I'm wondering about whether installing macOS Sierra, when it's available, will hobble my MBP 17" (Mid 2010) with 2.66 GHz Dual Core i7 with 8 GB RAM. [I've got more than half of the HD available for install; so, no issues there.]

My hardware is smoothly running 10.11.6; but, this MBP hardware is getting long in the tooth. And, the specs are now close to the minimal line for 10.12.

I know I'll be able to install Sierra; but, will my MBP find Sierra a bit too much, resulting in key features not running in addition to seeing spinning pizzas too often?

My prior experience has been that 7 year old hardware might be underpowered for installing the newest OS. Waiting until the hardware is replaced, to enjoy the newest OS, might be wisest (least frustrating) option.

Thoughts? ...Anyone running the Sierra Beta on an older machine?

I can't answer your question definitively, but I'll suggest that you just give Sierra a test run on a spare partition or external drive if you like what you hear about it.

Your own experience will always transcend hearsay.

I am running the Sierra beta on a late 2012 Mac mini with essentially the same quad core i7 processor running 2.6 GHz and it is running fine. Admittedly I have 16 GB of RAM and an OWC Mercury SSD that have a significant impact on system performance. I realize that benchmark tests are designed to test the hardware and really do not reflect software performance, but the overall scores from three different benchmark suites show no statistically significant change between running MacOS 12 public beta 6 and El Capitan. Empirically I would say that my system feels a touch faster with Sierra than it did with El Capitan, but that could all be between the headsets.

There are probably be some relatively esoteric features that are dependent on some hardware functions that are not available in our CPU and therefore are force to run in software rather than hardware, and would be slower. On the other hand, as with most upgrades of OS X/Mac OS, there are low level functions which have become far more efficient and often more than offset any speed loss from additional feature load.

I'm wondering if 16 GB RAM (let alone, an SSD) could well make a real performance difference between my MBP, which is dual core, and your Mac mini, which is quad core. ...Agree / Disagree?

I've now decided I will do this upgrade + 10.12 updates. But given our discussion, I think I'll upgrade my hardware when the upgrade to Sierra appears.

The advantage of the quad core is dependent on the applications you are running and the specific mix running at any give time and is well beyond my ability to quantify. The extra 8 GB of RAM would come into play when you have lots of applications open and/or applications that require a lot of RAM. To be truthful those extra 8 GB have less performance impact with the vastly improved memory management techniques that were introduced in Yosemite.

Given the certain release of iOS 10 concurrent with the probably release of the iPhone 7 late this month and the fact MacOS 12 and iOS 10 beta releases have all been tightly synchronized you shouldn't have long to wait for that new hardware. 😉

I moved a branch of posts to a separate thread in the Mac OS X Applications forum: DiskWarrior 5 Compatible With Sierra

OS 10.6.8 8Gb RAM I have a spare external drive which i would like to install El Capitan on but I cannot find a way of actually installing it. The mac app store in Canada isn't accessible for some unknown reason. Is there any other option available? jaybass

See if the Apple web site has a link, other than the App Store. Canadian store should come back on line, no?

I have 16 GB of installed RAM, running 10.11.6. Currently I have Safari open, Mail, Music, 2 small music related apps and a little over 6 GB of RAM are indicated as "Free". Glad to have 16 GB.

Clone your 10.6.8 system to the drive and then boot from that drive. You should be able to get Sierra to install from App Store but I don't know if you can still get El Capitan. Do you have the latest version of 10.6.8? If you don't, that could account for the inability to access App Store (unless Apple has temporarily shut it down, which happens occasionally).

I have spent over a hour trying to find a download but no joy. BTW jon, I have the latest 10.6.8 and I have 2 external drives 1 of which I intended to use for El Capitan just to see if I wanted to keep it. jaybass

I think Virtual1 posted a long time ago that if oyu call Apple they can set up a d/l for you.

I've got the OS X 10.11.3 installer archived, and I'd be happy to burn it and mail it to you, but I don't know if an installer d/l'ed for my Mid 2015 MacBook Pro will work with your Mac.

artie, I would be happy to accept your offer. How do we contact each other?
jaybass

For those who may need this: Troubleshooting macOS Sierra: FileMaker, Logitech and Razer devices, 4k display issues

Before we go any farther, jaybass, it occurred to me that I ought to ask if anybody thinks my doing this would be a violation of Apple's EULA.

