What’s happening?

Information Services will begin deploying macOS Catalina to all high school student MacBook Airs.

When is it happening?

The deployment will begin on July 9, 2020

How will this impact me?

The download will use internet bandwidth. After the download is complete, students will need to follow the on-screen prompts to install the new operating system.

What do I need to do?

After the very large file is downloaded to your machine, students will get a pop-up message with a video.  Please read the message and click OK to begin the upgrade.  The Mac should restart in about 5min after clicking Ok assuming you meet the requirements. Students can also go to the App Catalog and install the option that starts with “macOS Catalina 10.15.3..”, this will initiate the pop-up message again.

Why is the change occurring?

macOS Catalina is the most current version of macOS at this time.   Apple no longer supports 32bit applications with macOS Catalina and has added a few security enhancements. Maintaining the current macOS software will help ensure a secure and supported environment.

Additional information:

This is a major upgrade and requires up to 30GB of free space (Click Apple > About this Mac > Storage tab. Click Manage next to Macintosh HD.  Note, you cannot free up space from the greyed out sections).  It is bests to plug your Mac into power or have at least 50% battery. Students should complete this update before the summer ends which will minimize any interruptions during the school year.

If students need assistance or have questions, they should contact their school ITC.