Say hello to macOS 10.13 High Sierra, the new operating system for Mac desktops and notebooks that brings some impressive under-the-hood refinements. If you were expecting some big overhauls, chances are you'll be disappointed at a first view. But look closer and you'll discover the fine details that amount to a better user experience and more power for your Mac.
Upgrading to macOS High Sierra is seamlessly simple, taking up little time and almost no effort. And with the upgrade guide we've prepared, you're going to be running the new OS in no time.
Why you should upgrade to macOS High Sierra
The team at Apple went right on target, tweaking those features and apps that promise to be in the spotlight in the near future. With a new and improved AFPS file system, a faster browser (which promises to be the fastest on the market), stellar graphics, better gaming capabilities, and VR support, macOS 10.13 is definitely here to make a stand.
This guide is using macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 which is the final version. If you instead don't want to get macOS High Sierra and you just want macOS Sierra (the predecessor) then you can always follow this guide: How to Install macOS Sierra in VirtualBox on Windows 10. Meet VirtualBox. High Sierra backpacks & daypacks are functionally designed to support you in your everyday life whatever the challenge may be. Shop our entire selection of backpacks & daypacks today!
To really give your Mac a boost, upgrading to the new High Sierra is kind of mandatory. Think only about how much space you'll save with the new operating system that compresses video up to 40% more. macOS High Sierra also comes with an improved Photos app, that now offers professional editing tools that will keep you hooked to find the perfect composition. Of course, the most important upgrade comes from Metal 2, which promises stellar GPU and CPU capabilities while opening the world toward VR and AR.
So, to conclude: upgrade to macOS High Sierra for more space, speed, and power. We should have started with that, right?
How to prepare for the macOS High Sierra upgrade
Now that you've decided that you cannot live without the new macOS 10.13 High Sierra, it's time to thoroughly prepare for the upgrade. Do note that the beta version now available may not contain all the features, so if you want to upgrade for a specific feature, make sure it's included. Let's go!
In order to prepare to upgrade to High Sierra you should, of course, verify if your Mac is compatible with the new system. As a general rule, any late 2009 Mac or newer will theoretically be able to run it without any issues.
Get High Sierra Update
Next, you should do a thorough Mac cleanup to have it running smoothly even before upgrading. A complete cleaning process includes deleting duplicate documents, photos, and files, while also removing temporary files and cache data that built up in the background. You can do this manually (if you have the patience) or you can turn to an app such as CleanMyMac X to have it do all the dirty work for you.
Having a healthy Mac is key to making the most and enjoying the best of macOS High Sierra. Thus, it's mandatory to check if your Mac has any issues before performing the upgrade. How?
- Open Disk Utility
- Select your startup drive
- Click on the First Aid tab
If you're lucky, your Mac won't have any problems. But if you live in the real world, you'll have to perform some repairs by using the Repair Disk. Restart and hold Command+R to perform the repairs with Disk Utility.
The final preparation step regards the free space necessary for macOS High Sierra. The official sources from apple.com recommend having 8GB of free space before upgrading to the new system, but we feel more comfortable with reserving about 15GB. What can we say, we like our space. If you don't have enough space, that means you Mac still needs a bit of cleaning.
How to backup Mac before the upgrade
Backing up your Mac before a major upgrade is a necessity, especially if you're going for a beta version. You don't want to risk losing any precious info, so there's no excuse for skipping this step.
You can easily backup your Mac by turning to Apple's own software, Time Machine, that saves a copy of everything on your Mac on hourly, daily, monthly, and weekly backups. What's more, except the automatic backups, you can also customize the process and have your most precious docs and files backed up manually from System Preferences.
In order to use Time Machine, you also need an external storage device. How big? The bigger the better. Choose your favorite from USB, SDD, NAS drive, or Thunderbolt hard drive.
Step by step upgrade to macOS High Sierra
Once you've prepared your Mac for the upgrade, it's time to get the process started. Read on to find a comprehensive guide to a fast and safe upgrade.