I read through it, and it seems kinda generic, so I'm not sure if it really applies to freely distributed software such as El Cap.

I wouldn't think so...considering it's free, what to object? I'm in favour.
jaybass

Free or not OS X or MacOS is still a licensed product for use on one Apple Computer. However, it is doubtful that Apple is going to come after either of you unless you set up to distribute, sell, or modify the OS and/or installer in any fashion. They aren't even going to come after you for installing on a hackintosh but they sure aren't going to support your use on a hackintosh.

artie, In view of joe's response, and considering I'm in no hurry, I think I'll wait and see if I can find a download on the internet. Thanks joe. jaybass

Joe, within the constraints of your NDA could you please summarize your perceptions of the relative strengths and relative drawbacks to updating to macOS at this point.

I realize that you are actively evaluating the 12.1 beta and any comments that you could offer on waiting to perform the update to macOS until 12.1 is stable and released would be greatly appreciated as well.

Your long-standing membership in this community (and the MacFixit Forums that preceded it) as well as your background in the world of computing and training/documenting same provides a very valuable perspective.

Thanks in advance.....

I expected joemike's response, but since I had already posted here I had to ask. (On the other hand, though, if push comes to shove, my El Cap will be transferrable when/if I upgrade to Sierra.)

I'd try calling Apple; they must still have El Cap available for users who haven't upgraded yet and whose Macs can't run Sierra.

I found Download El Capitan.DMG...without Apple store, but I don't know if it's still a good link. (I've got no knowledge of macdrug.com, but the Google search responses I read were all positive...not that anything makes me particularly anxious to d/l OS X from a party other than Apple.)

Edit: Actually, I've always found it kind of amusing that we, here, are so fastidious about Apple's EULA while Apple does absolutely nothing about the bootleg OS X installers that litter eBay (and perhaps other venues).

I read that several times as "DNA", and I wonder if joemike's response would be different if it were?

Given I am a inveterate or chronic early adopter my viewpoint is admittedly colored but I will try to keep my predilections in check.

• PRO
  • According to several sources including MacRumors and AppleInsider MacOS 10.12 (Sierra) is one of the most trouble free upgrades in years. 😎 In my personal experience any application issues I encountered in the early betas were taken care of long before the release with one exception. But that exception is the fault of a third party developer not Apple, and it turns out I have already come up with a workaround that may be a better option. The list of remaining incompatibilities is is remarkably short.
  • Admittedly I am an enthusiastic user of iCloud, and iOS devices as well as Mac computers. There are several features in Sierra that make the integration of these three platforms much more seamless. Any data or files that are available on my Mac are transparently available on my iPad Pro and my iPhone. Interestingly enough I have run into situations where something that I could not easily do on my Mac I could easily do on my iPad Pro, for example "signing" a PDF document — that is a real signatuire, not an electronic signature. ✍️ Because of the close integration I find I am beginning to use my iPad Pro for much (most?) of the graphics work so I can use the Apple pen to draw, but relying on the Mac for the grunt work of keyboard entry and data management. It is not a case of choosing one or the other rather of which is best suited for the particular task at hand. 😀
  • If you have a Mac with a small SSD or HD and are getting pretty cramped for disk space the ability to move the Documents folder and Desktop to iCloud can free up a lot of storage space in a hurry. 👍 (This has nothing to do with immediate upgrading, but the iCloud Documents, Photos, Music, and Desktop are causing me to seriously rethink how much storage capacity I will need on my next desktop Mac, This is a great opportunity to save some money.) The only time you are likely to notice would be if you open an old file that is no longer mirrored on the local drive, or you have slow or no high speed internet. I have used documents from the iCloud documents folder on my iPad Pro (which does not have cellular capabiity) via a hotspot created by my iPhone from a 4G cellular connection, and it worked great. (No cell capability on the iPad saved $100 or so at purchase time plus $15 a month for the separate data connection. 👏)
  • There is a lot of stuff going on under the hood in Sierra that improve security and are paving the way for even more significant security options in the future. This is not necessarily a reason to change quickly, but it is a reason to change sooner rather than later.
  • There is a long laundry list of small but significant enhancements to the standard Apple apps in Sierra that take some time to become accustomed to such as tabs every where, and in Maps the ability to merge tabs. Doesn't sound like much but if you are trip planning it is genius. 😊
  • There has been an almost continuous flow of app updates taking advantage of some of the new features in Sierra such as tabs and Siri and that is likely to result in new versions that are not compatible with older versions of OS X. 😳
  • Siri is not a reason to upgrade immediately, but it does get to be habit forming quickly.😉
  • Most of the low level stuff does not directly effect applications unless the developer chooses to implement the new features so that risk is minimized.👌
• CON
  • Some older versions of costly apps such as Adobe are unlikely to ever be compatible with Sierra but that has always been true with Apple upgrades
  • While Diskwarrior has announced Sierra comptibility there are a number of utilities such as Tech Tool Pro, Tinkertool, Tinkertool System, Cocktail, OnyX(?), that have not yet been certified as Sierra compatible.
  • As with almost all OS X upgrades some things have moved to new menues or locations and some old favorites have either disappeared or become harder to find 😡
  • Some older devices have fallen off the the compatibility list 😫
  • Some hardware devices, mice, etc that use proprietary drivers do not play nice with Sierra — yet. 🙄
  • Anyone hanging onto a bunch of old semi-supported or unsupported apps is likely to be in the position of seeking replacements (Probably part of the impetus behind Apple's recent move to clean out the App Store).

