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iMac not updating OS or productivity software

I have an iMac 27". Absolutely love this machine. However, for the last while a number of the programs are not updating. The simplest ones like Safari and Chrome are now telling me software is out of date and needs to be updated. But the programs will not update.


It runs all the basic productivity software I need. The mac runs great. This mac has tons of hardware and processing power to run everything I need.


This is a 27" mid 2011 iMac. Upgraded awhile ago 32 Gb memory, 512 GB SSD system, and 3TB storage drive. macOS High Sierra 10.13.6


What are my options?

iMac 27″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Oct 26, 2024 12:13 PM

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13 replies

Oct 26, 2024 1:14 PM in response to FaceDeAce

When you get the new machine then you recycle the old machine using one of Apple's free recycling programs (Apple Recycling Programs ) after you have done the following:


·       Always connect your old Mac's Time Machine External Hard Disk prior to startup, this will allow a migration from your TM backup and it will be dead simple! When you start the new Mac for the first time it will startup Setup Assistant (SA), SA will get to a point where it asks if you are migrating from another computer, select Yes and follow the on-screen prompts and it's done! It is that simple! This is the easiest, quickest and most reliable method to migrate from the old Mac to the new Mac is to simply connect the old Mac's Time Machine External Hard Disk to the new Mac using a USB cable before you turn on the new Mac. 

·       NOTE 1: You will likely need a USB A to USB C adapter, you can find them on Amazon for $10 or less.

·       NOTE 2: If you have already done SA on the new computer then simply connect the Time Machine External Hard Disk using a USB cable and launch Migration Assistant (MA) which is located in Applications - Utilities - MA. Then follow the on-screen prompts.

·       The ONLY difference between MA and SA is MA will create a new user account that you need to log into.

 

Both SA and MA migrate applications (not 32 bit apps), data files & settings. They do not migrate Mac OS itself. Some professional apps such as Adobe and Microsoft apps may require re-installing their apps as they will not allow them to be migrated. As long as you kept the security keys for installing their apps, it is not an issue. 

 

Finally, never EVER use Wi-Fi when doing Setup Assistant or Migration Assistant. Why, it simply fails in most cases. Please read and follow the directions in Setup Assistant and Migration Assistant. If you do not have a Time Machine backup of the older Mac then create one! If you are not aware of Time Machine, please read Back up your Mac with Time Machine and finally if you need an External Hard Disk to use as a Time Machine External Hard Disk then many experience users on these forums prefer the OWC Mercury Elite Pro due to it's reasonable price, high level of quality and ease of use. 

 

Oct 26, 2024 2:31 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Folks thank you very much for the prompt replies.

I surfed a bit newer iMac offerings, but am not happy with downgrading to 24" display size. So am now off looking into the 2023 mac mini M2 pro 16/512 as a potential candidate.

  • The plan would be to reuse all of the existing peripherals.
  • If the mini cannot talk to the 2011 iMac as the display, then will also need a monitor. I may have a 32" or 42" 4k tv here not being used much which may be moved to the workstation. :)
  • Last piece is to figure out the mass storage solution. Currently apps and docs are split between the SSD system drive and the HDD that are both inside the iMac.


Thanks for all of the thoughts/comments thus far.


Nov 4, 2024 11:39 AM in response to FaceDeAce

Apple just introduced the M4 Mac Mini this week. The base model will run rings around your 2011 iMac.


You can get a Mini with 16GB of RAM, 1 TB of storage, 4 ports for $1000 and a 27 to 32" LG monitor w/speakers (~$329 or less) for several hundred dollars less than a comparably configured M4 24" iMac ($1900).


Technology has come a long way since 2011.


Oct 26, 2024 1:46 PM in response to rkaufmann87

I do have time machine running onto an external 3TB drive. So either SA or MA keeps everything as-is for me and gets a newer max setup with minimal to no fuss from me?

Perhaps what I should do is get a mac mini. Keep my keyboard and magipad. I believe I could use the 27" iMac as the monitor for the mini, with a simple cord? Tuck the mini in behind the iMac. Voila, running on a newer mac (the mini) but everything looks and feels exactly the same. Can this also be arranged so the mini can read all of the content of the drives in the old iMac? Or would I need to pull the drives out and set them up in an external drive box.??


Perhaps that is way to go. If I can find a bare stand alone mini for a fair price. By integrating the iMac as the monitor and mass storage along with keeping my keyboard, mouse, magipad ... cost is minimized. I'm probably missing some catch ...


Many questions. Really the only objective I want and need is to be able to have my productivity and business apps continue to run with critical updates. As well as preserve the extensive family photos and iTunes library investments. :(


I've been around the sun a few times. Lotsa grey hair. Am adept with computers, but nonetheless always HATE each cycle of changing computers. There is never any need for it driven by the user (me), always by the OS. Something essential or highly valuable is lost EVERY time. Could probably have bought a couple new cars by now in the lost costs of software and hardware over the years from this. The angst is not the cost of the new machine. It is what can't be brought over to the new one that hurts the most.




Oct 26, 2024 7:55 PM in response to FaceDeAce

FaceDeAce wrote:

This is a 27" mid 2011 iMac. Upgraded awhile ago 32 Gb memory, 512 GB SSD system, and 3TB storage drive. macOS High Sierra 10.13.6

What are my options?


For that Mac, High Sierra is the end of the line.


You could install the Firefox 115 ESR Web browser. It no longer gets new features – and Mozilla had been planning to stop providing security updates for it, last month. But now, Mozilla says that they "will provide security updates for Firefox 115 ESR until at least March 2025, when the position will be re-evaluated."


Current versions of LibreOffice require Catalina or better. You may be able to find an unsupported version, in the archives, that will run on High Sierra. The archives are NOT organized well for finding "the latest version that will run on a particular version of macOS." I think 7.4.7 once ran on High Sierra but now requires Mojave, so maybe if you go back slightly before that, you would find a compatible version.


Affinity (Photo, Designer, Publisher) used to run on High Sierra – but when Serif came out with V2 versions (which require Catalina or better), they removed the older versions that were compatible with High Sierra from the market. GraphicConverter 12 runs on High Sierra (although I don't know if it supports layers) – as does the free GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). Google once offered Picasa for the Mac, but they discontinued it long ago. (Pretty much, if you're going to do photo work on High Sierra, you should either already have everything you need, or get what is left while you still can.)

Nov 4, 2024 11:19 AM in response to FaceDeAce

UPDATE: Well, I wore myself down and flipped at the new M4 mini announcement. I just ordered an M4 miniMac. When it gets here I plan to migrate to the new machine. Once that is done, I'll open up the 27" iMac to strip the drives out of it. Then toss/recycle the old iMac :( (so sad)


I'll need to decide on a decent 27"-32" monitor and some sort of dock or hub to add the extra drives storage to the mini through one of the ThB4 connections. The M4 mini I ordered with the max 32Gb ram but left it with the base 256 Gb SSD for a system and apps disk. Plan to have all docs and media on the external drives.



iMac not updating OS or productivity software

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