is running on it...

 

[bogdanw]

Same problem -

Hello to you all. Currently my iMac version is 'macOS High Sierra' Version 10.13.6

I want to update my iMac for this purpose. The trouble I am having is that I go on 'about this Mac' and then press 'software update' and there are no updates available.

Similar report "Fresh High Sierra no updates" https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/fresh-high-sierra-no-updates.2431472/

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

What model of iMac? As in 'about this Mac' - something like iMac, 27-inch, late 2012. In other places it might be like iMac 13.2. Or A1419 on the bottom of the stand.

Hi there. The iMac is a 2017 27-inch iMac. It has a processor of 3.8Ghz and is a quad core. It has 8 RAM.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

It sounds like you have a very old iMac, so old that the OS can not be updated past the OS version you are running.

So you must make a decision. Buy a new Mac or stay with what you have.

Hi. I hope that's not true. I hope it can be ok.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

What music production app/plugins?

Hi. It is the interface for the BOSS Katana amplifiers.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

Same problem -

Similar report "Fresh High Sierra no updates" https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/fresh-high-sierra-no-updates.2431472/

Hi. I had a look at that thread. I don't know what seems to be the response and answer to this problem. Like the person who started the thread, I have the version 10.13.6 of macOS High Sierra and like him also, I cannot have any access to updates.

 

[bogdanw]

The iMac is a 2017 27-inch iMac.

You can install macOS Ventura on your iMac. Download it from the App Store.
Ventura 13 https://apps.apple.com/app/macos-ventura/id1638787999
Apple Support
macOS Ventura is compatible with these computers https://support.apple.com/en-us/102861
How to download and install macOS https://support.apple.com/en-us/102662

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

You can install macOS Ventura on your iMac. Download it from the App Store.
Ventura 13 https://apps.apple.com/app/macos-ventura/id1638787999
Apple Support
macOS Ventura is compatible with these computers https://support.apple.com/en-us/102861
How to download and install macOS https://support.apple.com/en-us/102662

Hi there. Is the Ventura the best update and the correct one after my configuration of Mac? To be honest I'm a little apprehensive about doing such updates because I don't have anything backed up on my iMac, which I should have. I intend on uploading everything on my iMac onto an application on Mac that I forgot its name. I heard that before making updates you have to have everything backed up incase of something going wrong.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

Hi there. Is the Ventura the best update and the correct one after my configuration of Mac? To be honest I'm a little apprehensive about doing such updates because I don't have anything backed up on my iMac, which I should have. I intend on uploading everything on my iMac onto an application on Mac that I forgot its name. I heard that before making updates you have to have everything backed up incase of something going wrong.

Never too late to start making updates! What happens if your iMac breaks down? The least you can do is copy your important files to an external (usb) drive. Even if Ventura is the best update, something always can go wrong and bork your computer.

Your iMac (and the internal HD) is 7 years old and likely to give up at some point in the near future. It is not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. You don't want to loose all your data would you?

 

[bogdanw]

Hi there. Is the Ventura the best update and the correct one after my configuration of Mac? To be honest I'm a little apprehensive about doing such updates because I don't have anything backed up on my iMac, which I should have. I intend on uploading everything on my iMac onto an application on Mac that I forgot its name. I heard that before making updates you have to have everything backed up incase of something going wrong.

Of course, you should back up your data.
Ventura is the latest and last available for your iMac. You can install Mojave (10.14), Catalina (10.15), Big Sur (11) or Monterey (12), if one of them is better suited for the software you are trying to run. But only Ventura and Monterey still receive updates, and support for Monterey will be discontinued soon.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

Never too late to start making updates! What happens if your iMac breaks down? The least you can do is copy your important files to an external (usb) drive. Even if Ventura is the best update, something always can go wrong and bork your computer.

Your iMac (and the internal HD) is 7 years old and likely to give up at some point in the near future. It is not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. You don't want to loose all your data would you?

Thanks for the reply. I will get a usb for this purpose. I'd like to know. If my iMac breaks down like you are saying and the iMac and internal HD give up, is there a way to save the iMac? To get it fixed?

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

Of course, you should back up your data.
Ventura is the latest and last available for your iMac. You can install Mojave (10.14), Catalina (10.15), Big Sur (11) or Monterey (12), if one of them is better suited for the software you are trying to run. But only Ventura and Monterey still receive updates, and support for Monterey will be discontinued soon.