TinkerTool 6 is compatible with Sierra as is TinkerTool System 5. There is a Sierra edition of Cocktail. (Click on the Download button to see all available versions.) In addition, Logitech has introduced Sierra compatibility to several of its drivers.

Thanks Joe, your response was EXACTLY what I was hoping to see here.....and will hopefully be very helpful to many who are considering this upgrade path.

I personally plan to wait for the release of the 12.1 update prior to making the move on my primary computer.....my other(s) may be too mature (read that as "old") to be capable of making the move. This decision is not based on any fear of the upgrade, but rather as a preponderance of caution where my TechTool Pro 8 utility is concerned....that appears to be the only third-party application which I routinely depend upon which hasn't (yet) been confirmed as macOS compatible.

Edit: Having just visited the MicroMat home site, I now see that with macOS 10.12 I will need to upgrade to TTP9 for Sierra compatibility....

I haven't upgraded DiskWarrior and TechTool Pro past v 4 and v6, respectively, and still won't for Sierra, because their downloadability has made them instantly obtainable if I ever need them.

DW isn't as bad as TTP which is now three versions past my v6, and who knows how many more will come and go before I actually need a current version.

Thanks for the great analysis of Sierra!

I don't see a single substantive reason for me to upgrade, but having made the Snowy-El Cap jump I don't want to ever fall that far behind again, and I get the feeling that Sierra and future upgrades will put more distance between themselves and El Cap than Lion, et al put between themselves and Snowy, so I'll bow to reality, although not until the real world reports back.

The Sierra-compatible version of OnyX is now available.

If you are unalterably opposed to iCloud then read no further. ☺️

A recent SmallDog Tech Tails article led me to discovered a feature in Sierra I had overlooked. I have talked about mirroring the Documents and Desktop folders between local storage and iCloud and gone on at length about how between that, iTunes in the iTunes library, and the Photos library allow sharing virtually all the data files seamlessly between the Mac, iPhone, and iPhone. But this is a feature targeted specifically at storage management on the Mac.

Navigate to Apple Menu âž­ About this Mac âž­ Storage âž­ Manage. There you will find options to

• Store in ICloud — Store all files and Photos in iCloud and save space keeping only recently opened files and optimized photos on this Mac, when storage space is needed.
• Optimize Storage — Save space by automatically removing iTunes movies and TV shows that you have already watched and by keeping only recent email attachments on this mac, when storage space is needed
• Empty Trash Automatically — Save space by automatically erasing items that have been in the Trash for more than 30 days.
• Reduce Clutter — Sort through documents and other content stored on this Mac and delete what is no longer needed.
  • Applications shows all the files in the the user and system applications library — and they can be deleted from this view
  • Documents can be viewed by Large files, Downloads, or a file browser
  • GarageBand opens GarageBand so you can delete instruments, lessons, etc.
  • iBooks lists all iBooks their size and whether they are unread, read, or being read
  • Mail lists the amount of space being used by Mail
  • Photos lists the total amount of space being used by Photos and will open Photos so you can manage the Photos Library
  • Trash shows all the files currently in Trash and not erased
  • There are, of course, third party apps that will do much of what Reduce Clutter does but this appears to be thoughtfully and intelligently designed and best of all free.

