Downloading the complete “Install macOS Catalina.app” file from Apple server using the “macOS Catalina Patcher” app is a really easy process. Now, step by step guide. Go to the official website of the “macOS Catalina Patcher” app here and download the app.
macOS Catalina is slightly outdated since the release of macOS Big Sur in November of 2020. Nevertheless, many users prefer to stick with it because it's much more familiar visually. And it offers a bunch of expanded features, such as a screen extension with an iPad or the new Apple Podcasts app.
The problem is that it might not always work as intended. Glitches in macOS Catalina are commonplace: in fact, all existing operating systems like Mojave or High Sierra could freeze and crash from time to time. No software is immune.
Changes introduced with macOS 10.15 (Catalina) cause certain Java applications to behave incorrectly. Therefore, we cannot certify any JDK version on macOS 10.15 yet. However, as of now, you can install and run non-notarized software on macOS 10.15 systems by modifying your security preferences. Detailed information and steps are available here. In this guide we'll be going through how to install macOS Catalina step by step. Not all Macs can run Catalina, so you must check if yours is eligible. Luckily, Catalina's hardware requirements are the same as Mojave, so if your Mac is already running Mojave, then you can Catalina without any issues.
But what do you do in this case? The surefire way to deal with jaded performance is to reinstall macOS Catalina altogether. Read through our guide below to learn how.
Servus Community, I need to upgrade all of our systems to macOS Catalina and will be reinstalling the systems rather than an inplace upgrade. In the past, I always did a secure erase of the SSD hard drive for reinstalling on an empty fresh hard drive. Here’s how you can create it. Make sure the USB drive is at least 8GB in size, and nothing else is stored on it. Download the macOS Catalina installation file using this link. Turn off the Mac and then insert the bootable USB drive. Now turn the Mac back on while holding the Option key. It will take you to the boot menu where you can select.
How To Reinstall Mac OS Catalina
It’s important to note that when you reinstall macOS Catalina the process simply updates the operating system and doesn’t affect any files on your hard drive or user files or even settings. That makes reinstalling principally different from performing a clean install, which erases everything.
Here are the proper steps to follow to reinstall mac OS Catalina.
1. Back up your Mac first
By default, the best thing you could do before making any significant changes to how your Mac works is to back it up. Backups are just like saves before encountering challenges in video games — represent the point you can always come back to.
There are lots of great backup solutions on the market to suit every need. If you don’t have the time to search for something specific, your Mac features a decent native option — Time Machine.
To get Time Machine started:
- Connect an external USB or WiFi hard drive to your Mac
- Go System Preferences ➙ Time Machine
- Click on Select Backup Disk…
- Press Use Disk
2. Delete junk off your Mac to speed it up
There’s nothing better than the feeling of a brand new Mac with a brand new macOS. If only the latter is new, the experience could be subpar. Trying to get the most out of macOS Catalina on your older machine might be a challenge. But don’t hurry to your local Apple Store just yet — not all is lost.
Just like the dust behind your couch or on the top of your kitchen cupboards, small bits of system files, caches, and hidden libraries tend to aggregate over the years and never get deleted, eventually slowing down everyday processes. While it’s possible to clear out some of them manually, others require specific technical knowledge and lots of time.
Luckily, there’s a professional automatic solution available — CleanMyMac X. Optimizing behind-the-curtain processes on your Mac with CleanMyMac X is no more difficult than clicking a single button:
- Download a free version of CleanMyMac X.
- Open the app and navigate to System Junk in the left-side panel.
- Click Scan and wait for the process to complete.
- When done, press Review Details.
- Uncheck anything you’d like to keep and click Clean.
Now your Mac is free of all the pointless log files, user caches, language files, old updates, and more. Which directly translates into improved processing power, memory usage, and response time. At last, your Mac is ready to take full advantage of macOS Catalina.
3. Reinstall macOS Catalina in Recovery Mode
With your Mac in top shape, it’s time to get that macOS Catalina download link. Surprisingly, you won’t find it in Software Update or even App Store (where it used to be in macOS High Sierra).
The correct way to reinstall macOS Catalina is to use your Mac’s Recovery Mode:
- Restart your Mac and then hold down ⌘ + R to activate Recovery Mode.
- In the first window, select Reinstall macOS ➙ Continue.
- Agree to the Terms & Conditions.
- Select the hard drive you’d like to reinstall mac OS Catalina to and click Install.
