Updating Mac OS

PleaseHelpme17 wrote:

Thanks for your reply. I tried chrome first then when that didn't work i tried safari. On safari this is what comes up, no option to click download and if i click apple it takes me to an 'app store preview' wherein there is no catalina but only monteray if i search for it.

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/659117e4-fcbe-4528-b6bb-cda0f66981f0

You need to look at the tech spec of your machine — >About this Mac

which you never specify.

Sierra 10.12 was first released September 20, 2016 — you are woefully behind.

you can assume your Mac is not eligible (?)

PleaseHelpme17 wrote:

Hello,

I really am not technologically minded. I am trying to download microsoft office but it keeps saying i need 10.15.0 or later. I am currently on Sierra 10.12.6. I have been researching for hours on how to do this. The OS updates are only available in the app store for Sierra however the only one available is Monetary. The problem is Monetary wants 44GB which i absolutely do not have and cannot acquire. This is why i thought i would try and upgrade to catalina instead hoping that would require less. I have backed up my mac to an external hard drive using time machine. I went on apple website and it had links you could click to go to older versions and it would take me to the app store but say 'could not connect to app store', even though app store via the usual method opens fine. I am so stressed out about the whole thing hoping someone may have an idea?

Kind regards,

Charli

The older macOS installer backups on this server:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211683

verify you are using the Safari browser to download/initiate the macOS links.

The 44gb value is the space need for installing the Monterey. After you install Monterey it only increases the used space a little. Thus you can offload some items onto an external drive, do the upgrade , and then copy the items back to your internal drive.

Also see:

Free up storage space on your Mac - Apple Support

PleaseHelpme17 wrote:

it is a MacBook early 2015 so it is my understanding it is eligible for all OS updates thus far?

You can still download Catalina using the Terminal.app See full installers, copy and paste:

softwareupdate --list-full-installers

Catalina download copy & paste:

sudo softwareupdate --fetch-full-installer --full-installer-version 10.15.7

I will add SSD do not like to be choked full, they benefit from 20% free storage space at all times. Do some house cleaning.

I suspect your issue is you need to get to at least High Sierra before you proceed. If you can run Sierra you can run High Sierra (High Sierra uses APFS/ Catalina requires the newer Apple File System "APFS")— then try the link above for the old installers to be accessible via the app store.