There is a plethora of implications that can be drawn by the appearance of this kind of tool built into Sierra including Apple is looking at a reality that ever increasing local storage is expensive and perhaps impractical (local storage soldered to the logic board or built into the processor?), but to my way of thinking the major implication is it is one more step along to road to the iCloud becoming an integral component of MacOS and iOS devices.

One last comment. All of this means critical data can be stored both locally and on iCloud and easily shared between MacOS and/or iOS devices, but it is not a replacement for either Time Machine backups or clones. Data on iCloud can be a help in restoring after a disaster, but it does not offer a one call does all complete recovery nor does it provide the Time Machine's ability to step back in time to a previous state of the system or an individual file.

For those interested, Five of the Best Hidden Features of macOS Sierra

I updated to Sierra today. One odd thing: The download was for 10.12. After installation was complete, I saw that 10.12.1 was available. I had thought that the latest version would automatically be installed (this has happened in the past).

Otherwise, everything went smoothly and, so far, all seems well. I had to update Glimmer Blocker, Cocktail, OnyX, TinkerTool and TinkerTool System to their respective Sierra versions.

I just noticed something. After updating to 10.12.1, App Store shows that 5 updates available but doesn't list what they are nor any means of installing them. I have restarted and the same thing happens.

Is this just me or is App Store temporarily out of service?

EDIT: More info

I knew from MacUpdate and CNET which apps were being updated. I launched App Store and clicked the link for Apps Made By Apple. I was able to individually download and install them. As each was installed, the number of Updates Available was reduced by one. Finally, I launched iTunes and was informed of an update being available. I downloaded the update directly via iTunes, which opened the Updates pane of App Store. After the installation was complete, that pane told me that no updates were available but it also did not list updates installed in the last 30 days (which it did before).

Since you did not describe what you did and didn't do, or how App Store is indicating 5 updates I am not sure how to respond to your question. However, I just downloaded and installed an app with no problem so the App Store is/was working in Texas around 7:00 PM CDT — of course that does not necessarily mean it is working in your area or was working when you checked. (You can always check the system status by going to iCloud.com and click on "System Status" in 7 or 8 point type at the bottom and toward the right of the iCloud window. Both App Store and Apple Online Store have status listings.)

The normal sequence I encounter in Sierra is...

• A notification appears on the screen from App Store that there are N updates available.
• At that point I can either dismiss the notification or click on the correct location in the notirication and it will open App Store
• If I dismissed the notification without opening App Store I can manually launch App Store at any time.
• In App Store I click on the Updates icon at the lower right end of the app window
• At that point I can either install the updates one at a time or "Update All"

NOTE: On a few occasions it has taken several seconds for the update window to populate and even longer before the pinwheel stops turning while App Store verifies the available updates.

The "disable" section of the "Restore Gatekeeper’s ‘Anywhere’ Option" section of your linked doc displays an incorrect command. (Same -- error at the bottom in the "enable" section. Proofreader needed...badly! Inquire within.)

" . . . that pane told me that no updates were available but it also did not list updates installed in the last 30 days (which it did before) . . . "

--------------------------------------------

Not sure what is up for you, Jon.

I get the APP store "little red number in the blue circle dock icon", as before SIERRA, stating how many updates are available (both Apple and 3rd-party apps). I go to the APP STORE using the Apple symbol in the top left hand corner and select Updates. The wheel spins and then the new updates all appear - matching the quantity as was indicated on the little blue App Store icon in the dock. I install each one . . . one at a time . . . and then each one, in turn, appears listed below as "installed within the last 30 days."

In a nutshell: The behaviour is exactly the same as it was in EL CAPITAN.

The only thing which does not appear in the "Installed in the last 30 days" panel, per se, is any of the SIERRA system updates which have been installed (i.e. 10.12.1). However, any Sierra Apps (e.g. Safari, iTunes, iMovie, etc.) - as well as third-party apps - all show up in the installed list immediately after installing.

Again, all appears to be the same process as with El Capitan.

FYI : I have my System Preferences for the App Store set to only notify me of any updates. I have not activated the Automatically Install Option for any downloads from the App Store.

P.S. West Coast Canada here. Not sure if this info helps, but thought to chime in anyway.