- Choose a safe and trusted network for the upgrade
All major upgrades should be done from a trusted network, adding speed and safety to your download and installation. The best place to perform the upgrade is from the comfort of your home network and you should avoid WIFI connections and especially hotels, restaurants, or public networks. - Log into iCloud
This step is pretty straightforward, yet necessary for the upgrade process, as many Mac apps have iCloud integrated parts. So, to have everything run smoothly, log into your account, and proceed. - Update to the latest version of your current OS
To avoid any problems in the upgrade process, having the latest updated version for your current OS is mandatory. Why? Because your OS is going to be as stable as possible, with all the initial issues fixed and all bugs eliminated.
Make sure you're running the latest updated version by checking the Updates folder in the App store.
It's also important to have all 3rd party apps updated to their latest version as well. Check the apps purchased through the App Store by using the same method as above. For the other apps you've externally brought in you'll need to perform a manual update. - Download macOS High Sierra
Right now, macOS High Sierra is already available for all users. You can download it in the standard fashion on the Mac App Store.
Here's the direct link. - Upgrade to macOS High Sierra
Open the installer from Applications (if it doesn't open automatically) and hit continue. The on-screen instructions are going to make it really easy for you, so follow them religiously and you won't be able to do any wrong. That's it!
Next, make sure to set up for automatic updates from your System Preferences and the App Store, in order to always have your Mac performing at its best.
So there you have it! We hope you enjoy the upgraded features and your Mac's new regained speed and, hopefully, extra space.
Make your Mac invincible
The day has come, High Sierra is available for upgrade. In case you were hesitant about whether you should rush to do it, don't be. It's a solid improvement with a whole bunch of new features. The new Apple File System and the end of autoplaying videos in Safari browser alone are worth it. You can check our separate entry on High Sierra features if you want. So, let us proceed to the macOS update and preparation.
Once you've prepared your Mac for the upgrade, it's time to get the process started. Read on to find a comprehensive guide to a fast and safe upgrade.
- Choose a safe and trusted network for the upgrade
All major upgrades should be done from a trusted network, adding speed and safety to your download and installation. The best place to perform the upgrade is from the comfort of your home network and you should avoid WIFI connections and especially hotels, restaurants, or public networks. - Log into iCloud
This step is pretty straightforward, yet necessary for the upgrade process, as many Mac apps have iCloud integrated parts. So, to have everything run smoothly, log into your account, and proceed. - Update to the latest version of your current OS
To avoid any problems in the upgrade process, having the latest updated version for your current OS is mandatory. Why? Because your OS is going to be as stable as possible, with all the initial issues fixed and all bugs eliminated.
Make sure you're running the latest updated version by checking the Updates folder in the App store.
It's also important to have all 3rd party apps updated to their latest version as well. Check the apps purchased through the App Store by using the same method as above. For the other apps you've externally brought in you'll need to perform a manual update. - Download macOS High Sierra
Right now, macOS High Sierra is already available for all users. You can download it in the standard fashion on the Mac App Store.
Here's the direct link. - Upgrade to macOS High Sierra
Open the installer from Applications (if it doesn't open automatically) and hit continue. The on-screen instructions are going to make it really easy for you, so follow them religiously and you won't be able to do any wrong. That's it!
Next, make sure to set up for automatic updates from your System Preferences and the App Store, in order to always have your Mac performing at its best.
So there you have it! We hope you enjoy the upgraded features and your Mac's new regained speed and, hopefully, extra space.
Make your Mac invincible
The day has come, High Sierra is available for upgrade. In case you were hesitant about whether you should rush to do it, don't be. It's a solid improvement with a whole bunch of new features. The new Apple File System and the end of autoplaying videos in Safari browser alone are worth it. You can check our separate entry on High Sierra features if you want. So, let us proceed to the macOS update and preparation.
