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General discussion

Do you recommend that I upgrade to El Capitan?

Apr 15, 2016 4:06PM PDT
http://tr4.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2015/12/22/a98167d1-1d1a-4d9f-8aa5-ab3a8fece760/thumbnail/770x578/bbb652b4f7fcee7c795d870f1dc4d396/01spgos-x-el-capitan-the-smart-persons-guidehero.jpg

I am completely against upgrading the OS on existing hardware. My experience with doing so is there are always issues. So I have stuck with my "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" Mac OS Snow Leopard 10.6.8 despite all the offers to upgrade it for free. I am starting to get messages now that existing software won't work or be updated unless I upgrade, so I fear I may eventually have to bite the bullet and upgrade (or buy a newer Mac). For those who have upgraded to El Capitan, what issues have you had and would you recommend doing the upgrade? If you do recommend the upgrade, are there things I should be made aware of before I proceed? Thank you.

Hardware information: Mac Pro (circa 2009) 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon with 8GB ram

--Submitted by: Gary C. aka lawfirmgwc

Note: Updated with hardware information

Post was last edited on April 22, 2016 12:46 PM PDT

Discussion is locked

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I recommend upgrade
Apr 15, 2016 4:18PM PDT

Without knowing exactly what mac you have, it is difficult to give advice.

you can never go by problems others have while upgrading or after. You may or may not have the same problems. The thing about upgrades, is they also include the lastest security features. Macs are generally safe but only as long as it is updated.

I would suggest doing a search using el capitan problems
as keywords and you will find several articles of common problems and how to fix them.

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Mac hardware
Apr 15, 2016 5:14PM PDT

Mac Pro (circa 2009) 2.66 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon with 8GB ram

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Have had no problems with El Capitan
Apr 15, 2016 5:20PM PDT

We have several networked Macs at work, some as old as 2011, and the El Capitan upgrade has not caused any problems, and I think it loads more quickly. The only problem has been that many apps have had to be upgraded, but so far all the apps we use have been upgraded by the developers without issues.

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Sound advice from renegade600,
Apr 15, 2016 4:52PM PDT

It could really be that your current Mac just does not have the legs to carry EL Capitan easily but, FWIW, I have a 2012 iMac which has 16GB of RAM and which runs EL Capitan fairly comfortably.

Only drawback that I have come across has been the loss of functionality on my Saitek Cyborg Joystick. The system see's it but does not allow it to function at all. In Yosemite, it worked flawlessly.

Other than that, no problems. Bear in mind that a Google search for EL Capitan problems will produce a lot of hits, mainly because those millions of people who did not have a problem did not post to the forums.

P

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Create a backup
Apr 15, 2016 5:27PM PDT

If you don't do time machine backups, get a drive that will hold all your data, then back it up. If you already back up using time machine, clone the backup drive. If after upgrading you realize it isn't what you wanted, you should be able to restore to the original using the cloned backup drive.

However, I think for 10.6.8, you need the original DVD! Make sure you have that. Newer macs can restore over the network. I'm not 100% sure of this, I'm new to macs as of 2011, so I started with Lion, but a friend's computer I restored (dead HD) needed to use the disc.

I can tell you that my upgrade to El Capitan has been fine, but my computer is so much newer I'm not sure it's relevant.

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Backups are always a good idea,
Apr 16, 2016 7:56AM PDT

but there is no need to make clone of the Time Machine backup in order to Restore to a previous OS if you are not happy with the one you moved to.

You can Restore, to the earlier OS, by using the original Time Machine backup.

Further details here: https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18846?locale=en_US

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Demoting El Capitan
Apr 15, 2016 5:38PM PDT

After upgrading to El Capitan on my iMac I began to have issues I've never encountered in OS X. One notable new 'feature' is my Finder crashing between 2 and 4 times a day. Startup is longer, Shutdown is longer. There have been issues with window views not conforming to the list (by Date Added and By Size, sometimes, simply do not work).