Let's see if I can clarify this. Here's the sequence:

I. I downloaded and installed Sierra, version 10.12, from my El Cap installation via App Store.

2. I launched App Store, which told me that four updates (Pages, Keynote, Numbers, and 10.12.1) were available. I proceeded to download and install all of them. App Store seemed to be behaving normally.

3. I noticed at MacUpdate that there were updates to Pages, Keynote, and Numbers beyond the versions that I previously updated. Consequently, I opened App Store and clicked the Updates tab.

4. App Store showed the updates that I had installed in the last 30 days and the Updates icon had the number 5. BUT, there was no list of which updates were now available and no button(s) to either Update or Update All.

5. I quit App Store, deleted ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.appstore, and relaunched App Store. There was no difference.

6. Since I was aware of which updates were listed (via MacUpdate), I selected the Featured tab of App Store, clicked Apps Made by Apple, and was able to update the apps in question from there (plus iMovie and Garage Band). I went back to the Updates tab, which showed the same as before. Interestingly, the Featured tab, with Apps Made By Apple, had showed which updates were available because they each had an Update button. After installation, the button changed to Open.

7. I had seen, from CNET, that an update to iTunes was available. I launched iTunes, got a message that there was an update, and opted to update. App Store's Updates tab opened and showed the download progress as it should, and indicated when the installation was complete. It then said Checking for Updates and reported that there were none, nor did it list updates installed in the last 30 days.

That's where it stands for now.

I too had/have a quite similar problem as Jon. As a workaround, I was able to individually install 5 of 6 the required downloads via the “Purchased” pane.

The sixth item (iTunes) was initially missing from the Updates pane, so I thought that would need be separately downloaded & installed. But after I installed the first 5 items via the Purchased pane, iTunes magically appeared in the Updates pane and downloaded as usual.

I haven’t a clue what is going on, but I suspect server issues at Apple.

I guess that I'll have to wait until the next time that updates are available to see if App Store is behaving.

Apparently there was a brief glitch with the App Store. The notifications are correct, and as indicated above, you could "Update" by going to the "Purchased" link in the App Store (signing in may be required).

From what I have read elsewhere and my own experience, the problem has been resolved and updating in the usual manner is once again possible.

RE Upgrading to Sierra (assuming that at some point that would be useful ~ desirable ~ necessary)

It is still the case that I have zero access to high-speed qua broadband Internet access in order to acquire/install the latest bits and pieces. I would ostensibly require the OS cum installer to be on a USB drive or similar — which apparently doesn't exist.

Other than my being forced into upgrading my hardware to acquire the latest MacOS, I don't see other options. Any suggestions?

I can update most of my 'essential' apps by downloading same separately online via other methods. But I don't relish losing Office for the Mac 2011 and other such entities simply because I upgrade to an incompatible OS. Again, any suggestions?

You don't have to worry about Office 2011. According to Roaring Apps, it works just fine in Sierra. As an addendum to this, I use Office 2008 and it's working in Sierra as well. Roaring Apps is a good place to check compatibility. For the few apps that weren't listed there, I contacted the developers for info before I went for Sierra.

Do you know someone who has a broadband connection and could put the installer on a USB drive for you?

Update:

Just got a notice in the App (blue) icon in the dock that TWO (#2 in red circle) new updates are available . . . iTunes 12.5.2 and a 3rd-party.

Downloaded and installed, as usual. Both show up as "installed in the last 30 days."

Not sure why it works for me. Seems "odd" that the App Store would work in some parts of the continent and not in others. Probably beyond my comprehension anyway.

That may be problematic if d/l's are machine specific (as I believe they are).

I wonder how far grelber is from an Apple Store?

Are you sure about the "machine specific" part? I thought that all these downloads were generic, as they would have to be in order to be installed on a variety of machines. I doubt that even Apple could afford the time and money to make specific versions for all the Macs that are out there. (And why bother?)

I simply can't say for certain, Jon.

I know I read it somewhere, but that was at least a coupl'a years ago, and I can't find either a specific yes or a specific no, now

At the least, a d/l for a laptop may not run on a desktop, and a Retina screen Mac may get a different d/l than a non-Retina.

The bootleg installers on eBay all claim to be generic, but Apple's install discs were machine specific, so why not their d/l's, too?

