why i cant update to macos catalina ?

hajar150 Said:

"why i cant update to macos catalina ?: I want to use apple tv on my mac how can I do that without macOS Catalina? ps, I also don't want to open apple tv on the browser, I want to use the app just like I do with the iPhone!"

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Cant find iTunes?:

iTunes is No More: For macOS 10.15 Catalina and after, the TV app is used for TV Shows and Movies, and then Music app is use for Music. Find Out More Here: What happened to iTunes? - Apple Support

To be clear, software update generally means to install software to update the macOS currently running on the Mac; update Catalina 10.15.1 to Catalina 10.15.7, for example.

A software upgrade is usually a generational step up to a newer macOS; upgrade from 10.13 High Sierra to 10.14 Mojave, for example, or from 10.15 Catalina to macOS 11 Big Sur.

Do NOT upgrade until you have made a Time Machine or other backup of your startup drive.

How to Upgrade  macOS:

The macOS version you can upgrade to depends on the year your Mac was released.

Click the  (Apple) menu at the top left of your screen and choose About This Mac.

macOS 10.15 Catalina is compatible with the Macs listed here:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210222

❗️ – IMPORTANT – Backup your data, now, before you attempt an upgrade.

Learn How to Back up your Mac with Time Machine:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250

❗️ – IMPORTANT – NONE of your 32-bit apps will work in Catalina.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

Before you upgrade, use this free utility to check the compatibility of your apps:

Go64: https://www.stclairsoft.com/Go64/

🖥 – Check the compatibility of your Mac with newer versions of macOS.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201475

✅ - Using Safari only, download the macOS upgrade installer app:

Click > Catalina.

Once downloaded, double-click the installer app in the Applications folder to begin the upgrade.

The Age of this computer will Govern what newer version of macOS it will Qualify to install. Use About this Mac from the Apple Icon on Desktop - the required Information will be there.

With the above information in-hand - follow this How to get old versions of macOS and verify what version this computer Qualifies to install.  For Best results use Safari to commence the download as Others may not work.

The information and requirements for Catalina are included with the provided link entitles " How to get old version of macOS "

Safari will open a redirect and open the Apple Store where the download can commence

Tips Big Sir Upgrade Released Nov 2020

Tips Monterey Upgrade  Released Oct 25, 2021

Make Time Machine Backup  is very useful and can be used to Revert to Previous Working macOS

Notation - Mojave is the Last version to support 32 bit applications / extensions and Drivers. Catalina, Big Sur & Monterey supports only 64 bit and there is no workaround.

Suggest using Go64 to find 32 bit application before attempting the upGrade. Some or many of the Application already installed may required update or upGrades to 64 Bit Versions.

Are there any AntiVirus, Disk Cleaner, Optimizers, Un-installers, etc installed which should be removed as per Developers Instructions. They are useless, unneeded, cause havoc and interfere with the normal operation of the OS and may even Corrupt the OS requiring a Reinstallation

From within the previous link - one can download Catalina Full Installer.

As to, used be available - that may have been so. Though, once a newer version of macOS is made available like when Big Sur was released November 2020 - the older version have become hidden on the Apple Apps Store. Though available if looking in the right place - provided link above - one is good to go.

Caution regarding Backed up to iCloud. That is a miss-understanding of what iCloud is and is not.

iCloud was not designed or intended to act as an External Drive for archiving or off loading files to make space on the Internal Drive.

iCloud is designed to have COPIES of files on the iCloud Drive. Changes to the files made one device will be uploaded to the iCloud drive and the changes will be reflected on to any other devices the user owns and using the same Apple ID and iCloud enabled.

Point # 11 - Do you have a Rescue Plan In-Place. This comprises having 3 Backups using 2 methods and 1 Off Site incase of Theft, Loss or Natural Disasters. A Time Machine Backup  is very useful and can be used to Revert to Previous Working macOS. 

Point # 12 - For addition purposes - two Tested Bootable Clones each to separate external drives. This is insurance incase the upgrades goes sideways. At least one Tested Clone and / or Time Machine Backup should be Off - Site

I also am looking to upgrade our MacBookPro Early 2015 to MacOS Catalina but it doesn't show as being available to upgrade to. There wasn't an answer provided to hajar150's question regarding being unable to move to Catalina. Is Monterey the only option now?

Our MacBookPro qualifies to upgrade but my question was really why doesn't Catalina show as an upgrade option as it did a few months ago? Catalina is a few years old so I am guessing that Apple seeks to have us move to Monterey rather than Catalina.

Our MacBookPro backs up to the cloud I believe, is this ok should we have a install issue upgrading? I'm not sure how I would restore from the cloud. Can you help me understand this?