How To Upgrade to Mountain Lion

Wondering how to upgrade to Mountain Lion? It may be simple enough, but if you do not follow these six simple steps, you could end up with trouble.

Step 1.

Make sure your Mac can run Mountain Lion. Your Mac must be one of the following models:

• MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
• Mac Mini (Early 2009 or newer)
• iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)

If you are running Lion, you can find out if your current Mac qualifies by clicking the Apple icon at the top left of your screen, choosing About This Mac, then clicking More Info.

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Step 2.

Make sure you have Lion or the latest version of Snow Leopard & Update your Software.

While you have the About This Mac window open, check what version of OS X your Mac is running.

If you are running Lion (10.7.x), you’re ready to update to Mountain Lion. Go to Step 3. If you are running Snow Leopard (10.6.x), update to the latest version of OS X Snow Leopard before you purchase OS X Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store. Click the Apple icon and choose Software Update to install Snow Leopard v10.6.8, the latest version. While you are at it, update any other software that needs to be.

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Step 3.

Verify application compatibility.

From click the magnifying glass in the top-right corner of your Mac. This is Spotlight – which finds helpful tools on your Mac. Type in “System Information” or “System Profiler” (depending on your current OS) and click to open the application.

Under Click Software > Applications, look to the “Kind” column and ensure that no programs are listed as PowerPC, as those applications will not work once you upgrade to Mountain Lion. They should read Universal or Intel. If they do not, visit their site and see if there is an update available.

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Step 4.

Make sure your Mac’s startup drive is in good health: To do so, open Disk Utility (in /Applications/Utilities), select your startup drive in the list on the left, click the First Aid tab to the right, and then click Verify. If Disk Utility finds problems, you can attempt a repair or contact some experts.
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Step 5.

Back up your Mac before upgrading to Mountain Lion.

[box type=”info”]There are two types of people in the world: 1) those who have lost data and 2) those who will lose data.[/box]

Make sure you back up, so that you are prepared for that inevitable day. I personally recommend a Time Machine backup, as they are the easiest and sure-fire way to get a solid backup. If you are unsure or want to chat with an expert about a backup solution that is right for you, give us a call.

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Step 6.

Download OS X Mountain Lion from the Mac App Store.

Open the Mac App Store from your Dock to buy and download Mountain Lion. Then follow the onscreen instructions to install it. If you don’t have broadband access or if you just need some help, please give us a call, and we will gladly assist you in upgrading to Mountain Lion.