Upgrade from Catalina 10.15.7 to Big Sur

gfiedel wrote:

Thanks, dialabrain. I'm concerned about attempting too big a jump and dealing with unforeseen issues. Looking around for comments, it seems I could unleash a lot of problems. Wouldn't it be better and less of a challenge to upgrade in stages?

I can comment on that question. Anecdotal information, my daughter has a 16-inch MacBook Pro 2019 and she had it on the original MacOS it came with, Catalina. She upgraded in one step to Ventura 13.4.1 as she needed to do that in order to run the latest versions of Adobe photography software. There were no issues with that upgrade. It is also very feasible to upgrade stepwise: Catalina to Big Sur, Big Sur to Monterey, Monterey to Ventura -- if you are nervous about it. It will take maybe 2 hours total instead of the ~ 30 minutes to do it all at once. The more recent Apple Software Updates have become more robust than they were in the past, especially as Apple has switched to a configuration where the MacOS is in a separate sealed read-only volume, separate from where your personal files are stored.

"Instabilities" associated with MacOS upgrades tend to go away as multiple updates are introduced. Ventura is very mature and stable now, on version 13.4.1. There were more issues or "bugs" with 13.0 or 13.1 but those have all been fixed. There are a number of issues with Catalina that have been fixed in later versions of the MacOS, and the Ventura MacOS is more secure in a number of ways.

I would recommend proceeding to the latest version of Ventura you can install. The only caution I would offer is that if you have software like anti-virus, Clean Mac, optimizers, security suites, etc. that those can interfere with a seamless OS upgrade. I would completely uninstall all such programs before proceeding. Also, if your external drives (or other peripherals) and are using manufacturers tools (e.g. external drive software/firmware), be cautious and make sure those utilities are fully compatible with Ventura. This might include even printers and scanners, although those are easy to fix after the fact. Some have reported that external drives won't mount after upgrades because they had been using firmware or drive software from the drive manufacturer that was out of date.

Upgrading a macOS depends upon the model Mac, specifications, and year. To get more information about your computer, choose:  (Apple menu) > 'About This Mac' in the upper left corner of any window, then "More Info..." or "System Report". There's more about this in "About System Information [Profiler] on your Mac" - System Information User Guide for Mac - Apple Support

Use the computer information, including the model year, and the links below to determine what is possible with your computer.

Click on this link to read how to get different versions of macOS --> How to download and install macOS - Apple Support

- The article also has links to system requirements for each OS version which you should check against your exact computer model. For any model produced in the last 5 years or so you should use the system requirements links for each OS version instead. This web site also has a reliable presentation of model and OS version compatibility: https://eshop.macsales.com/guides/Mac_OS_X_Compatibility

- It helps to have more RAM (memory) than what is noted as "minimum" for any particular system or your computer may run slowly.

- You may find you must use Safari to get links for High Sierra and later using the Mac App Store application to open to a functioning page.

- Sierra, El Capitan, and Yosemite download as a .pkg. Click on this to have a converted version placed in your Applications folder as an "Install OS..." application. Run the installer and follow the directions.

- Upgrades may take some time (up to an hour or more) to install, with restarts and blank screens.

Before upgrading, back up at least your data in case something goes wrong. See this support document: How to back up your Mac - How to back up your Mac - Official Apple Support

dialabrain wrote:

FWIW, a 2019 MBP can be upgraded to Ventura which is what you should do. Get it from the App Store.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-ventura/id1638787999?mt=12

It can run Ventura now – and according to Apple, will be able to run Sonoma ("MacBook Pro, 2018 and later") when Sonoma comes out sometime "this fall."

macOS Sonoma Preview - Apple

FWIW, a 2019 MBP can be upgraded to Ventura which is what you should do. Get it from the App Store.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-ventura/id1638787999?mt=12

gfiedel wrote:

Thanks much but I'm unable to find MacBook Pro (16 inch, 2019) on the list you provided the eshop link for. It's a Retina display. Your reply doesn't seem well-matched to my machine and current OS both of which I mentioned in my question.

The MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) was the only 16" MacBook Pro introduced in 2019. It replaced a 15" model introduced earlier in the same year and had model IDs MacBookPro16,1 or MacBookPro16,4.

The macOS Compatibility List at the Other World Computing (MacSales) site lists a 16" Touch Late 2019 with those same model IDs. I think "Touch" is just a reference to the Touch Bar that this MacBook Pro had.

OWC's entry for macOS compatibility (anything from Catalina to Sonoma) seem consistent with MacTracker's report that the machine requires macOS 15.1 (a Catalina point release) or higher, and with the page on Apple's Web site that says that the machine will be able to run Sonoma when Sonoma comes out.

So OWC did describe your model – just not by its common name.

I have no idea why you keep replying to me. I wish you would stop. Thanks.

The question had nothing to do with Sonoma.