Mac OS is the Operating System made by Apple specifically for Macintosh computers. The current version of this system software is ‘Mac OS Mojave’. In a timely basis, users can get some new features and services within this system software. In order to use the new additions within the OS, you will have to perform an update. The reasons why there is a need to update this system software are to make the machine run smoothly and also, to make the user interface utilize all the latest interactive features that come with the updated version. The most important reason is to strengthen the security pitfalls if there are any. Moreover, updating Mac OS, make the applications consume less power and thus increase the battery life of the machine. This is the article which will provide you with the process on how to update Mac OS.
Step by Step Guide on How to Update Mac OS
This is the section of the article that will provide you with guidelines to perform an update of the Mac computers.
Steps to See the Version Number of Mac OS
Here, you will get the process on how to look for the version of the Mac OS currently present within the computer. In order to do that, follow the steps below.
- First, navigate to the upper left corner of the desktop and then tap on the logo of Apple. This will launch a drop-down menu.
- From that menu, choose the first option which says ‘About This Mac’.
- Now, a new window will open up, from where, go to the tab ‘Overview’ and select it.
- Finally, under that tab, the name of the Operating System will be there, including the version number.
Check the Memory Space
Before you start the OS update process on the Mac, it is necessary to check the memory space requirement by the system software. Now, if the machine has sufficient RAM, say 8 GB or more, it will not be a problem after the update is complete.
Examine Space on the Hard Drive
In the process of how to update Mac OS, the most important thing which you have to take into account is the disk space within the Mac. It is always better to keep at least 20 GB of free space in the hard drive so that there is no issue during the update process. To look into how much space is left in the hard drive, follow the steps underneath.
- First, choose the Apple menu present on the top left edge of the desktop screen. This will launch a popup menu. Then, from it, choose the option ‘About This Mac’.
- Next, within the new window that appears, locate and choose the tab ‘Storage’. Under this tab, there will be the information about the availability of space in the hard disk below the heading ‘Macintosh HD’.
- If the disk space available is not enough for the update, then search for the files that are no longer needed.
- After that, just drag and drop those unnecessary files on to the ‘Trash’.
- When all the unnecessary files are deleted, then go to the ‘Dock’ on the desktop. Now, locate the ‘Trashcan’ icon, then tap and hold it until a popup menu comes up.
- On that menu, choose the option ‘Empty Trash’ and clear it.
Back Up All the Data of Your Mac on External Drive
If during the update process of the Operating System, some kind of issue occurs, due to which data in the hard drive gets corrupted, then it can be a huge problem. Therefore, as a precautionary measure, it is better to take a full backup of the system. In order to do that in a safe and secure way, follow the steps below.
- First, insert an external hard drive on the Mac USB port and check if it has been detected or not.
- Next, navigate to the upper left corner of the desktop and then tap on the logo of Apple. This will launch a drop-down menu.
- After that, from the menu, choose the option ‘System Preferences…’. This will launch a new window that has the same name as the option selected.
- Within this window, there are various settings for the Mac which you can alter accordingly.
- Next, from that window, locate the option ‘Time Machine’ and choose it. This opens a new window.
- On this ‘Time Machine’ window, go to the left panel and slide the switch from left to right in order for this feature to be ‘On’. Then, move to the right-pane and tap on the button ‘Select Backup Disk…’.
- Now, a dialog box will appear and within it, the external hard drive connected to the Mac will show up. From that dialog box, select the external disk, and then choose the button ‘Use Disk’ at the bottom right edge.
- Now, click on the ‘Options…’ button on the lower right corner of the window and put a checkmark on the option ‘Back up while on Battery power’.
- Next, move to the left panel again and make sure to put a tick mark on the option ‘Back Up Automatically’. This will allow Mac to perform an automatic back up at certain time regularly.
- To manually perform a backup, go to the upper right corner of the menu bar and then beside ‘Date & Time’ tap on the icon ‘arrow clock’.
- Finally, from the popup menu, choose the item ‘Back Up Now’ and backup will start instantly.
Procedure on How to Update OS on Mac
Here, in this method, you will get many steps in details on how to update Mac OS. Thus follow it carefully and apply accordingly.
- First, choose the Apple menu present on the top left edge of the desktop screen. This will launch a popup menu.
- After that, from the menu, select the option ‘App Store…’. This opens a new window called ‘App Store’ where find and choose the tab ‘Updates’.
- Under this tab, just on the extreme right of the text ‘macOS Mojave’, press the ‘Update’ button.
- As soon as you do this, the download process of the updates for the OS will begin. So, wait for it to complete.
- Once the download procedure is over, the Mac will automatically restart to install the new updates.
Conclusion
All the points on the above section provide guidance on how to update Mac OS. Now, if after following every step, you still cannot update the Mac OS, then don’t worry. There is a comment section at the bottom of this page, where you can provide the details of the query and get the problem resolved within no time.
