Imac Os Upgrade



EveryMac.com also provides RAM upgrade instructions for the subsequently introduced 'Late 2009,' 'Mid-2010' and 'Mid-2011' 21.5-Inch and 27-Inch Aluminum iMac models that have all aluminum cases with a flat, thick edge around the display (model numbers A1311 and A1312) as well as the 'Late 2012' (and subsequent) 21.5-Inch and 27-Inch Aluminum. 27-inch iMac 3.2GHz Magic Trackpad; 16GB memory upgrade (two 8GB) 32GB memory upgrade (four 8GB) 3TB hard drive; 1TB or 3TB Fusion Drive; 768GB of flash storage; 3.4GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz) with 8MB L3 cache; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX graphics processor with 2GB of GDDR5 memory; iMac and the Environment.

macOS Big Sur elevates the most advanced desktop operating system in the world to a new level of power and beauty. Experience Mac to the fullest with a refined new design. Enjoy the biggest Safari update ever. Discover new features for Maps and Messages. Get even more transparency around your privacy.

Macos upgrade to catalina not big sur

Chances are, your Mac can run macOS Big Sur

The following models are supported:

  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2013 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
  • Mac mini (2014 or later)
  • iMac (2014 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)

To see which model you have, click the Apple icon in your menu bar and choose About This Mac.

Make sure you’re ready to upgrade.

Before you upgrade, we recommend that you back up your Mac. If your Mac is running OS X Mavericks 10.9 or later, you can upgrade directly to macOS Big Sur. You’ll need the following:

  • OS X 10.9 or later
  • 4GB of memory
  • 35.5GB available storage on macOS Sierra or later*
  • Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
  • Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.

Upgrading is free and easy

Upgrading from macOS Catalina 10.15 or Mojave 10.14?

Go to Software Update in System Preferences to find macOS Big Sur. Click Upgrade Now and follow the onscreen instructions.

Upgrading from an older version of macOS?

If you’re running any release from macOS 10.13 to 10.9, you can upgrade to macOS Big Sur from the App Store. If you’re running Mountain Lion 10.8, you will need to upgrade to El Capitan 10.11 first.

If you don’t have broadband access, you can upgrade your Mac at any Apple Store.

  • OS X 10.9 or later
  • 4GB of memory
  • 35.5GB available storage on macOS Sierra or later*
  • Some features require an Apple ID; terms apply.
  • Some features require a compatible internet service provider; fees may apply.

For details about your Mac model, click the Apple icon at the top left of your screen and choose About This Mac. These Mac models are compatible with macOS Big Sur:

  • MacBook (2015 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2013 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (Late 2013 or later)
  • Mac mini (2014 or later)
  • iMac (2014 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2013 or later)

Dictation, Voice Control, and Voice Memos

Requires a microphone (built-in or external).

Gestures

Requires a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, Magic Trackpad, or Magic Mouse.

Force Touch gestures require a Force Touch trackpad.

VoiceOver gestures require a Multi-Touch trackpad, Force Touch trackpad, or Magic Trackpad.

Photo Booth

Requires a FaceTime or iSight camera (built-in or external) or USB video class (UVC) camera.

FaceTime

Audio calls require a microphone (built-in or external) and broadband internet connection.

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Video calls require a built-in FaceTime camera, an iSight camera (built-in or external), or a USB video class (UVC) camera; and broadband internet connection.

Apple TV

High dynamic range (HDR) video playback is supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2019) with Pro Display XDR

Dolby Atmos soundtrack playback is supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Air (2018 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (2018 or later)
Imac Os Upgrade

Sidecar

Supported by the following Mac models:

  • MacBook (2016 or later)
  • MacBook Air (2018 or later)
  • MacBook Pro (2016 or later)
  • Mac mini (2018 or later)
  • iMac (late 2015 or later)
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro (2019)

Macos Upgrade

Supported by all iPad models with Apple Pencil support:

  • 12.9-inch iPad Pro
  • 11-inch iPad Pro
  • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
  • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
  • iPad (6th generation or later)
  • iPad mini (5th generation)
  • iPad Air (3rd and 4th generation)

Continuity Camera

Requires an iPhone or iPad that supports iOS 12 or later.

Continuity Sketch and Continuity Markup

Requires an iPhone with iOS 13 or later or an iPad with iPadOS 13 or later.

Handoff

Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB-C and iOS 8 or later.

