can i update my 2011 iMac to mac sierra

1. Yes. If it’s running 10.6.8 or earlier, you’ll need to go through El Capitan or another intermediate OS version first.

2. It’s impossible to say if you’ll have a problem in advance. Back up your data and check your applications for compatibility before proceeding.

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I don't usually comment or give an opinion on things, but in this case I HAVE to say that Apple should be ashamed. We bought apple products because people like me only use the iMac to surf the web. Why will you not support a client who paid their hard earn money? I own 3 iPhones and 2 iPads. And those I change often. So while I may not be a good customer since only bought ONE iMac in years, I AM a great apple customer for the rest of their line up!! My computer simply went white and apple did ABSOLUTELY 0 to assist me, especially after I paid them almost $300 to get the iMac a new hard drive before it failed again!!

You have not stated ANY meaningful comments. Such as how old the computer was, whether it had AppleCare coverage and where you took it .

For some reason you feel entitled because you have bought some Apple products . Well all of us here have ! Not sure what your intent is other than to whine and lament.

How old is your Mac?

How long ago did you have to replace the hard drive?

Mechanical hard drives CAN and DO fail. Some sooner than later.

With hard drive failure, it's a matter when, NOT if it will fail.

Most current common hard drives will, normally. last 5-7 years!

Better more expensive drives have 3-5 year warranties and can last up to closer to 10 years before failure.

Nothing is perfect.

Stuff goes, bad, breaks, wears out!

For what it's worth, Sierra bricked my 2011 iMac. Initially the update installation simply failed, so after finally successfully rebooting I deleted the update file thinking it might be corrupt. I then re-downloaded and tried again. This time, my iMac would chime on power up and then promptly shut itself down again. So then I booted from an external drive and wiped my HD to do a clean Sierra installation. Failed again. I'm back on El Capitan now, and I assume I will be there forever or until they stop supporting it. It's a pity, as my 2011 iMac is a lovely and fast machine...

Yes absolutely. I have a 2011 27" iMac that runs perfectly on Sierra. Please ensure your iMac has 8GB or more of RAM, if it does not then please upgrade the RAM using either Crucial (buy it direct) or OWC at www.macsales.com.

In addition, please ensure your all of your apps are up-to-date prior to updating.

Finally, as with any update please ensure you have a sound backup using either Time Machine or a bootable clone. This is just in case something goes wrong with your download or installation. In most cases you will not have any problems, this is simply a safeguard in the rare event something does.

Sierra is extremely stable has been reliably installed by millions of Mac users.

I discovered that the mid 2011 iMac has SATA III (6 gigabits/second) interface,

but SATA II (3 gigabits/second) drive.

Replacing my 500 gig with a 2 terabyte Western Digital Black resulted in a major speed improvement....

(Temp sensor will be needed if you change the hard drive...)