⭐⭐⭐NEW UPDATED GUIDE IS HERE; ⭐⭐⭐ I show you how it's possible to install Mac OSX 10.15 Catalina on to an. DosDude Catalina Patcher is a popular third-party tool that allows users to patch the MacOS Catalina installer on otherwise unsupported Macs. Of course, just because you can do this, doesn't mean.
In October last year, Apple releases a new version of macOS dubbed as ‘Catalina.’ This latest installment of macOS includes new features, including new apps for podcasts, music, and TV (replacing iTunes), the ability to use iPad as an external monitor, a revamped Photos app, and many more. Seeing this, it’s no wonder that some Mac users want to update their OS version to Catalina. However, not all of them have the luxury to do so.
Unsupported Mac Catalina
Officially, macOS Catalina won’t work on older Mac devices that are deemed not powerful enough, according to Apple. Additionally, they provided the official list of the supported Macs:
MacBook models released in 2015 or after
MacBook Air models released in mid-2012 or after
MacBook Pro models released in mid-2012 or after
Mac mini models released in late 2012 or after
iMac models released in late 2012 or after
iMac Pro released in 2017
Mac Pro models from late 2013
This means that if you have a Macbook Air or iMac released in 2011, you won’t be able to upgrade your OS to Catalina. What version of macOS do you have?
If you’re unsure what version of macOS you have, you can check your macOS or OS X version by clicking the Apple icon at the top-left corner of Mac’s screen, then select About This Mac. In the Overview tab, look at the Mac model year below the OS version number. If the year is the same or above the previous compatibility list, then you should be able to install macOS Catalina formally. If not, read on.
Make your old Mac support macOS Catalina
Older Mac owners don’t have to worry. It’s not the end of the world. There’s a patch that lets you install Catalina to Macs that are not officially supported.
The patch is known as DosDude Catalina Patcher. DosDude Catalina Patcher is a third-party tool, meaning Apple does not develop the tool. It’s made by an individual developer instead. Keep in mind that just because you can make your old Mac run Catalina, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will always be a good thing to do.
Apple prevents older devices to run Catalina for a reason. As mentioned before, anything older than the officially supported hardware will most likely offer suboptimal performance using Catalina, not to mention that some features need newer hardware to function properly.
Despite that, it doesn’t mean that all old machines won’t run macOS Catalina well. Given that your hardware is capable enough, running Catalina shouldn’t introduce any lasting problems. The macOS Catalina Patcher is also updated regularly to address any issues that may surface. Otherwise, you can always downgrade your macOS to an older version if needed.
Install macOS Catalina on an older Mac
Download Catalina On Unsupported Mac
Before we begin, it might be a good idea to have a backup of your system using Time Machine, just in case. Creating a backup is always recommended. It’s not only useful for installing a new OS version can enable you to undo any changes after an update, which would be very helpful should something go wrong.
Once you are ready to jump into upgrading, follow the step-by-step guide below to install macOS Catalina on an older Mac using DosDude Catalina Patcher.
First off, download the most recent version of Catalina Patcher from the official website.
After the app is downloaded and installed, open it.
The app will present you with a welcoming message. Keep clicking Continue until it finishes.
Afterward, you need to get the macOS Installer App from Apple. You can either Download a Copy or Browse for a Copy… if you already have one. If you choose to download, the file size is about 7 to 8 GB, so you may need to wait for a while.
Plug in a USB flash drive to your Mac and select Create a bootable installer on the Installation Method section.
On the next screen, your flash drive should be detected as a volume. Else, you may have to first format your USB drive into macOS Extended Journaled if you haven’t already.
When the flash drive is detected, select it, and click Start.
Once the bootable installer is copied into the USB drive, restart your Mac. Hold down the Option key while the rebooting process takes place to open up the Startup Manager.
From the boot list, choose the USB flash drive installer.
Then, you’ll be taken to the macOS Utilities window. One thing to note is that if you run a version of macOS that is earlier than High Sierra, you’ll need to reformat your installation hard drive to APFS before proceeding. Use the Disk Utility option from the available list on the macOS Utilities window to do so. Otherwise, skip to the next step.
Click on Reinstall macOS to install Catalina. Simply follow the process until the new OS, and the relevant patches are installed successfully.
Now, you can enjoy the latest version of macOS on an older Mac. Remember that Apple doesn’t recommend you do this, so some troubles might show up when operating your device. Even though dosdude1, the developer of Catalina Patcher, introduces new patches regularly, it shouldn’t be surprising if the experience may not be as good as using Catalina on Macs that officially supports it.
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macOS Catalina has precise requirements, you will need to have the previous OS version, and it works only on specific MacBooks, iMacs and so on. But even if it might not seem possible to install Catalina on your Mac due to the requirements, you shouldn’t worry that much. There are some methods you can use to install Catalina on your unsupported device. It does require a bit of thinking outside the box, but it’s going to be worth it, and it will be quite the experience.
What do you need?
To install Catalina on your Mac, you will need to download and create a bootable USB installation drive. The drive needs to have 16GB, and it has to be formatted in the Mac OS Extended format. You also need to create a backup for your Mac’s information, to be safe.
With the patcher tool method listed below, you can install Catalina on the Early-2008 or newer Xserve, Early-2009 or newer Mac Mini, Late-2008 or newer MacBook Air or unibody unit or any Mac Pro, MacBook Pro or iMac after 2008.
Keep in mind that Catalina works only on 2015+ MacBooks, 2012+ Macbook Air and Pro models, the 2017 iMac Pro, late 2013 Mac Pro or Newer and the Late 2012 Mac Mini or Newer. So yes, you can install this on much older systems if you use the patcher.
macOS Catalina is fully 64bit, and as such, you should check both your CPU and EFI firmware before installing.
Download Catalina On Unsupported Mac
How can you create the Patched macOS Catalina installer?
Download the latest macOS Catalina patcher
Run the app; now you will have to download a copy. You need that because you are creating a bootable USB drive installer here.
Since the installer is around 8 GB in total, you need to wait until the download is complete.
After the download is done, you will be able to choose the installation method. Insert the USB drive and then choose to Create a Bootable Installer.
Insert the flash drive in the unsupported Mac. Turn the Mac on and hold the Option key down as it loads up. As you enter the Startup Manager, you will need to select the USB drive and then press Return.
Now you are in the Recovery environment here. Format the internal drive to APFS; you can use the disk utility for that. That’s very important, and you have to do it especially if the drive is not APFS formatted.
Choose to Reinstall the macOS option in order to begin the installation process. Wait until it’s done. If there are any command-line manages, those are a normal part of the process.
After the installation is done, you need to reboot using the USB drive once again. You do that so you can apply the post-installation patches. Those are mandatory if you want to ensure Catalina works properly.
You can perform the post-installation tasks by choosing the macOS Post Install. Use the Force Cache Rebuild option after the installation is completed. Then you can restart and use Catalina on your old Mac.
Download Mac Os Catalina From Windows
As you can see, installing macOS Catalina on old Mac is indeed possible, and it can offer an excellent experience. All you have to do is to follow the guidelines above, and the experience can be great. At the end of the day, forcing Catalina installations on an older Mac is possible, even if it seems impossible at first. You just need to stick to the guidelines!
How To Download Catalina On Unsupported Mac
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