It certainly wouldn't hurt for grelber to try, but as was discussed in another thread recently, pursuant to the terms of Apple's EULA, Sierra d/l'ed on one Mac is not transferrable to another one if the Mac doing the d/l is running it (or, I guess, intends to run it).

I, like virtually everybody else, never read the EULA. At the risk of Apple suing me, I'll confess to something. Back in April, I downloaded El Cap, copied the installer to a USB stick, and used it to install El Cap on a friend's MBP. I was running El Cap at the time. (OK, coppers, you got me fair and square!)

So, it seems that the EC installer worked on my 2014 iMac as well as her 2011 MBP.

Can't argue with that!

Another App Store surprise. App Store informed me there was an update to iTunes, so I clicked on update. When the update completed, App Store revealed that not only iTunes had been updated but also an update to the Recovery Drive had been installed. I would have approved the Recovery Drive update, but it would have been nice to have had the option of installing one and not the other. 😒

I have no idea where they lurk in Canada, but I'd guess at least 1000-2000 km from where I am.
And what would I be doing at an Apple Store anyway? I'm sure not shlepping my iMac around the countryside.

I've got my option set to download but NOT install, and when the updates get to /Library/Updates I often find more than one dmg, e.g. Safari 10.0.1 and its related security update were separate installations.

Edit: I'm surprised that you weren't advised of the Recovery Drive Update; even though the Safari update was predominant on the App Store page the security update was mentioned, albeit in small print.

Edit 2: And using the d/l method enables me to both install selectively and archive d/l's such as Safari.

Taking advantage of Apple's generous offer to users in your position, i.e. bring your Mac to an Apple Store and get upgraded free of charge.

Downloaded SIERRA on a MBPro and made a bootable flash drive before installing. Then used that same flash drive to install Sierra on the desktop. Smooth operation on both machines.

P.S. The MBPro is registered with Apple in my name; the desktop is registered in my spouse's name . . . so the download does not "appear" to be "owner or machine specific."

OK. So I guess that it's back to square one.
I'll wait until I have to get a new Mac with MacOS Adirondack already installed.

Well, Apple created a market for bootleg installers when they decided against accommodating people in your position, and as I've pointed out before, they don't police those offered on eBay.

Take it for what its worth.

See Rule #1 (my response to jaybass's "browser" question).

Your rule is an excellent one, but I'll point out that you're skunked if you live by it in this instance.

Judging from your history, your OS will be looong-gone obsolete looong before you're ready to buy a new Mac, and I very much doubt that Apple's business model is to spur sales by making OS X/macOS unavailable to users, anyhow.

I doubt that any of the guys selling on eBay is malevolent.

I'd judge by reading their feedback, and I wouldn't hesitate to take the leap (on a separate partition, if not a separate drive, of course) were I in your position. (As I've said, Apple has created and, in their own way, supported the market.)

Whatever I read, it was so long ago that I honestly can't say for certain whether it was that

1. d/l's are machine specific
2. d/l's can be made machine specific
3. d/l's are optimized for the Mac doing the d/l'ing

so, an experiment...

My d/l of Install macOS Sierra.app (i.e. 10.12.0) for my Mid 2015 Retina MacBook Pro/2.80GHz/Quad Core i7/16GB RAM weighs in at 4,898,350,695 bytes; will somebody who's got the same d/l archived please post what they've got along with the details of the Mac to which it was d/l'ed.

Thanks.

There is a way to do this via OnyX but it doesn't stick. In OnyX, select Parameters and then select Misc. There is a box to disable Gatekeeper. If you then go to System Preferences > Security&Privacy, the option to accept all apps is there and is checked. However, if you decide to check one of the other two options, quit System Preferences, and then relaunch it, the third option is no longer available, as before.

I updated to iTunes 12.3.5 via App Store and App Store was behaving normally, except that it did not list updates installed in the last 30 days.

I just upgraded, and I'm not liking it much so far because of broken apps, and in that regard, my beloved moveAddict no longer works, and although I believe there's a way to cut & paste files and folders across volumes I either haven't figured it out or haven't been able to make it work; neither command-C followed by command-option-V, nor command-X, does anything that I can see.

Am I missing something, or is something broken?

Thanks.

OS downloads (and possibly updates ) via Software Update ("updates") are usually machine-specific. So can be restore partitions.