Instant Hotspot

Requires an iPhone or iPad with cellular connectivity, a Lightning connector or USB-C, and iOS 8.1 or later. Requires Personal Hotspot service through your carrier.

Universal Clipboard

Requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB-C and iOS 10 or later.

Auto Unlock

2007 Imac Os Upgrade

Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 3 or later or an iPhone 5 or later.

Approve with Apple Watch

Requires an Apple Watch with watchOS 6 or later or an iPhone 6s or later with iOS 13 or later.

Phone Calling

Requires an iPhone with iOS 8 or later and an activated carrier plan.

SMS

Requires an iPhone with iOS 8.1 or later and an activated carrier plan.

Home

Requires an iPhone with iOS 12 or later and a configured Home app.

AirDrop

AirDrop to iOS and iPadOS devices requires an iPhone or iPad with a Lightning connector or with USB-C and iOS 7 or later.

AirPlay

AirPlay Mirroring requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).

AirPlay for web video requires an Apple TV (2nd generation or later).

Peer-to-peer AirPlay requires a Mac (2012 or later) and an Apple TV (3rd generation rev A, model A1469 or later) with Apple TV software 7.0 or later.

Time Machine

Requires an external storage device (sold separately).

Boot Camp

Allows Boot Camp installations of Windows 10 on supported Mac models.

Exchange Support

Requires Microsoft Office 365, Exchange 2016, Exchange 2013, or Exchange Server 2010. Installing the latest Service Packs is recommended.

Windows Migration

Supports OS X 10.7 or later and Windows 7 or later.

App Store

Available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S. and many other countries and regions.

Photos

The improved Retouch tool is supported on the following Mac models:

  • MacBook Pro (15-inch and 16-inch models) introduced in 2016 or later
  • iMac (Retina 5K models) introduced in 2014 or later
  • iMac (Retina 4K models) introduced in 2017 or later
  • iMac Pro (2017 or later)
  • Mac Pro introduced in 2013 or later
  • Apple Books
  • Apple News
  • App Store
  • Automator
  • Calculator
  • Calendar
  • Chess
  • Contacts
  • Dictionary
  • DVD Player
  • FaceTime
  • Find My
  • Font Book
  • Home
  • Image Capture
  • Launchpad
  • Mail
  • Maps
  • Messages
  • Mission Control
  • Music
  • Notes
  • Photo Booth
  • Photos
  • Podcasts
  • Preview
  • QuickTime Player
  • Reminders
  • Safari
  • Siri
  • Stickies
  • Stocks
  • System Preferences
  • TextEdit
  • Time Machine
  • TV
  • Voice Memos
  • Activity Monitor
  • AirPort Utility
  • Audio MIDI Setup
  • Bluetooth File Exchange
  • Boot Camp Assistant
  • ColorSync Utility
  • Console
  • Digital Color Meter
  • Disk Utility
  • Grapher
  • Keychain Access
  • Migration Assistant
  • Screenshot
  • Screen Time
  • Script Editor
  • Sidecar
  • System Information
  • Terminal
  • VoiceOver Utility
  • Arabic
  • Catalan
  • Croatian
  • Simplified Chinese
  • Traditional Chinese
  • Traditional Chinese (Hong Kong)
  • Czech
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • English (Australia)
  • English (UK)
  • English (U.S.)
  • Finnish
  • French
  • French (Canada)
  • German
  • Greek
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Hungarian
  • Indonesian
  • Italian
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Malay
  • Norwegian
  • Polish
  • Brazilian Portuguese
  • Portuguese
  • Romanian
  • Russian
  • Slovak
  • Spanish
  • Spanish (Latin America)
  • Swedish
  • Thai
  • Turkish
  • Ukrainian
  • Vietnamese

Aluminum iMac Q&A - Updated July 15, 2016

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How do you upgrade the hard drive in the 'Original/Mid-2007,' 'Early 2008,' 'Early 2009' and 'Mid-2009' (20-Inch and 24-Inch) Aluminum iMac models? What type of hard drive do they support? Can you swap the hard drive for an SSD?

Please note that this Q&A covers Aluminum iMac models with 20-Inch and 24-Inch displays. EveryMac.com also provides instructions to upgrade the hard drive and SSD storage in more recent 'Flat Edge' 21.5-Inch and 27-Inch aluminum models as well as the latest 'Tapered Edge' 21.5-Inch and 27-Inch aluminum line.

