If you’re using a MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro, plug it into mains power.ģ. Here’s the list of compatible Macs:Ģ. Make sure you’re connected to the internet and have a stable connection. How to do a regular install of macOS Catalina

You will have to clone your startup disk before you start and then spend time reinstalling applications and setting them up afterward, however. It takes longer, but in the long run, your Mac will run more quickly and smoothly. If you choose this option, I’d definitely recommend you use CleanMyMac X to clear out the clutter before you upgrade.Ī clean install erases your startup disk completely and then installs macOS Catalina on a completely clean disk. This option is quicker in the short term, but your Mac won’t run as smoothly in the long term. Unfortunately, all the junk files your Mac has accumulated also remain there. So all your applications, documents, settings, photos, movies, and music stay where they are. Remember I said you had a couple of options for upgrading? Here they are:Ī regular install places Catalina files on your startup disk over the top of whatever OS you’re currently running. But the best idea is to make a complete bootable clone of your current startup disk on an external drive. If you use Time Machine, you can make a backup with that. Upgrading one OS on top of another carries very few risks, but they are not non-existent, so be safe now rather than sorry later. You can either let it decide what to remove or go through its scan results yourself and decide what to trash and what to keep.Īs you will see below, there are a couple of different ways you can upgrade to Catalina, but before you decide, and certainly before you upgrade, you should make a full backup of your current Mac setup. It’s very quick and easy to use and will help you get rid of clutter, making your Mac run more smoothly and freeing up tens of gigabytes of disk space.

My recommendation after years of experience upgrading Macs is that you use CleanMyMac X. Likewise, it’s always a good idea to clear out the clutter before you upgrade. As you can imagine, upgrading your operating system on a junk-filled Mac is rather like putting one layer of wallpaper on top of another - eventually, you have to scrape it off and start again. And as you upgrade year after year, you accumulate more and more. That means that all the system junk your Mac has accumulated over the years stays there. When you do a regular upgrade, the installer replaces some files on your Mac with others but leaves most untouched.

If your Mac still runs Mojave or an even older macOS version, you’ll be amazed by all the new features and improvements in Catalina. So here’s how to upgrade to macOS Catalina. MacOS Catalina was the newest operating system by Apple until macOS Big Sur succeeded it in 2020.

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