Base Updates El Capitan or Sierra 10.11 /10.12

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Base Updates El Capitan or Sierra 10.11 /10.12

I'm attempting to update from Yosemite (10.10.3) to the base-versions (not updates) of either 10.11 / 10.12 but cannot find any links. My usage doesn't support 10.13 at this time.

App Store only provides 10.11.6 and states it cannot be installed on my computer – learn more button is a dead link. All Apple -Site links only provide the incremental updates. not the base OS.

MacPro6,1 / 6-Core Intel Xeon E5 / 3.5 GHz OS X 10.10.3

Many Thanks in advance!

-R

Posted on Dec 11, 2017 10:36 AM

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Answer 1

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Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,554 points

Dec 11, 2017 11:36 PM in response to raycervenka

Apple prefers you to upgrade to the latest macOS which would be High Sierra now on version 10.13.2. Thus the refusal to install El Capitan. If you have or know of another mac that has downloaded El Capitan previously you may be able to download it via the Purchases page of the App Store and transfer Install Mac OS X El Capitan.app from Applications folder of the donor mac to your Mac Pro. This is also true of a mac that has not upgraded to El Capitan, but cannot upgrade to Sierra or High Sierra.

When Apple releases the latest macOS the previous versions are removed from the App Store, however because of some app compatibility issues Apple have continued to offer Sierra, How to download macOS Sierra - Apple Support

if you choose to download this it will install version 10.12.6, you would then check the App Store for any subsequent security updates etc.

Updates you see on the Apple Support Downloads site need an existing version of the OS you are updating to.

Combo updates will update any previous version of the titled OS. Incremental (Delta) updates will update from a previous version of an OS to the next numbered version.

Whatever version of OS upgrade you download make a copy of the installer app. Once the download has completed and before going ahead with the installation look inside your Applications folder for Install macOS Sierra.app (or other similarly named .app depending on what OS you downloaded) make a copy of this somewhere else on your mac or external drive or USB stick. Having this is handy if you want to install on other macs or if you need to reinstall the OS due to a problem, saves having to download it again. You can also use it to create a bootable USB, How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

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Answer 2

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Dec 11, 2017 10:42 AM in response to raycervenka

The only way to get an original install would be if you had downloaded it and before installing saved it off somewhere. Why are you interested in the original upgrade package?

I think I may have misunderstood your post but the answer is basically the same, they're not available anymore, if your Mac is capable of 10.13.

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Answer 3

raycervenka Author

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Dec 11, 2017 10:57 AM in response to macjack

On one computer, I downloaded the lowest-version of Sierra I could find (10.12.1 actually) and its states "This update requires OS X version 10.12).

The only OS X option in my personal App Store is 10.10.3 – nothing beyond.

AVID Pro Tools doesn't support 10.13 and even Logic Pro X has numerous problems itself at this point.

Best regards,

-R

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Answer 4

raycervenka Author

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5 points

Dec 11, 2017 11:03 AM in response to macjack

Thank you for responding again

That's why I'm trying to find 10.12 (base version). Does the "combo" versions provide that as in the past? App store only provided "updates" not "upgrades". The only upgrade is 10.13 and it is fine to install that – I just can't use it.

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Answer 5

raycervenka Author

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Dec 11, 2017 12:36 PM in response to macjack

For maintaining professional systems that need to be 100% compatible with an OS, I don't understand why the updates are available and not the upgrades. Only option is through a torrent search and I guess that what Apple's policy prefers. Seems a very hack-approach.

Thanks for your help!

Best regards,

-R

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Answer 6

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Dec 11, 2017 1:45 PM in response to raycervenka

I can't answer for Apple, that is their decision. But usually, when an application works in one version of an OS, it works for all updates. The torrents often contain installers with malware. It hides in the download and you'd never know it is there.

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Answer 7

raycervenka Author

Level 1

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Dec 11, 2017 3:03 PM in response to macjack

Lesson learned today – download and archive updates. Otherwise, its a repair-shop bench-charge. My 6,1 lives in a Sonnet MacPro Server-Rack and takes hours to remove / reinstall with the 6,1's pro-sumer design. Not happy here. As a former integrator of $6 million of Apple front-ended digital audio workstations / systems, this policy of removing previous versions is not a professional one– it can cost you a client.

Thanks again!

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Answer 8

raycervenka Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 12, 2017 12:33 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thanks Eau. I found the 10.12.6 "upgrade" on the AVID's Forum (DUC) and I can verify that this link is active and successfully installed on both a 5,1 MacPro (upgrading from 10.11.6) and a 6,1 MacPro (upgrading from 10.10.3) respectively. Once installed, it will delete the copy found in the applications folder and return a "failed to copy" message when I attempted to archive on a working-network drive.

Oddly, both an existing thread on this forum and Apple Tech-Support (chat or Twitter) where unaware of its existence – forwarding to them as well.

Best Regards,

-R

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Answer 9

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,554 points

Dec 12, 2017 12:43 AM in response to raycervenka

Yep the install app is deleted when it is installed thus making a copy prior to installation is a good idea, I don't know why you got the failed to copy message, is the drive in question formatted as an NTFS drive?

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Answer 10

raycervenka Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 12, 2017 1:26 AM in response to raycervenka

Additionally:

Apogee Symphony I/O (MKI) + Apogee Thunderbridge users: if you need to "flash the firmware" on an older unit, you must do this before upgrading. The firmware app will not run on anything above 10.10.3. Manufacture date on mine is 2013 and I didn't need to flash the unit. Check the read-me to remove the Maestro App after upgrading to 12.6 and install the lasted download from Apogee.

Logic Pro X 10.3.2 and Pro Tools checks out (11.3.1 is not officially supported).

MOTU MIDI XT users: 12.6 requires you to download the Audio/MIDI software update from MOTU. Again Manufacture date on mine is 2007 and I did not need to flash the firmware(though its avaiable).

Arturia or any plugin requiring Avid CoreAudio installed with 11.3.1 will not function – 10.12 will politely notify you when you install and move to incompatible software folder.

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Answer 11

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Dec 11, 2017 11:03 AM in response to raycervenka

That is not an upgrade, it's an update as it states "This update requires OS X version 10.12." You can't install the system from that.

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Answer 12

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Dec 11, 2017 11:09 AM in response to raycervenka

The Combo Versions are updates also. If you are going to install 10.13,(Or any other system) it' the only choice you have through the AppStore.

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Answer 13

macjack

Level 10

111,168 points

Dec 11, 2017 4:57 PM in response to raycervenka

You're welcome. Yes, archiving the installers is the best way to go for your purposes.

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Answer 14

raycervenka Author

Level 1

5 points

Dec 12, 2017 12:50 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Yes a – USB 3.0 formatted by disk-utilty from 10.10.3. I'll try a directly attached drive (not a network drive). It's a computer – computer connection (no switch / hub) .

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