The 'Original/Mid-2007,' 'Early 2008,' 'Early 2009' and 'Mid-2009' Aluminum iMac models -- all Aluminum iMacs with a 20-Inch or 24-Inch display -- each have a 3 Gb/s SATA connector for a 3.5' hard drive and different models have a variety of different hard drives installed by default.


Photo Credit: Apple, Inc. (20-Inch & 24-Inch Aluminum iMac)

Apple considers the memory in these models to be a 'customer installable part' but the hard drive is not intended to be upgraded by end users. Upgrading the memory is extremely easy -- there is a small removable 'door' on the bottom of each system for this purpose -- but upgrading the hard drive requires one to remove the display and effectively disassemble the entire computer.

Disasembling the computer is not simple, but the hard drive in these models also can be swapped out with a faster 3 Gb/s SATA-equipped SSD, and the swap is no more difficult than upgrading the hard drive.

Macos upgrade

Identification Help

All of the 20-Inch and 24-Inch Aluminum iMac models have the same hard drive support. However, specific upgrade instructions are a bit different -- particularly for 20-Inch models -- so it still is important to be able to identify your iMac precisely.

These models can be most readily identified in software by Model Identifier as well as externally via EMC number (located inconveniently under the 'foot' supporting the computer).

To locate the Model Identifier in software, select 'About This Mac' under the Apple Menu on your computer and click the 'More Info...' button. If the iMac is running OS X 10.7 'Lion' or later, you will need to click the 'System Report' button after clicking 'More Info...' as well. As always, EveryMac.com has carefully hand documented each EMC number and model identifier for your convenience.

These identifiers for each of the 20-Inch and 24-Inch iMac models follow:

iMac

Subfamily

EMC

Model ID

Mid-2007

Mid-2007

Mid-2007

Mid-2007

Early 2008

Early 2008

Early 2008

Early 2008

Early 2009

Early 2009

Early 2009

Early 2009

Mid-2009

Mid-2009


EveryMac.com's Ultimate Mac Lookup feature -- as well as the EveryMac app -- also can uniquely identify these models by their Serial Number, which is listed on the underside of the foot along with the EMC number and within the operating system alongside the model identifier. More details about specific identifiers are provided in EveryMac.com's extensive Mac Identification section.

2007 imac os upgrade

Hard Drive or SSD Upgrade Instructions

Macos Upgrade To Mojave

For adventurous -- and highly skilled -- users interested in replacing or upgrading the hard drive in 20-Inch or 24-Inch models themselves, site sponsor Other World Computing provides helpful step-by-step video instructions of the complex procedure:

20' Original/Mid-2007 & Early 2008 iMac Hard Drive Upgrade Video


20' Early 2009 and Mid-2009 iMac Hard Drive Upgrade Video

Upgrade Os On Imac


24' Original/Mid-2007 through Early 2009 iMac Hard Drive Upgrade Video


From watching the videos, it should be clear that upgrading the hard drive or SSD in these models is complicated. If you do not feel comfortable -- or have the time -- to perform the upgrade yourself, it always is a good idea to hire a professional.

iMac Storage Purchase & Professional Installation Options

Quality storage is important. Be sure to buy from a quality vendor that sells storage with a reputation for reliability.

In the US (and many other countries), site sponsor Other World Computing sells SSDs for all iMac models (as well as hard drives) for do-it-yourself upgrades.

In the UK and Ireland, site sponsor Flexx sells Aluminum iMac compatible SSDs and hard drives with free shipping. The company provides flat rate shipping to France, Germany, and Switzerland and inexpensive shipping for all of Europe, too.

In Australia, site sponsors Macfixit and Upgradeable sell iMac compatible hard drives and SSDs with fast shipping, a money-back guarantee and more.

In New Zealand, site sponsor Upgradeable New Zealand sells iMac hard drives and SSDs with fast delivery to all corners of the country, precise compatibility, a lifetime warranty, and a money-back guarantee.

Also see:

  • How do you upgrade the hard drive in the 'Late 2009,' 'Mid-2010,' 'Mid-2011' and 'Late 2011' (21.5-Inch and 27-Inch) Aluminum iMac models? What type of storage do they support? Is it even possible to upgrade these models?
  • How do you upgrade the hard drive in the 'Tapered Edge' Aluminum iMac models? What type of storage do they support? Is it possible to upgrade the hard drive or SSD?

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