+ + What to Do if Your Mac Can’t Run macOS Sierra Posted on December 15th, 2016 by Note: Although this article was written for macOS Sierra (10.12), much of it still applies to macOS High Sierra (10.13) which was released in September 2017. High Sierra's system requirements are the same, except that High Sierra now requires 14.3 GB of available disk space, and a minimum of OS X Mountain Lion (10.8) to do a direct-upgrade installation. Apple recently released a new version of its Mac operating system, macOS Sierra (version 10.12). With the release of Sierra, Apple decided to drop support for some Mac models that were supported by several previous releases of the Mac operating system. In other words, just because your Mac was compatible with El Capitan (OS X 10.11), Yosemite (10.10), Mavericks (10.9), or Mountain Lion (10.8) may not necessarily mean that you'll be able to upgrade to Sierra. Some Mac models, such as 2007 and 2008 iMacs, are being left behind with El Capitan as their maximum OS version. Certain older Mac models are still limited to Lion (10.7), which has not been getting security patches since Yosemite was released two years ago.
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Some early Intel Macs released in 2006 are stuck with Snow Leopard (10.6), which hasn't received security updates since the release of Mavericks three years ago. Old Operating System = A Bad Thing Being stuck on an old version of macOS is not something you can safely ignore. For one thing, running an old operating system means you won't receive critical security updates from Apple. Moreover, many third parties have stopped releasing software updates compatible with older operating systems. For example, the latest versions of Chrome and Firefox won't run on anything older than Mavericks. For now, Flash and Java also officially support Mavericks and later. Browsers and plugins are commonly exploited as a means of infecting computers, so it's critical that these programs—along with the operating systems that run them—stay up to date.
The only security-related update that Apple is continuing to release for Snow Leopard through Mavericks is the 'unSafe Downloads List,' which blocks a handful of malicious downloads (although signatures are often added too late to be of much use) and prevents Flash and Java content from running in your browser—if your plug-ins are too outdated and likely to be exploited. It's important to note that XProtect updates, while better than nothing, are by themselves insufficient to adequately protect your Mac. Keeping up with the latest macOS updates and using third-party antivirus and security software are important factors in keeping your Mac protected. Apple does not make any public statements concerning how long it will continue to release XProtect updates, let alone security patches, for any particular Apple software or operating system. While Microsoft publicly announces its support timetables for Windows and other software, and the Ubuntu Linux company Canonical does likewise, Apple has never given any official notice regarding how long each version of macOS or iOS will continue to receive security updates.
Apple has not previously responded to press inquiries about this subject. What About My Mac? The good news is that most new Macs sold within the past several years can be upgraded to Sierra. Following is the list of Macs that can run Sierra, the current and best-supported version of macOS. If your Mac is older than the ones listed directly below, read on for suggestions about what you can do to upgrade to an operating system that's still getting security patches. Sierra Capable Macs macOS Sierra requires one of the following Macs with at least 2 GB of RAM, 8.8 GB of available storage space, and at least OS X Lion:.
iMac (Late 2009 or newer). MacBook (Late 2009 or newer). MacBook Air (Late 2010 or newer). MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or newer). Mac mini (Mid 2010 or newer). Mac Pro (Mid 2010 or newer) Those who are unsure which Mac model they own may find and to be useful sites. If you have a compatible Mac with a version of OS X that predates Lion (for example, Snow Leopard), you will need to download Sierra on another compatible Mac with Lion or later, create a bootable Sierra flash drive or external hard drive (using or the third-party tool ), and do a clean install overwriting the hard drive on your Mac—so be sure to carefully first.
An alternative solution for upgrading a compatible Mac from Snow Leopard to Sierra is to first upgrade to your choice of Lion through El Capitan (if you happen to have a bootable installer from one of those versions of macOS handy, or if you're able to download one from the Purchased section of the App Store and use DiskMaker X to create a bootable installer), and then do a second upgrade from that macOS version to Sierra. Taking this upgrade path will allow you to preserve your hard drive's contents. Before you upgrade, be sure to read our article for additional advice. El Capitan Capable Macs If your Mac can't run Sierra, there's still a decent chance that it can run the previous version of macOS, El Capitan, which may continue to receive security updates from Apple for another year or two.My estimate of roughly 20 to 30 million Macs constituting 1/7th of the current installed base (which I'm estimating at roughly 150 to 200 million) is based on Paul Thurrott's of Apple's claim of 1 billion active devices in January 2016. As an aside, 1 in 7 Macs is a slight percentage decrease as compared with January 2015 when; at that time 1 in 5 Macs were no longer getting security updates.
The decreased percentage of unpatched or unpatchable Macs since then is likely due in part to fewer old Macs still being in use almost two years later, and many new Macs being sold in the mean time. About Joshua Long Joshua Long , Intego's Chief Security Analyst, is a renowned security researcher and writer. Josh has a master's degree in IT concentrating in Internet Security and has taken doctorate-level coursework in Business Administration and Computer and Information Security. His research has been featured by many fine publications such as CNET, CBS News, ZDNet UK, Lifehacker, CIO, Macworld, The Register, and MacTech Magazine. Look for more of Josh's security articles at and follow him on.
This entry was posted in, and tagged,. Bookmark the. Wow, Kudos to you Joshua for a long and informative piece. This kind of useful information is so rare these days online Just FYI, I am successfully running Sierra on my 2008 MacBook pro, having upgraded the Wifi card via Quickertech, There is a lovely free installer that helps. “MacOS Sierra Patch tool”. This even explains a special update feature that allows you to continue using the Sierra updater without fear.
Super smooth, and it works fine. I would recommend 4G of RAM as a minimum though. Great write-up by Joshua!! Sierra won’t install on my 2009 mac mini, leaving me with el capitan & unpatched security vulnerabilities.
My options to compensate are compensate. 1) installing sophos (done) 2) using el capitan firewall (never did b4) 3) using external firewall from router or another pc/fone (dunno if possible) 4) requiring a password to navigate the system — especially the external backup drive (used to do w/ passportExternalHdd — dunno if possible w/ internal drive used externally).
I prefer one of the above to buying a new MAC. Ideas in previous post about co-running windows or linux sounds interesting, too. Or I could use my linux or windows machine, but they have other issues.
Any ideas which of all these options is the most effective (or easy to implement for a relative newbie)? Or which combination of them? Any help much appreciated. What a superb article.
It has given me a totally different outlook on things now. Being of the ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ brigade; I have been reluctant to upgrade above Mountain Lion.
My 7 year old Air and something similar Mini going is still going strong and in immaculate condition. Like you say though, less and less Browsers are being supported. I am down to using Epic which while good for stopping ‘trackers’, can often be slow and a system hog.
Even Tor says my system is out of date. Just one slight problem now for a new Mac: money!