[tilt]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Seems that the release date for Sierra has been announced.

http://osxdaily.com/2016/09/07/macos...8OS+X+Daily%29

I remember a post saying that it may be desirable to download it separately and then install. This gives you a route to reverting. Can someone advise please.

There are two schools of thought - nuke & pave (erase & install from scratch) and just update over the existing one. Both schools have their pros and cons. Either way is fine depending on what you need and how much of a time investment you are willing to make.

Nuke & Pave:

• Good way to go if you have any niggling issues with your current version that you are not quite able to resolve.
• Good way to go if you have too much cruft in your current system - say like having installed and uninstalled a lot of third-party applications that leave some cruft behind even after uninstallation.
• Not quite recommended if you have installed a lot of apps (apple or third party) that would require you to re-install them from scratch and set up all preferences to those apps all over again.
• Not quite recommended if you have tweaked the preferences of even existing apps to your requirement - you would have to re-tweak them.
• Good if you have a lot of time to download, create a bootable USB (which requires some work), boot from that and then install.
• You would have to do a complete restore of your data/music/photos etc.

Just update over existing system:

• Quick and painless
• Works absolutely fine 99% of the time
• You wouldn't need to restore your data unless there is a SNAFU or your system is FUBAR.
• ALl your preferences are carried forward
• Disadvantage is that you will have all that cruft I mentioned earlier.

I have gone both ways. Nuke & Pave a couple of times and update the rest. I have not found much difference in the functioning of the system either way. So, now I just update, no more nuke & pave.

Whichever method you select, please do make a complete bootable backup of your current system before you install, so that you have a way back when things go South. Time Machine or SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner are very good ways to do this.

Also, when you download the update, do not start the install process immediately. Please copy the downloaded install file somewhere else as a backup so that in case something goes wrong during the install, you don't have to re-download the file. The reason is, once the install is completed, the install file vanishes and is not recoverable. So for any reason if you would need to run the process again, you would need to re-downlaod. The copy-elsewhere prevents that.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Cheers

[sgiitk]

@tilt; Thanks for explaining so succinctly. Now I have a couple of queries:

Whichever method you select, please do make a complete bootable backup of your current system before you install, so that you have a way back when things go South. Time Machine or SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner are very good ways to do this.

Also, when you download the update, do not start the install process immediately. Please copy the downloaded install file somewhere else as a backup so that in case something goes wrong during the install, you don't have to re-download the file. The reason is, once the install is completed, the install file vanishes and is not recoverable. So for any reason if you would need to run the process again, you would need to re-downlaod. The copy-elsewhere prevents that.

1. How do you achieve a bootable copy on the Time Machine. Or do you suggest one of the others, SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.

2. How does one do the 'copy the download file elsewhere' but.

I am interested in going the upgrade route. Why lose 5-7GB for one's ego, and not much else.

[Fillmore]

Hardly anything on MacOS from the latest Apple Keynote. iOS is the only point of focus.

Originally Posted by sgiitk

2. How does one do the 'copy the download file elsewhere' but.

I am interested in going the upgrade route. Why lose 5-7GB for one's ego, and not much else.

By default regular downloads are stored in the Downloads folder
(i.e. go to Finder > Downloads)

In the case of an OS download you should find it in the Applications folder (prior to install - as post install it deletes it)

/Applications/Install MAC OS xxxx

[tilt]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@tilt; Thanks for explaining so succinctly. Now I have a couple of queries:

Whichever method you select, please do make a complete bootable backup of your current system before you install, so that you have a way back when things go South. Time Machine or SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner are very good ways to do this.

Also, when you download the update, do not start the install process immediately. Please copy the downloaded install file somewhere else as a backup so that in case something goes wrong during the install, you don't have to re-download the file. The reason is, once the install is completed, the install file vanishes and is not recoverable. So for any reason if you would need to run the process again, you would need to re-downlaod. The copy-elsewhere prevents that.

1. How do you achieve a bootable copy on the Time Machine. Or do you suggest one of the others, SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner.

2. How does one do the 'copy the download file elsewhere' but.

I am interested in going the upgrade route. Why lose 5-7GB for one's ego, and not much else.

SG, you're welcome any time. Happy to help.

I use SuperDuper. It's completely free. Download from here: http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDup...scription.html It's not difficult to use - just select the "Backup - all files" option when you use it. That makes a bootable clone on your external.

Re. copying the install file elsewhere, like Fillmore says below, it'll be downloaded into your Applications folder instead of the Downloads folder. Just open Finder, copy-paste the installer into another folder for safekeeping. I have a folder called "Software" in my home folder (the one with your login name on it) and put all install files there for re-use when needed.

Originally Posted by Fillmore

By default regular downloads are stored in the Downloads folder
(i.e. go to Finder > Downloads)

In the case of an OS download you should find it in the Applications folder (prior to install - as post install it deletes it)

/Applications/Install MAC OS xxxx

Correct, with one small correction if I may, Fillmore: The filename is usually "Install OS X xxxx" and not "Install MAC OS xxxx"

Cheers

[carboy]

If I buy an iPhone 5S (which I think comes with iOS 7), can I upgrade it to iOS 8 & keep it on iOS 8 without upgrading to iOS 9?