Important notice: Apple has recently pulled down macOS Sierra installer from the Mac App Store. This means that if you decide to upgrade now, the only OS you'll be able to go back to is El Capitan. We kindly advise you to consider this before upgrading and make sure you'll be willing to keep High Sierra for the next year.
Can your Mac update macOS this time?
Here are all the Mac models that are fit to run the latest OS 10.13.
MacBook Pro (2010 and later) | MacBook (late 2009 and later) | MacBook Air (2010 and later) |
iMac (late 2009 and later) | Mac Pro (2010 and later) | Mac Mini (2010 and later) |
Does your Mac have enough space and RAM?
Hardware requirements haven't changed since last time, so it's still like this:
Required memory: 2GB or more | Require disk storage: 8.8GB | Prepare Mac for the upgrade Сleanup and backup |
A few things before you install new macOS 10.13 High Sierra
To check your available disk space, click on the Apple icon in the top left corner of your screen and choose About this Mac.
Find the Storage tab and see how much free space you have. If it's low, get a Mac cleaner to free up some space. Let's talk about it in detail.
Clean up your Mac
Mac software update always works better on a clean computer, without old cache files, leftovers, and random system junk. So before you go get yourself that new High Sierra download and run it, make sure you have a clean Mac. There's a great app for that, CleanMyMac. It deals with all kinds of system and hard drive trash in minutes, so you don't have to lift a finger looking for junk manually.
Don't forget to back up important data
Another step that needs to be remembered at all times: back up. Back it all up.
Upgrades are mostly safe and stable but you really don't want to be that one accidental glitch in the system where your files get corrupted. So a proper backup is a must. You can get a powerful software for the job, Get Backup Pro. It's faster and more secure than the native Time Machine.
Check Hard Disk for Errors, Health, Bad Sectors before upgrade macOS
You might also want to check your disk for errors before upgrading.
You can do it with Disk Utility app:
- Simply open Disk Utility app
- Click on First Aid and run it. It will check your startup disk for possible errors and fix them if it finds anything.
And run disk bad sector checking with Disk Drill app:
Should you upgrade or get a clean install?
First, you probably want to know what's the difference between the two. Upgrade is a simple installation of a new system over the old one, where the core software gets upgraded while your files and system preferences remain intact. Terraria key cheap.
A clean install, on the other hand, is a more radical way of upgrade that removes all your files on the hard drive. Now, why would you want that? Well, your system could've been misbehaving lately, your hard drive overloaded and you don't feel like cleaning it, or you just want that feeling of a brand new Mac again. In this case you'll have to upload the files you still need in the cloud or save them on another drive.
How to download macOS High Sierra
This is pretty easy, even though not always fast. Your latest macOS download is on the Mac App Store.
So, follow these steps to download and update macOS:
- Make sure you have a fast and stable WiFi connection. Don't use public networks in cafes/hotels for upgrades, they can be of poor quality and interrupt the process.
- Open the App Store app on your Mac.
- Fin the last tab in the top menu, Updates.
- Click it.
- One of the updates is macOS High Sierra.
- Click Update.
- Your download has started.
- High Sierra will update automatically when downloaded.
After you upgrade to new macOS 10.13
While you're enjoying your new system, here's how to make your experience even better. New macOS always feels like a fresh start, which means it's time to take care of your Mac. With Setapp subscription you not only get CleanMyMac and Get Backup Pro that we mentioned earlier, but a whole collection of super-handy applications.
For instance, Setapp has apps to keep your Mac safe and healthy, like iStat Menus with real-time performance analytics. You can see how your Mac is doing, is it overheating or running out of RAM, view battery life, and a whole set of other indicators. iStat Menus is a real heart monitor for computers and it lets you catch every minor issue before it gets major.
There's also Disk Drill app to recover your data. It's a handy app with a bunch of irreplaceable features like restoring your files in case the drive was corrupted, analyzing your disk to see what hogs space on it, and duplicate file removal. So everything you need on Mac in one app subscription. Give it a spin, it's free for a week.
We hope this guide has been of help to you. Have a good upgrade, cheers!
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