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My MacBook (Retina, 12-inch, Early 2015) is currently running High Sierra but is suffering, continually freezing, dropping connection to the wifi. I also can't install Microsoft Updates as they are no longer compatible with the OS. However, when I try to upgrade, no options are available to me in the app store. Where can I find a suitable upgrade? I've got plenty of disk space.
Any advice welcome!
MacBook (2017)
Hi,
Your MacBook can upgrade till Catalina which is available at System Preferences > Software Update or from following site.
How to download macOS - Apple Support
macOS Catalina is compatible with these computers - Apple Support
Thanks - yesterday that went to a blank app store page, but today I got the option to download, but it failed. When I go to the purchased page as suggested, I get the blank page again. Is there any other way to download?
Yes. Go to the "How to download macOS – Apple Support" site to which kaz-k provided a link.
There you will find links for getting everything from Lion (which is too old to run on your MacBook) to Ventura (which is too new to run on it). Including Mojave, Catalina, and Big Sur – which your MacBook can run.
I'd suggest quitting out of the App Store and going through the link on the Apple Support page again. Maybe it will let you retry downloading without going to the Purchased page. (Worth a shot.)
Make sure that Safari is your browser and your default Web browser. Since you've gotten this far, I suspect that this is the case. Using other browsers (like Firefox) can lead to misleading messages like "This application is not available in the U.S. Store" when the installer is really available, but it's just that the non-Safari Web browser has failed to pass some behind-the-scenes authentication test.
Thanks. So now I can download, but I keep getting a 'PKDownloadError Error 8' message, which I gather is because internet errors. The fix seems to be be connect the laptop to the router using an ethernet cable, but the laptop only has one multi-use port. If I plug in the ethernet cable, I can't plug in the charger, and it doesn't have enough battery power to get through the whole process. I've tried putting the laptop next to the router but that doesn't work either. I'm pulling my hair out here!
There are USB-C docks that you can get that can provide pass-through power and that will work with 12" Retina MacBooks. I have one of them, an OWC Travel Dock E (the 'E' variant has Ethernet) that I bought for use with my 12" Retina MacBook.
Here's a description of it:
https://eshop.macsales.com/shop/owc-usb-c-travel-dock-e
It plugs into your laptop by a very short, permanently-attached cable. It gives you two USB-A ports, a HDMI port, a SD card reader, a Gigabit Ethernet port, and a USB-C port (power input only) for connecting your charger.
I don't know if you want to spend $60 on a dock, but I thought that I'd let you know that there there are workarounds for the "only has one multi-use port" issue.
Note that if you are thinking about other docks with pass-through power, that's fine – as long as they are plain USB-C docks and not Thunderbolt ones. I believe the 12" Retina MacBooks (any year) are unique in being the only Macs that have USB-C ports that lack the optional Thunderbolt enhancement.
A MacBook (12", Retina, Early 2015) can go past Cataina, to Big Sur.
macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers - Apple Support
That's what I thought, but I can't find any way to download it. Do you know how?
Thanks
Updating the OS on a MacBook