HOWEVER.... if you go to the App Store and download Sierra from there, it will place "Install Mac OS X Sierra.app" into your apps folder, and THAT is universal.

Make a folder on your desktop, call it Sierra, and drag-move the installer app out of Applications into that. Launch disk utility, and do a File, New, Disk Image from Folder, and select that folder. Packs it up into a nice .DMG file, easy put on a flash drive for transport to another computer.

At the other end, just open the DMG right off the flash drive (don't copy the dmg), and drag-copy the app back into the Applications folder, and run it from there to install.

To make your USB drive a BOOTABLE installer, you need to do a little more work. Described well here:
http://www.macworld.com/article/2981585/...ller-drive.html
(instructions should work fine for sierra)

When I plug in this flash drive, it automagically mounts a DMG on it. (the installer is a bit of a russian doll) Not sure how they do that, but that's why you need to use those instructions. You CAN make a bootable installer much easier by just retiring the inner DMG to the flash drive, and it will boot, but will then need to DOWNLOAD the installer, somewhat defeating the purpose. The macworld link makes a standalone bootable installer that doesn't require internet access or any downloading.

According to this Apple Support document the ordinary command-C or -V should work on files in the Finder.

" . . . OS downloads (and possibly updates ) via Software Update ("updates") are USUALLY machine-specific."


------------------------------------------

Not always so. See thread #42383 above.

I just saw a glitch in the update to Sierra from El Cap. All the events that I had entered into Calendar were missing. Fortunately, I had made a clone of the El Cap system before updating so I was able to boot into it and retrieve the entries.

How did this happen?

It's the treasure of the Sierra, madre!

Actually, another thing happened today. Notification Center told me that there was an update available. It turns out that it was iTunes 12.5.3. I installed that one yesterday but, what the heck, I did it again. As before, AppStore did not list any updates from the last 30 days.

I don't know if this update was a small one because, when I launched iTunes and selected About iTunes, the version listed was 12.5.3.17.

Jon, I think you aren't holding your mouth right 👴🏻 or there is a little black rain cloud following you around. ☂️ I just looked at my list of upgrades and it is current as of yesterday's MacOS 10.12.2 beta 1 update and this morning's update of Numbers 4.0.5.

Unfortunately I have no answers for you 😞

I've got v 12.5.3.16, and an update sitting in /Library/Updates. (The d/l is 5 separate packages!)

If I remember correctly, this is the 3rd update to address the same issues.

I just noticed that a 3 finger tap now calls up all sorts of stuff...but NOT dictionary!

Is there a way to restore the original functionality?

Thanks.

" . . . It turns out that it was iTunes 12.5.3 . . . "

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My update of October 28th was 12.5.3.16 and the update today is 12.5.3.17 - although the "fixes" listed for each in Software Update were described exactly the same.

Hmmm?

Neither my Magic Mouse 2 nor my MBPro trackpad have a 3-finger TAP option in System Preferences - just single, double and swipes.

You don't see this?

By-cracky! It is there in TRACKPAD, but the little blue box was not checked.

(To be honest, I had no idea what LOOK UP & DATA DETECTORS meant and just ignored it. )

Thanks for the tip.

With a 3-finger tap, I get DICTIONARY and THESAURUS choices . . . plus Wiki, Apple, and some others.

I wasn't getting the Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Apple options.

I've thrown in the towel and reverted to El Cap...too many issues with Sierra including abysmal slowness populating Finder windows and switching Safari tabs, 3rd party menulet positions not surviving a restart, and almost a minute between hitting "Restart" and the chime.

I'll wait for the 10.12.2...at the least.

" . . . I wasn't getting the Dictionary, Thesaurus, and Apple options . . . "


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Small consolation, but FWIW, that feature now is not reliable for me either. Sometimes when I tap, I get the expected popup . . . at other times, nothing happens at all.

So . . . I have "unchecked" it from the TRACKPAD PREFERENCES. Have lived without it this long, so not a big deal for me.

Definitely some sort of bug-a-boo in SIERRA, though.

I've always had similar trouble with the three-finger tap, but it's invariably been because I didn't have my fingertips lined up correctly.

It may be worth your while to give it another try with that in mind.

My problem was that I wasn't getting the full range of options.

Okay.

Turned it back on and will give it another go.

I have actually found the TAP works better with the three fingers "curved under" a bit - not as flat out at the System Preferences demo suggests.

