Hi,
have a late 2012 iMac running whatever it came with, bought a magic mouse 2 because the one I had was playing up. It's 10.9.5 so won't work. Can I upgrade my iMac to a newer system, not very computer savvy so need some guidance here please?
iMac Line (2012 and Later)
Which size computer do you have?
27": YES! First make sure you have a backup, then go ahead and update to a newer version of MacOS.
21.5": UPGRADE RECOMMENDED. The baseline 1TB 5400rpm HDD option is too slow to effectively run 10.11 and newer. The easiest upgrade is to just use an external USB 3 SSD (Link for Guidance). Once you have an SSD (or if you opted for a Fusion drive at time of purchase) double check your backup is up to date and update to a newer version of MacOS.
I'd suggest High Sierra (10.13) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208969
That's the oldest version with current security updates, and the least likely to cause compatibility issues with your current/(old?) software.
Which size computer do you have?
27": YES! First make sure you have a backup, then go ahead and update to a newer version of MacOS.
21.5": UPGRADE RECOMMENDED. The baseline 1TB 5400rpm HDD option is too slow to effectively run 10.11 and newer. The easiest upgrade is to just use an external USB 3 SSD (Link for Guidance). Once you have an SSD (or if you opted for a Fusion drive at time of purchase) double check your backup is up to date and update to a newer version of MacOS.
I'd suggest High Sierra (10.13) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208969
That's the oldest version with current security updates, and the least likely to cause compatibility issues with your current/(old?) software.
In theory, your Late 2012 iMac should be able to be upgraded to macOS Catalina ... currently the latest version of Apple's operating systems. However, you will need to check your Mac's system hardware to see if can be upgraded ... or, if you even want to update to the latest version.
Ref: Upgrade to macOS Catalina - Apple Support
Be aware that if you upgrade to Catalina most likely most of your apps will not work as they probably are 32 bit. The free app GO64 can tell you which of your apps are 32 bit and will not run on Catalina. That is if it will run on your current system.
Upgrading OS from 10.9.5