My laptop is still running Yosemite and I'm happy about it. Apple seems to be getting sloppy again with their premature OS releases. In your place, I'd hold onto Yosemite as long as is feasible.

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Might be something specific to your setup
Apr 22, 2016 7:52PM PDT

it is possible you had something in your setup that went awry during the upgrade.

Restore the Mac to 10.11.4, then restore from your time machine backup and only pull back content. Leave the settings.

Should bring you back to happiness.

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To upgrade, or not to upgrade??
Apr 15, 2016 6:05PM PDT

I have a mid-2010 MacMini which is running on El Capitan OS X 10.11.4, just upgraded this afternoon.

I used to support a lot of Macs at work years ago, lurked around the old MacFixit Forum at work and found that MANY of the problems with people upgrading the OS were due to OPERATOR ERROR of all things. People tend to do stupid things at the worst possible time while their systems are running upgrades.

I had no problem at all with this last upgrade and many others prior to this one - except when the newer versions cut off many of my applications usage. Work arounds for me were open source items like Open Office and GIMP.

My system today started the upgrade and stated that it would take 29 minutes so I just left it and walked out to do something else while it worked away. All I had to do when it was over was to log in again.

Great OS, BUT, if you're satisfied with your current one by all means stick with it until it is no longer supported.

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It is OK to upgrade
Apr 15, 2016 6:33PM PDT

It is ok to upgrade. I run El Capitan on a Mac Pro mid-2010 with no problems. Don't be afraid of upgrading.

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Been there in Snow Leopard and glad I upgraded
Apr 15, 2016 6:34PM PDT

I avoided the upgrade until as you software updates would not install and this I was forced to upgrade the OS. I am at Yosemite now and many bugs I found in Snow Leopard were gone. It was a very slow upgrade on a rural Internet connection but it arrived after a night and a day! After that the installation went well but there were things to learn, for instance, the finder window requires some getting used to but it is overall much faster and better. You might want to obtain a Apple trackpad or new Apple Magic Mouse as well. My old software including older versions of a photoshop do not crash as they used to. I thus do recommend the update. I shut off all the bells and whistles myself but to each his own on such things. The main thing to take away from my comments are much better stability and definite enhanced speed of processing on a Mac Pro 2008 3,1 system.

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Can’t Think of a Game Changer Reason Not To Upgrade
Apr 16, 2016 1:35PM PDT

Hi Gary

Not knowing what problems, you are having makes it difficult to provide a suitable answer. Also, your issues may not be the same as others and vice-versa. There’s really no silver bullet to resolve your concerns.

However, on a personal note I have an iMac (late 2009) 27 inch / 3.08 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor /8 GB 1067 MHz DDR3 Memory / ATi Radeon HD 4670 256 MB Graphics. I have taken all upgrades since Snow Leopard thru El Capitan 10.11.4.

There have been legacy programs that either had to be upgraded or replaced with an alternate program. However, there’s been nothing earth shattering IMO. Updated OSX security has prevented some 3rd party programs from loading but with a little research work-arounds have been found. None of which have punched a hole - so to speak - in El Capitan’s (or previous OSX releases) security.

Follow the steps in the link below to upgrade to El Capitan if you decide to do so:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201475

Having talked about El Capitan there’s a good possibility that Apple may release another OSX in November as has been the case in years’ pass. The downside is that the Intel Core 2 Duo and possibly Core 2 Quad processors may be left behind. My fingers are X’d that that will not be the case. Apple typically announces the new OSX in July.

Also, if you do decide to upgrade I suggest in addition to the steps in the link above that you first run Disk Utility to repair/fix permissions and check the overall health of your drive. There’s also a 3rd party program called Disk Warrior that fully automates the process and works with El Capitan. Here’s a link for more information: http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/index.html

Last – Be sure to run a backup before you upgrade. Good luck making your decision and remember…

Together Everyone Achieves More – T.E.A.M.