Thanks, Ira, but that doesn't address my problem.

I thought there was a way to cut and paste apps (and other folders) and files across volumes.

Wasn't it a much heralded "new" feature a few OS's back? (My understanding is that moveAddict was discontinued because Apple usurped its functionality, including what I'm asking about.)

Think of the three finger tap as a special kind of context menu. What it shows is dependent on where you tap and if there are no available options at that location nothing appears. For example if I three finger tap on a word in Safari it automatically goes to the dictionary.

Through El Cap, three finger tap invariably works when my cursor is hovering over a word, but many times it takes me several tries to get the tap right, i.e. to get a pop-up, which is always dictionary and/or Apple dictionary.

Sierra added new options including Google and Spotlight, but when I upgraded those were all I ever saw...no dictionary options.

" . . . What it shows is dependent on where you tap and if there are no available options at that location nothing appears . . . "

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Ahhh. Well, that explains why I sometimes get nothing!

I missed that before.

In El Cap, if there are no options I get a blank pop-up pane that says "No Results Found".

As long as my cursor is hovering over a word, I get something.

Edit: Try hovering over "El Cap" or "Great Equalizer" (in my sig).

There is a simple little Preference you can add— JiTouch that easily allows you set your clicks, taps and pushes to whatever you want them to be. I am using it with no problems on osMac 12.x.

To sum up, in SIERRA :

1. sometimes I will get the popup with Dictionaries, Wiki, Apple, etc. (per joemikeb #42524)

2. sometimes I will get the popup with “No Results Found” message (per Artie505 #42528)

3. sometimes I will get no popup or any message of any kind (per joemikeb #42524)



So it appears to me, that this feature is working completely as expected in SIERRA . . . with some minor adjustment of the 3-finger(s) position at times.

" . . . . set your clicks, taps and pushes to whatever you want them to be . . . "


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Checked it out, but do not see the option to bring up the "contextual menu" as described in this thread (i.e. using the 3-finger tap or alternate gesture).

Where is your cursor when that happens?

Is it hovering over a word or somewhere/thing else?

More: Do you get a pop-up with your cursor hovering over anything but text?

Still more: I've always assumed that a three-finger tap has been no more than an alternative to command-control-D...the original way to access dictionary/thesaurus.

Is that correct, or do the two somehow differ (other than as respects the new functionality in Sierra).

I just found a 10 year old post on MacUpdate that tells how to move items across volumes without having to go back and delete the original, albeit not with keyboard commands.

If I click-drag a file or folder to a location on another volume and depress command before I release the click the selected item will disappear from its original location and wind up in its new location on the second volume.

Not precisely what I was looking for, but it'll suffice.

For no reason that I can discern, App Store is now normal. I can see updates installed in the last 30 days and was notified of an update to iMovie.

Yep. Same here. Someone forgot to "flip a switch" on a previous OS update.

The MacOS 10.12.2 release is anticipated soon. There have been three betas versions in the last week or so two of them in the last 24 hours. Today's beta release is the first that did not have a corresponding iOS 10.2 beta release. I am experiencing no issues on my Late 2012 Mac mini so I suspect this last one is due to TouchBar issues on the new MacBook Pro and 4G and 5G monitor compatibility.

MacOS 10.12.2 the full release not the beta is available from the App Store.

The update via App Store went smoothly for me.

The 10.12.2 Combo is available from here: Downloads

I used the Combo updater while in Safe Boot, and by far, this is the smoothest (and fastest) OS update I've done in years.

At the conclusion of an OS update, I always run DiskWarrior, and it always finds assorted things, nothing serious (I think), merely a few errors. But this time, DW found only 1% of what had been my norm, leading me to conclude that DW doesn't work as it did with previous OSs, or this update is vastly improved.

FWIW: my results were practically identical on a 27" i7 iMac and mid 2011 15" MBP

Another thing that I noticed with the 10.12.2 update: Notification Center now has a white background with black writing instead of the reverse.

Re: " . . . Notification Center now has a white background."

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Mine has a 3-toned GREY background with black text.

You're right. I just misinterpreted it as white.

Ah.

Actually . . . I prefer the new look/colours. I often find reading white text on black background harder on the eyes - unless I am reading in the dark (For example: An iBook on the iPad). Otherwise, lighter background/darker text usually works for me.