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MacBook Pro. Which upgrade should I do first?

I need to upgrade my MacBook Pro 2004 operating system from OS X 10.6.8 to El Capitan. I also need to upgrade Office for Mac 2004 to Office for Mac 2016 because Office 2004 will not run in El Capitan. Which upgrade should I do first to ensure a smooth transition?

You need to upgrade the OS first.

(155824)

MacBook Pros were not introduced until Early 2006. It will be helpful to confirm your sub-model. With OS 10.6 you can do "About this Mac..." from your Apple menu to get this:

then click the "More Info..." button to launch System Profiler.

Profiler's first page looks like this:

Note the line where I've indicted a code with the red arrow. On your computer what is that code? Please do not post your serial number.

Consider your RAM. Many MacBook Pros that shipped with OS 10.6.8 came with only 2GB RAM installed. El Capitan will not be very happy with only 2GB. With your sub-model information and how much RAM is installed noted, we can better advise you if you need more RAM to accompany the OX upgrade.

Hi Allan

thanks so much for your reply.

My Model Identifier: MacBookPro7,1

Ideally I want to upgrade my operating system to be as current as possible so that I can Sync my iPhone 6 with it. At the moment they won't 'talk' to each other, very frustrating!

I believe that I need to upgrade to El Capitan first, before upgrading further, to achieve this?

I also need to be able to use Microsoft Office, which I will also need to upgrade, as I have years of files for work done on that.

I look forward to your comments.

Thanks for your response Niel

Very Good. How much RAM is installed now? It will be under "Memory" in the "About the Mac" window.

The 7,1 code shows you have a mid-2010 13-inch MacBook Pro. It can use up to 8GB RAM. If you have 4GB already you should be OK unless you do a lot of photo or video editing with pro-level software. That model will run the latest release of macOS, High Sierra, so links that give owners of older models El Capitan may not work from your computer. I defer to Niel on that matter.

You can add RAM to that model yourself. It is about a 10-minute job. If you are in the US, the majority of senior contributors recommend either Other World Computing or Crucial for known-good, Mac-compatible RAM. If the "nz" in your user name means you are in New Zealand, then I'll need fo check with some of my colleagues for a recommended RAM source!

I avoid "PNY" RAM, and the low-cost or "ValueRAM" sold under the Kingston and Corsair names. All have shown up here in trouble reports. Both  Corsair and Kingston have premuium RAM that works fine in Macs but most resellers don't stock anything but the cheaper product because RAM is so price-sensitive.

That model will run the latest release of macOS, High Sierra, so links that give owners of older models El Capitan may not work from your computer.

They will. It isn’t possible to upgrade straight from 10.6.8 to Sierra or High Sierra, or 10.7.5 to High Sierra, regardless of hardware compatibility.

(155847)

Thanks Niel, good info.

最後更新：2017-12-15 04:19:33

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