Note: Post was edited by Forum admin to correct typo by OPs

Post was last edited on April 19, 2016 4:53 PM PDT

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Just do it.
Apr 16, 2016 1:59PM PDT

As others have said, individual circumstances vary. But I'd still say you should do the recommended upgrades as long as your hardware is supported. I have a circa 2012 MacBook Pro. I'm very glad I did the upgrades, generally. I did backups beforehand to makes sure all my important stuff could be recovered just in case. Other than a really long and slow download which timed out and had to be restarted, no problems. The only issues I have had with the last 2 upgrades -- including El Capitan -- is that when the new Mail program was installed/upgraded, many if not all of my prior email settings had to be re-set to function correctly. I have many different email accounts that I pull into Mail, so this wasn't a pleasant discovery. I actually installed a 3rd party mail program on the prior upgrade because Mail just wasn't working properly for me. The El Capitan upgrade seemed to rectify that, although it still went through the process of rebuilding folders, etc. Eventually got it back to where it was with my original settings. Other than that issue, I've encountered no other issues. All my programs that worked in 10.6 still seem to function in El Capitan. So...go ahead. Just do it. (But practice safe computing and back up first...just in case.)

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Agree with backup first
Apr 16, 2016 6:34PM PDT

As previous poster mentioned -backup everything first. I just upgrade to El Cap a few days ago and regret it, but of course I haven't backed up for about two weeks so I can't reverse my decision. My laptop is about a year older than yours and I've been planning to buy a new one but the issues I've had with this upgrade have made me hesitant to buy Mac again. I'm having problems with mail (some messages are sent blank, it took a full day before I could figure out how to get all of my mail to be delivered. I'm still getting error messages that mail is not being received but am using my Smartphone as a backup. Whole machine is also running very slowly right now, and basically I can't have more than one program opened at the same time. Previous system (Snow Leopard maybe?) allowed me to have multiple things open as long as they weren't memory heavy like iPhoto.

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That's what I'm afraid of!!
Apr 17, 2016 10:04AM PDT

What you are experiencing is what I fear... right now things are working just fine and very fast. I fear if I upgrade I'll have a "Windows slow" (did I say that??) computer... kind of like putting a much heavier chassis with an engine meant for a small car.

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I always upgrade
Apr 17, 2016 5:10AM PDT

I am completely against not upgrading, simply due to security reasons. An upgrade means fewer security holes and better security. If you have your OS upgraded to the latest version, you have the best protection. I have always upgraded, both my own and my partners Mac, and we have never had an issue. Have had Mac for many years, certainly 10.

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Don't do it!!
Apr 17, 2016 7:31AM PDT

If you use iPhoto, after you upgrade you will be forced to upgrade your iPhoto. You will then loose all your events that you spent weeks or months sorting and creating and they will be replaced with "moments" or something silly like that.

Also, all of my friends who are DJs tell me that the audio interface (USB) is currently broke on El Capitan so all the major DJ software out there such as serato crashes!! Not good when you have hundreds of people out on the dance floor. I have two macs, one is a MacBook Pro with mountain lion on it and it works perfectly. Unfortunately I am now being forced to upgrade as safari and chrome are no longer compatible and some web sites won't even load!!

My other Mac is the new 12 inch MacBook that already had El Capitan out of the box and it works perfectly but I definitely am not a fan of the new iPhoto.

Apple needs to stop trying to reinvent good software and focus on just making it work better. They need to put a lot more money into quality control of their software or they are going to start loosing some of their loyal customers.

Good luck whatever you decide to do. And of course have a backup!!!!

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iPhoto did NOT go away,
Apr 18, 2016 3:31PM PDT

it was just removed from the dock.
The application is still in the Applications folder and still works.
The iPhoto database, separate from the Photo database, still exists.
Go back to iPhoto whenever you want

P

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Just copy it.
Apr 22, 2016 8:00PM PDT

Just copy the iPhoto app to your MacBook and copy the library as well. BOOM you have iPhoto on your MacBook.

