Although Apple has made upgrading to each new operating system easier and safer, there is still room for things to go wrong. In Take Control of Upgrading to High Sierra, Mac expert Joe Kissell outlines a process that will take the stress out of upgrading, showing you how to make the switch more efficiently and in the way that’s right for you. Learn what you need to know before you begin, how to prepare your Mac and make backups, and be ready to make decisions about installation questions.
In this book, you’ll find out more about the changes Apple has made to the Mac’s file system in High Sierra, and what impact that might have on your upgrade. You’ll also find information about possible impediments to upgrading—including minimum system requirements, software incompatibilities, and lack of disk space—and how to resolve those issues.
You’ll experience an easy upgrade and deal quickly with post-installation quirks with these topics:
- Start fast: A Quick Start overview helps you read lightly or more deeply, depending on your needs.
- Take in the view: Find out what you can look forward to in High Sierra.
- Compatibility check: Make sure your hardware and software are ready for High Sierra and consider whether this is a good time to buy new hardware, even if it’s not essential for your upgrade.
- Backing up: Avoid upgrade anxiety by ensuring you can return to the previous state of your Mac—and that you can boot from your backup. Joe provides steps for carrying out this essential task in Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.
- Picking a plan: Go for an easy in-place upgrade or consider a more complex clean install. Find out which option is right for you.
- Installing: Download and store the installer where it won’t be deleted, with special tips for people who want to install on multiple Macs or who have bandwidth limitations. And, although running the installer will be easy for many people, you’ll find full steps for what to click and when.
- Post-installation tune-up: Make sure your new system is running smoothly by completing a few important housekeeping tasks and making a few key decisions.
- Troubleshooting: Yikes! It is possible that something will go wrong during installation, or that once you’ve booted up under High Sierra that you’ll encounter a serious problem. Joe’s time-tested troubleshooting advice will help get your system working again.
About Joe Kissell
Take Control publisher Joe Kissell has written more than 60 books about technology, including many popular Take Control books. He formerly wrote for publications such as Macworld, Wirecutter, and TidBITS. He lives in Saskatoon with his wife and their two sons.