Thanks for the reply. Turns out, it is sorted with the problem, with the software / interface. The driver I needed to install in order to access it was the correct one for the configuration I have on my iMac. So for that reason, I don't need to choose an update that goes with that. For this reason, because I am free of that, which one is the best one? Ventura seems like a good option, since you said it is the latest, but you also said it is the last available for iMac. Pls elaborate. Many thanks.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

Hello to you all. The app I was referring to was the iCloud. To get everything backed up on the iCloud, yet I have no idea how to use it. I also intend on backing up everything on a usb like I mentioned before.

 

[bogdanw]

Ventura seems like a good option, since you said it is the latest, but you also said it is the last available for iMac. Pls elaborate.

Sonoma (14) is not compatible with your iMac https://support.apple.com/105113

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

Sonoma (14) is not compatible with your iMac https://support.apple.com/105113

ok thanks. what is then and what is the best option?

 

[bogdanw]

what is then and what is the best option?

“Apple recommends using the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.”

If I was upgrading from High Sierra, I would install Monterey. It has a familiar interface and, from my experience, it's more stable than Ventura.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

“Apple recommends using the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.”

If I was upgrading from High Sierra, I would install Monterey. It has a familiar interface and, from my experience, it's more stable than Ventura.

I thought you said support for Monterey would be discontinued soon?

 

[DeltaMac]

Yes, Monterey will be dropped soon from the macOS list of versions that are actively supported, probably nothing after September 2024, and certainly will be out of the update cycle when Sequoia is officially released to the public.
(Apple only provides active updates for the current OS, and the 2 most recent behind the current OS)
However, Monterey is significantly newer than the High Sierra system that you are currently using, and will be a needed upgrade, should you begin to have problems with any apps that might have issues requiring updates, maybe to fix some major issue, and, by coincidence, need an updated macOS system. Updating to Monterey now may keep you ahead of the "game", at least for a couple of years, maybe longer.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

Οk thanks. I only use my iMac mainly for writing and music production. I don't think not updating my iMac right now with what it is currently, will cause any problems, unless I could be wrong? I may consider updating once I back up all my data. we shall see. I also will update my ram as well, once I transfer from GarageBand to logic. many thanks.

 

[AndyMacAndMic]

Thanks for the reply. I will get a usb for this purpose. I'd like to know. If my iMac breaks down like you are saying and the iMac and internal HD give up, is there a way to save the iMac? To get it fixed?

A hard drive has an average life span of (conservatively speaking) 5 years, but probably longer. Under normal conditions your internal hard drive will probably fail first and then all your data is gone if you don't have any backups. In your iMac the harddrive can be replaced relatively easy (anyone correct me if I am wrong).

The other hardware in your iMac (CPU, RAM etc.) will likely last for many years to come. Software and OS updates will eventually be the biggest bottleneck, because it will not run on your iMac anymore. My estimate is that if your iMac is around 10 years old (still 3 years to come with maybe a new HDD) you will have to accept that it is at the end of it's life span (for running modern software) and that you have to buy a new computer (as said for running modern software). If you have backups of your important files on an external USB disk (and/or in iCloud) that will not be a problem. You can always keep your current iMac around for nostalgic purposes of course

On a sidenote: 10 years is a ridiculously long life for a computer. In the IT where I work we tend to replace our work computers every 4 years or so.

 

[Pinkly Smooth]

A hard drive has an average life span of (conservatively speaking) 5 years, but probably longer. Under normal conditions your internal hard drive will probably fail first and then all your data is gone if you don't have any backups. In your iMac the harddrive can be replaced relatively easy (anyone correct me if I am wrong).

The other hardware in your iMac (CPU, RAM etc.) will likely last for many years to come. Software and OS updates will eventually be the biggest bottleneck, because it will not run on your iMac anymore. My estimate is that if your iMac is around 10 years old (still 3 years to come with maybe a new HDD) you will have to accept that it is at the end of it's life span (for running modern software) and that you have to buy a new computer (as said for running modern software). If you have backups of your important files on an external USB disk (and/or in iCloud) that will not be a problem. You can always keep your current iMac around for nostalgic purposes of course

On a sidenote: 10 years is a ridiculously long life for a computer. In the IT where I work we tend to replace our work computers every 4 years or so.

If the hard drive fails first like you are saying and it can be fixed and replaced then id rather do that than have to buy a new one! What do you mean by software and OS updates being the biggest bottleneck? are you saying that I should have the iMac updated, and should update it to one of the updates I was recommended?