So, I have a Mac 2011. i understand it can’t update past 10.13.. which is what i need it to be updated to in order to get to what i’m trying to get to. it says i need 10.13 or later and i am currently at 10.10.5 .. but when i go to “see updates” it says i have no updates to do. i’m really confused and frustrated. please help.
iPad, iPadOS 17
How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
Yosemite is old enough that it may not be able to access this forum, that Support page, or the App Store. You may need to upgrade your iMac to El Capitan or Sierra first – and then, from the old Mac, use the High Sierra link in the Support article to get the rest of the way to High Sierra.
E.g., download the .DMG file containing the Sierra installer to a USB flash drive, transfer that drive to the old iMac, copy the .DMG file to the old iMac, then open it and run the installer within. Or copy a bookmark to the location of the Sierra .DMG file to a USB flash drive, transfer the bookmark file to the old iMac, use the old iMac to download the Sierra .DMG, and proceed from there. (The Sierra file is behind a plain http link, not a https one – so even the version of Safari in Yosemite may be able to download the file if given the plain http address.)
Before you start, it would be a good idea to make a bootable clone backup of your current system. Do not rely on Internet Recovery as your only way to recover if something goes wrong.
How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
Yosemite is old enough that it may not be able to access this forum, that Support page, or the App Store. You may need to upgrade your iMac to El Capitan or Sierra first – and then, from the old Mac, use the High Sierra link in the Support article to get the rest of the way to High Sierra.
E.g., download the .DMG file containing the Sierra installer to a USB flash drive, transfer that drive to the old iMac, copy the .DMG file to the old iMac, then open it and run the installer within. Or copy a bookmark to the location of the Sierra .DMG file to a USB flash drive, transfer the bookmark file to the old iMac, use the old iMac to download the Sierra .DMG, and proceed from there. (The Sierra file is behind a plain http link, not a https one – so even the version of Safari in Yosemite may be able to download the file if given the plain http address.)
Before you start, it would be a good idea to make a bootable clone backup of your current system. Do not rely on Internet Recovery as your only way to recover if something goes wrong.
You are currently running macOS Yosemite 10.10.5.
I believe you are looking for macOS High Sierra 10.13.6, the last update of that OS.
The link for the High Sierra installer download can be found here:
How to download and install macOS - Apple Support
Note that while 10.13 (High Sierra) is newer than 10.10 (Yosemite), it is also very old, and it is hard to get software for it now. If, by any chance, you are trying to get 13 (Ventura), your iMac cannot update that far.
A 2011 iMac is an antique and obsolete in many ways. While you can continue to use it, the longer you do the more difficult it will be to support. Have you considered buying a more up-to-date Mac?
Updating Mac 2011
