We’ve been getting quite a lot of questions recently relating to upgrading to Mavericks. So today we’ll be focusing on answering some of those questions.
Firstly, its been around six weeks since Apple released OS X Mavericks, and our advice at this point is that we’re still not entirely comfortable that the OS is stable and bug-free. We tend to suggest erring on the side of caution, especially for those people using their Mac as a tool for work. For those people using it at home with less risk involved though, feel free to go ahead! We’ve also setup a page on the site where we’ll update our advice on whether the time is right.
Once You’ve Made The Decision (That You’d Like) To Upgrade
There’s a number of steps you need to take before actually going ahead.
- Technical Prerequisites
- Questions you should ask yourself
- Pre-upgrade steps
Technical Prerequisites
OK, for the first time we’re about to present some video, as its much easier to explain this by actually showing you what needs to be done! This is (hopefully) the first of many video tutorials/tips, so if you have any comments or feedback, I’d definitely appreciate it!
There should be a couple of notes in the video that take you to links on our site. One should be our Mavericks Upgrade decision page, the other gives the various Apple links I used in the video.
Questions You Should Ask Yourself
If the answer to any of the following questions is no, I strongly recommend that you don’t go ahead until you can comfortably answer with a yes.
- Is this a production machine, and if so, have you tested all your software works under Mavericks on a test platform?
- Have you run through the technical prerequisites above and confirmed that your machine is suitable?
- Do you have at least one full backup of your machine?
Pre-Upgrade Steps
Finally before you go to the App Store and begin the upgrade process, there’s a couple of more things I’d urge you to do. The chances are that these steps won’t be necessary. However, if you’re the one in a million person whose upgrade doesn’t go smoothly, you’ll give yourself a huge pat on the back that you took some time to play safe.
- Backup your machine. At least once. See my article on backups if you need guidance on this.
- Do some file maintenance. Now is a good time to do a little bit of tidying up. Check your Downloads and Documents folders for rubbish, and empty your trash at least. We all tend to leave too much rubbish lying around on our computers, so here’s an opportunity to do an annual clean up. You’ll be amazed at how much junk you can get rid of.
- Software Upgrade. Make sure your all software is up to date (using Software Update for apps you’ve acquired through the App Store, for everything else you’ll need to run the apps own update procedure). Be aware that some apps might not work in Mavericks, so if there’s anything critical to you, check on the developers Web site for information. We can also help you with this if you need us to.
Now, Are You Sure?
Once you’ve made sure your machine is capable, and that you’re going to benefit, not suffer, from upgrading, it might be time to go ahead. The upgrade itself is relatively straightforward. You will need to go the App Store, search for OS X Mavericks and press the button marked Free Upgrade. This will change to Install App; press again and the process will start. From here on in, it’s a case of following the on screen prompts. If you come up against anything, or need any questions answered, please do get in touch, we’re here to help.
That’s it for today. I hope this has been helpful, and I’ll be back tomorrow with something new.