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You have no idea if the O.P. uses any of those features
Apr 23, 2016 10:05AM PDT

So how is your definitive advice helpful?

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(NT) the replies were directed at DJROBSD and not the OP
Apr 24, 2016 5:30AM PDT
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NO! DONT! NOOOOOOOO!
Apr 19, 2016 7:02AM PDT

I was going to say yes until I saw you where using 10.6

Mac OS Snow Leopard 10.6.8 is the last version that supported legacy PPC apps and such. Because of this I stayed on 10.6 and eventually bought a used Mac mini for newer MOS.
(from Wiki " Snow Leopard is the last version of Mac OS X that is able to run PowerPC-only applications.")

Generally the updates are better, but every once in a while there is the inevitable "No longer supported" clause that will effect you, and that is why not all upgrades are good.

Do NOTeven try to upgrade, because I am almost certain you will find something that will make you want to go back.
ALSO: there will be more hardware demands on your old computer, so in long run it is better to get a newer Mac, be it new or recent used model with good performance.

So YES, sometime it is better to get new computer with a new OS.

Note: This post was edited by Forum Admin to fix typo by OP

Post was last edited on April 20, 2016 11:49 AM PDT

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What on earth are you talking about?!?
Apr 23, 2016 5:43AM PDT

First, you have no idea if the O.P. even needs PPC app compatibility.
Likewise, with no clue what software he is running, you can't make any statement about whether or not he'll have issues with compatibility. Most apps run just fine.

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It would not be unusual to find software that requires
Apr 24, 2016 5:36AM PDT

PPC support on a machine running 10.6.8, like the OP's, whether the OP knew about it or now.

I know quite a few people who upgraded past 10.6.8 and found that a lot of their favorite software did not function. Appleworks springs to mind, along with Quicken.


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Makeing such assumptions is like jumping bindfolded
Apr 25, 2016 7:32AM PDT

Its true I don't know if he need's legacy support, but you have absolutely no idea that he does not.

I upgraded my wife's iMac beyond 10.6, and was dismayed when I saw how many apps died. It was no problem for her, but it was enough to convince me I would loose functionality (let alone spending time trying to find replaces, IF there is replacements).

Bottom line, there are times when the hardware no longer has the performance for ever increasing software demands, so why go though hassle of upgrading only to realize it is time to move on?

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Bad advice.
Apr 23, 2016 11:59AM PDT

El Cap runs nicely on my mid-2007 iMac - the OP's system will handle it without breaking a sweat. The only sticking point would be a "mission-critical" app that costs a lot to upgrade - and for that, you could simply partition the drive, and boot from 10.6.8 when necessary.

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Possible, but does he have the skills?
Apr 25, 2016 7:39AM PDT

I agree partitioning with 2 versions is a viable alternative,

BUT (always one)

1. Does he have the skills to do that?
2. Likely will need a bigger drive to contain 2 complete OS and related files, in duplicate.
3. Then has to switch back and forth.

In the end simply getting a new Mac that he can upgrade for years to come is the best plan and keep old one for legacy support (if he still needs it).

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correction
Apr 19, 2016 7:08AM PDT

I meant PPC applications "No longer supported", not unsupported. LOL Silly

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I fixed it for ya :)
Apr 20, 2016 11:50AM PDT

Cheers!
-Lee

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Generally yes
Apr 22, 2016 6:07PM PDT

Generally I say yes because of new features and better security. I've never had issues with a Mac upgrade. But make sure you want and will like and use those features. Sometimes you prefer the old. Make sure your hardware including RAM, memory, processor speed, etc can handle it. For example, I use AirDrop on my iPad and iPhone and love it but my Mac's hardware doesn't support it. If that was the only reason I upgraded the OS I'd have been disappointed. Bottom line--yes upgrade unless there is a compelling reason not to.