▶ Search with Spotlight.
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▶ Navigate to /Applications/Utilities/ and double-click Console.
After Console opens, select Log Reports in the left column, then select install.log.
Even during a successful installation, there are warnings and errors. Many of the reported issues are benign, and you should concern yourself with them only if you are trying to iso-late a problem that prevents a successful upgrade to macOS Big Sur.
Exercise 2.1
Prepare a Mac for Upgrade
NOTE ▶ This exercise is for independent study only. You don’t perform this exercise in a classroom environment. Perform this exercise only if you are upgrading your Mac from an earlier version of macOS.
30 Update, Upgrade, or Reinstall macOS
▶▶▶
Prerequisites▶
▶ Your Mac must be running OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later.
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▶ Your Mac must have 4 GB of memory.
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▶ If your Mac is running macOS Sierra 10.12 or later, it must have 35.5 GB of available storage. If your Mac is running OS X El Capitan 10.11 or earlier, it must have 44.5 GB of available storage.
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▶ For more information on compatible Mac computers, see Apple Support article HT211238, “macOS Big Sur is compatible with these computers.”
In this exercise, you verify that your Mac supports macOS Big Sur. You also check for old software and record important settings.
NOTE ▶ This exercise can’t be used to prepare an independent-study Mac for the rest of the course. Independent learners must complete Exercise 2.3, “Erase a Mac and Install macOS Big Sur,” to continue to Exercise 3.1, “Configure a Mac for Exercises.”
Check Hardware and App Compatibility 1 Log in to your existing administrator account.
2 In the Finder, navigate to the /Applications/Utilities folder.
You can also use the Finder keyboard shortcut Shift-Command-U.
3 Open System Information.
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Exercise 2.1 Prepare a Mac for Upgrade 31
4 If necessary, select the Hardware category in the sidebar.
5 Verify that there is at least 4 GB of memory.
6 Record the Model Identifier and Serial Number entries:
Model Identifier:
Serial Number:
7 Select the Storage category in the Hardware section of the sidebar. If there is no Storage entry, select the entry for the bus your Mac startup disk is attached to. For most models, this is the Serial-ATA bus.
8 Find your startup volume in the list on the right, then verify that it has at least 35.5 GB of available storage.
NOTE ▶ If you are upgrading from OS X El Capitan 10.11 or earlier, you need at least 44.5 GB of available storage.
32 Update, Upgrade, or Reinstall macOS
9 In the sidebar, under Software, select Applications, then wait for macOS to gather information on installed apps.
10 Click the heading for the Last Modified column on the right. If the arrow at the top of the column is pointing down, click again so that it points up.
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Exercise 2.1 Prepare a Mac for Upgrade 33
The oldest apps are listed at the top. In general, older apps are more likely to be incompatible with newer versions of macOS. Research older apps to find out if they are compatible with macOS Big Sur or if updates are available. Often, a developer website has information about compatibility and updates. The most likely incompat-ible app could be an app that is not 64-bit.
11 Quit System Information.
12 Open Safari, then navigate to the Apple Tech Specs website (checkcoverage.apple.com).
13 Enter your Mac computer’s serial number (recorded in step 6) in the field, enter the code, then click Continue.
Your Mac computer’s model name, along with information about your warranty cov-erage and links to set up a repair, appears. Verify that the model name is on the list of supported models in Reference 2.2, “Prepare to Upgrade or Reinstall macOS.”
14 Do one of the following:
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▶ If your Mac is running macOS High Sierra 10.13 or earlier, from the Apple menu choose App Store. If necessary, click the Updates icon in the toolbar and wait while your software is checked for updates.
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▶ If you are running macOS Mojave 10.14 or later, open Software Update prefer-ences and verify that no operating system updates are available.
15 If the No Updates Available message is displayed, proceed to the “Document Network Settings” section of this exercise.
16 Depending on your macOS version, if updates are available click the Update buttons for those you want to install. You may find a More option. Clicking More shows a more detailed list of system updates. Click the Update All button to install updates.
Follow prompts and instructions to complete the updates.
17 After the updates have finished, repeat starting at step 15 to verify that all updates installed successfully and that no more updates are available.
Document Network Settings
1 From the Apple menu, choose System Preferences.
34 Update, Upgrade, or Reinstall macOS
2 In System Preferences, click Network.
3 Select each of the network services (listed on the left of the preference pane), and record settings assigned to them. Click the Advanced button for each service to dis-play the full settings. An easy way to do this is to take screenshots with the shortcut Shift-Command-5 to give you a record of the information to work from.
4 If your Mac has more than one location defined, repeat this process for each location.
5 Quit System Preferences.
Back Up Your Data
You should always have a current backup copy of the content on your Mac. Third-party backup solutions are available, and macOS includes a backup utility, which is described in Lesson 17, “Manage Time Machine.” Whichever solution you choose, after you complete a backup try restoring files to ensure that it works.