Automatically update all your software for Catalina
The reinstallation process will start shortly and roughly take 30 minutes. When complete, your Mac will start up as usual. No files should be lost, but it’s always a good idea to check CleanMyMac X’s Applications Updater to see if you can improve compatibility of the new macOS with any of your existing apps:
- Launch CleanMyMac X.
- In the left-side panel, navigate to Updater.
- View any available updates and their notes and click on Update.
This Updater tool in CleanMyMac X automatically searches for latest available versions of ALL your apps. One or two clicks and everything feels fresh. It even updates the macOS file itself.
Trust in your backup
Finally, in case you notice any files or apps missing, or settings misconfigured, you could open up Time Machine to restore a specific folder or the whole backup from the step one:
- Launch Time Machine from Applications.
- Simply scroll all backup versions to find the file you’re looking for.
- Click Restore.
If you decide to restore the whole backup, make sure to then repeat the whole process to optimize your Mac and reinstall macOS Catalina as detailed above. The good thing is that more often than not the reinstallation works wonders right from the first time.
How to Get Windows 10 on a macOS Catalina
If you want to install Windows on your Macbook, there are a few ways to do it: you may use Mac’s Boot Camp Assistant to install Windows as its own independent OS; then you will be able to startup either macOS or Windows depending on which one you need at the time. The other way is using a virtual machine: you may create a virtual Windows setup using Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion or VirtualBox. Then at any time you may start that virtual machine and load Windows inside macOS. This article describes pros and cons of each method, so that you can decide which one is right for you.
Option 1: Download Windows 10 on a macOS Catalina With BootCamp
Boot Camp comes with your Macbook for free, and it allows you to install Windows alongside macOS, so you can choose which of them to boot on startup. Mac’s Boot Camp Assistant will help you install Windows, partition the startup drive and install necessary drivers.
If you install Windows via Boot Camp, Windows will have all of your Macbook’s resources and can run programs with the maximum possible performance. That’s why dual-booting is ideal for running resource-intensive programs like video-editing software or high-end games.
On the other hand, only one operating system will be able to run at the same time, so you will have to reboot between them depending on which apps you need to run at the moment. Another possible drawback is fact that Windows and macOS use different file systems, and you will not be able to open Mac files on Windows or vice versa unless you install specific third-party drives for it. That is not a problem when using virtual machines.
Install Catalina On 2011 Imac
Option 2: Run Windows 10 on a Macbook Without BootCamp, Using a Virtual Machine
Install Catalina On Macbook Pro
Virtual machines allow you to install and open Windows 10 in a window on your Mac desktop. Windows will “think” it’s running on a real computer, when it is running inside an app. With virtual machines you run both macOS and Windows at the same time, which is handy if you want to open a single Windows program alongside your Mac applications. However, when you run a virtual machine, your computer’s resources are split between the two operating systems, so everything may run slower than usual.
Install Windows 10 on a Mac Catalina With Parallels Desktop
Install Catalina On Virtualbox
Parallels Desktop is very intuitive and easy-to-use for regular computer users. The app will configure everything for you, even download Windows 10 or utilize the one you already downloaded via Boot Camp. You can open Windows in a separate window (including a full screen mode), or you can turn on Coherence mode. In Coherence mode the virtual machine will run in the background, while Windows programs can run alongside your Mac apps. You can even put Windows programs on your macOS desktop or pin them to Dock. Parallels Desktop allows you to copy and paste or drag and drop between Windows and macOS without any problems.
Parallels Desktop prices start at $79.99, however there is a free trial period available.
Get Windows 10 on a Mac Catalina With VMware Fusion
VMware Fusion is another popular virtualization software for Macbooks. It is close to Parallels in terms of functionality and pricing, but VMware’s Fusion supports a larger number of operating systems than Parallels. On the other hand, Parallels is easier for beginners, and runs a little smoother. Otherwise, these two programs are approximately on the same level.
Install Windows 10 a Mac Via VirtualBox
If you don’t plan to spend extra money on virtualization software, there’s always VirtualBox by Oracle. VirtualBox is a pretty decent free alternative to paid software if not slower, less polished and missing some handy functions. If you need to run some resource intensive Windows programs, VirtualBox might not be the best choice for you. VirtualBox also requires more technical knowledge than, for example, Parallels, as users need to tune some settings themselves when installing it. However, if you are a power user already or don’t mind doing a little more work, and you are not going to run latest Windows games or video-editing software, VirtualBox is a good (and free!) alternative.
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