[sgiitk]

How do you save a unlocked pdf file. Most files when unlocked can be easily save using 'Export as pdf' in Preview. However, some files are not amenable to this and demand the 'Owner Password'. Specific troublemakers are Franklin Templeton MF Statements, and 26AS from Traces, and UID cards.

On the PC it is easy, there is a free utility by the name of doDdf, pretty small and works like a dream. It installs as a printer and you can just 'Print' then unlocked file. Only issue is that the files are a bit larger than otherwise. This is not available for the Mac and the two I tried PDF Printer and one other ... Lite' both seem to hang up.

Any suggestions or tricks. Right now I mail the files to my PC, then print as pdf and mail them back.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

How do you save a unlocked pdf file. Most files when unlocked can be easily save using 'Export as pdf' in Preview. However, some files are not amenable to this and demand the 'Owner Password'. Specific troublemakers are Franklin Templeton MF Statements, and 26AS from Traces, and UID cards.

On the PC it is easy, there is a free utility by the name of doDdf, pretty small and works like a dream. It installs as a printer and you can just 'Print' then unlocked file. Only issue is that the files are a bit larger than otherwise. This is not available for the Mac and the two I tried PDF Printer and one other ... Lite' both seem to hang up.

Any suggestions or tricks. Right now I mail the files to my PC, then print as pdf and mail them back.

The print utility in Mac has an inbuilt function to print any document to PDF. No need of any additional utility. I use this regularly to save documents (transaction receipts, boarding passes etc) I wish to print later. Look at the lower left corner, select PDF from the dropdown and print.

Never tried to print the 26AS though, so can't comment.

[sgiitk]

@Dry_Ice; That works very well for normal documents, incl scanned ones. Does not work for unlocked esp those with an 'Owners password'. One can even Export as pdf from Preview for the normal (single locked) ones. Fails when there is also an owner's password. Any UIDAI card file comes with the PIN as the user's password. The second on is what they use 'Owners Password'. here it bombs out.

[tilt]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@Dry_Ice; That works very well for normal documents, incl scanned ones. Does not work for unlocked esp those with an 'Owners password'. One can even Export as pdf from Preview for the normal (single locked) ones. Fails when there is also an owner's password. Any UIDAI card file comes with the PIN as the user's password. The second on is what they use 'Owners Password'. here it bombs out.

I tried this and it worked properly. I have a password protected PDF (the 5th edition PMBOK to be specific). I opened it in Preview, put in my password, clicked on File|Print, and at the bottom Left I clicked on PDF, selected Save as PDF, selected Desktop as my destination and let er rip.

It completed the "printing". I opened the resulting file on the Desktop, and it opened without the password.

SGIITK, you should actually Print the file, not Export it.

Try and and let us know if it worked.


Edited to add: When you print and select PDF, there is one button that shows up called Security Options where it asks for some passwords. Try your Owner's Password in one of the fields (probably the second one I am guessing) and see if that gives you an unprotected PDF output.

Cheers

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by tilt

I tried this and it worked properly. I have a password protected PDF (the 5th edition PMBOK to be specific). I opened it in Preview, put in my password, clicked on File|Print, and at the bottom Left I clicked on PDF, selected Save as PDF, selected Desktop as my destination and let er rip.

It completed the "printing". I opened the resulting file on the Desktop, and it opened without the password.

Will try, but if I remember correctly only a few files ask for the Owner's Password. The rest when unlocked print / export without any hassles. I have deleted the old files so will wait for some new one.

[akp]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@Dry_Ice; That works very well for normal documents, incl scanned ones. Does not work for unlocked esp those with an 'Owners password'. One can even Export as pdf from Preview for the normal (single locked) ones. Fails when there is also an owner's password. Any UIDAI card file comes with the PIN as the user's password. The second on is what they use 'Owners Password'. here it bombs out.

For files with user password but without owner password, you can use Mac's builtin print-to-pdf feature to create a normal unprotected copy. For files with owner passwords, try this:

http://codegena.com/remove-password-...file-for-free/

I tried the first method (web browser) on a 26AS file on my Mac, and it worked fine.

[sgiitk]

@akp; Thanks. I will try it out some time. Looks very promising for sure. I hope this works. basically dopdf on the PC is very similar in functioning

[libranof1987]

The touchpad on my Macbook Pro (2014 buy) has been acting funny these past few days.

The press is very soft on both corners: left and right bottom, and there's no "click" sound on pressing.

Anyone with similar experience? Is it just routine wear and tear of the spring? or a larger issue? Any simple solution?

I mostly use an external mouse so not very worried.

[Turbanator]

and there's no "click" sound on pressing.

There should be click, get it checked, else invest in Trackpad 2, you will stop using mouse surely

[sgiitk]

Upgrading to Sierra I had a very pleasant experience. My net went off about about 3GB, I hung on, the net returned in about ten minutes, and the OS did essentially a resume. No downloading of the 3GB.

However, having taken a Time Machine backup I did not try and save the Sierra upgrade. Any hints on this. I think first official update should be round then corner.