OS 10.15 Old applications Non-Usable

As discussed in this document, many fairly old applications will stop working after upgrading to macOS Catalina. Apple has been warning about this for over a year now. --> 32-bit app compatibility with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4 and later - https://support.apple.com/HT208436

You do not have to use cloud based applications, unless you absolutely have to use Microsoft Office in which case unless you use Office 2016 which has an upgrade, your only other option is to use Microsoft's subscription 365. That's an issue between you and Microsoft.

You need to see which applications have 64 bit upgrades. Some software developers did this 10 tyears ago. Some leave it until the last minute. Some just decide it is time to do something else in life than write software upgrades.

It would help if you told us exactly which applications you are using.

Both Microsoft and Adobe are big corporations and likely support 64 bit. I know Microsoft has offered "solutions" which I have already mentioned. As I said, their marketing strategy is up to them. If they are moving to subscription based applications and you do not like it then maybe it is time to switch? LibreOffice and Open Office are both free and will open Microsoft Office files as well as save to its formats. I have data from 1986 and I can still open it. Of course I am not using the identical application I was using in 1986, I just find software that runs on the computers I am using that support the files I use, plus I also migrate the files from one format to another as things such as WordStar and Lotus become unknown to many users.

Apple has been heading toward 64 bit for a decade now. This kind of big transition happens every 10 years or so, though sometimes it is mandated when there's a major hardware change such as the transition from PPC To Intel Macs.

As for the cloud, almost nobody sells software on discs anymore. Everybody is "cloud" based.

If you wish to complain then please do so to Apple using their feedback links. That's probably not going to accomplish much and you say your problem isn't solved. Etresoft has suggested several solutions, and I mentioned a few.

VM is any software. You can run Show Leopard under newer systems with software such as Parallels. But as I said earlier, unless you are using some mission-critical software which the developer stopped upgrading years ago then maybe you need to find a different application which does the same, particularly if you are tired of paying big bucks to the mega developers.

Cloud applications run on the cloud, not on macOS. Paying a subscription fee does not make something a cloud app.

All of my software is subscription-less and still works in Catalina.

There are far cheaper alternatives to all of that over-priced, over-bloated software.

As far as I know, Microsoft is only by subscription these days. I have already mentioned Office 2016 upgrades if that is what you have. If you don't have that then Office 365 is all they offer. If you don't like that then maybe you should look into other software.

Barney: How do we go subscription-less with Microsoft and Adobe

I don't use Adobe at all. They are a bloated behemoth that has never cared about its customers that pay huge to use their software. There are lots of alternatives.

Office 2019 may still be able to be purchased without a subscription.

However, I mostly stay away from it. Too bloated. I can do everything I need with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. If I need to send to someone using MS, I just export it to that format.

Microsoft Office 2016 (updated) and Microsoft Office 2019 are available as one time purchases. Office 365 is by subscription. I don't know why responders are saying Microsoft Office is only available by subscription.

Just a quick reply about the future. I realize your position and thank you for it. My concern is that like many large companies pass up on allowing input and suggestion from the general public simply because they are not in the business of manufacturing computers or software. I homed in on computers because that is where we are at. Other companies do the same.

At one time I suggested Apple work on Fiber Optic Computers. They said no. I suggested getting into space activities. They said no. Now I suggest (here and elsewhere) they get into Quantum Computing. My guess is a final "no".

If you like future activities, Those are the things that will govern our future. Elon Musk is the future Steve Jobs. Think about that please.

budspwr wrote:

Most of my usable applications became non-usable after installing OS 10.15. I presumed they all wanted me to go to their cloud processing so annual charges could be made.

That is an accurate assessment. Don’t forget that this is a conscious decision made by these app developers in 2007. That was the year they decided to move people to a subscription or cloud-based product. How much money have you spent on software since 2007? Were did you spend it? Let that decision drive your purchases going forward.

I had a devil of a time going back to 10.14. Even the Apple recovery system interfered. Finally had to erase the whole disc of OS 10.15, install 10.14 from another computer, and install my ** data from my backup drive.

That is exactly the correct way to do it!

Question is: How can one upgrade to 10.15 w/o losing access to data created with non-cloud applications?

You have a few options:

1) Stay on 10.14. In all honesty, don’t expect 10.15 to be stable for months. I generally don’t upgrade until after Apple announces the next version in June and essentially stops working on the old version. But given the massive changes in Catalina, I might just use it only for testing until 10.16 is stable.

2) Replace your old apps. Now that you have restored 10.14 and your old apps, you can plan for the future. Archive your existing documents and data into a format that is more portable. Then look for replacements. Not all developers are moving to cloud-based apps.

3) Run old apps in a VM. You can have your cake and eat it too. Upgrade your Mac to 10.15 and then install a 10.14 VM for running those old apps. It is a little clunky, but it works. Look at the bright side, that is essentially what Apple is doing with iPad apps in 10.15.

budspwr wrote:

VM is like running Windows, correct? Boot camp, as I recall, only works with MS. Can you tell me or direct me to a source on doing VM? It is one solution. Another may be to run old apps on an a desktop that can't be upgraded.

I didn’t say anything about Windows or Bootcamp. Most Mac VM software will also allow you to run a Mac guest. You can try Parallels, Parallels Desktop Lite (in the Mac App Store), VMWare Fusion, or maybe the free VirtualBox.

Personally, I use Parallels Desktop Lite because it doesn’t require any kernel extensions. But I’m still not happy with Parallels for changing a previously free product to a paid subscription product. It is a great product and being able to avoid extensions is great and well-worth the money. That still does not excuse dirty tricks like that.

I really dislike being kicked in the shins (tibia). A bit harsh but when income is in question, outgo also is.

Can you go through archiving and reformatting for me?

I don’t understand your question. I assume you are talking about being kicked in the shins due to having to restore your old 10.14 configuration unexpectedly. But if you’ve already done that, why would I need to go through archiving and reformatting? Haven’t you already done that?

I’m happy to give advice for dealing with future changes going forward. But I’m not going to provide any assistance on archiving and reformatting. There is just far too much to go wrong and then it would be my responsibility for helping you.