Does an UNSUPPORTED macOS make any sense? - Part 1: Vintage MACs
Join my Discord for Questions & Answers: / discord
Does it make sense to install a new unsupported macOS on old MACs? This is the 1st part of 3 videos where I'm talking about that - and this part is all about "Vintage" MACs that are older than 2012...
WEBSITES:
=========
dosdude1's macOS patcher:
dosdude1.com/software.html
Support the Dortania team to continue developing OpenCore:
opencollective.com/opencore-l...
Latest OpenCore Legacy Patcher download:
github.com/dortania/Opencore-...
Latest KDK support package download:
github.com/dortania/KdkSuppor...
OTHER VIDEOS:
=============
Easiest Tutorial to instal macOS Sonoma on UNSUPPORTED MACs:
• Easiest Tutorial to in...
Stuck progress bar during update?
• Update to macOS 14.1 i...
No progress bar during boot?
• UNSUPPORTED MAC stuck ...
CHAPTERS:
==========
0:00 Introduction
1:00 1st part: "Vintage" MACs older than 2012
1:40 2nd part: MacPros from 2012 & 2013
2:05 3rd part: MACs from 2012 - 2017
2:49 iMac 2002
5:31 Mac OS X 10.4 "Tiger"
8:03 A modern browser for an old Mac OS X: TenFourFox
11:45 Can one still use vintage MACs today?
12:53 iMac 2011
16:48 Problems with the AppStore
17:30 How to install older versions of apps
20:38 The problem with MapKit & Metal
21:47 dosdude1's patchers
25:02 Does Big Sur make sense on this iMac?
25:35 Requirements for Big Sur
27:12 What's coming up next?
If there are any concerns about copyright, please do not hesitate to contact me! All credits go to the creators of OpenCore, OC Legacy Patcher and many more who made all this possible!
#JessiesFlying #macOS #OpenCore
As a non-English speaker, I really appreciate the way you are slowing down your speaking flow...it helps me a lot! Keep going, more and more useful tips. You are the one to follow. Thanks.
😊
Great series, looking forward to part 2.
A nice journey to the old Mac Machines with good memories. Looking forward to the next videos. Thanks und einen schönen Sonntag!
Gleichfalls!
I have a 2011 I-Mac with upgraded internal SSD and 16 GB Ram. I am running Mac OS Sonoma which works exceptionally well. For this, I used your tutorial. The only issue I have is to view photos on full screen. The way I get around this is by dragging the small photo out of Photos on to the desk top. Then I can open the photo to a full screen view.
All this makes COMPLETE sense to me! By staggering coincidence, I have a 2011 Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM, an SSD and that little interface kit that permits a 2nd SSD inside the machine. I started with dosdude's installation that took me far beyond the El Capitan I had on my existing machine. Loved it! Also, before Ventura was released, I used Open Core Legacy Patcher's Monterey release. That worked well, too. As you know, all this is quite satisfactory. However...my appetite was whetted... In the past couple of years, I've be testing and running MANY distros of Linux on my old Intel Mac Mini. I've found the performance subjectively snappier and quick. Also...the very process of installing Linux on an Intel Mac requires far less effort than installing Open Core Legacy Patcher MacOS, for some reason. I also installed Asahi Linux on my M1 Mac Mini last year. So...I've become a Linux-on-Mac fanboy. Sorry, Apple. So...enjoy whatever you like on YOUR Mac, I say. It's been a really fun (and completely useful) adventure Aloha!
thanks, I also have an imac same configuration and it works well instead of maps I use google maps and full screen photos just hold slightly as go to the next photo. I'm keeping Sonoma
I still have a 20" iMac 2002 G4 and it works great on Linux
Have a 2011 Mac Mini still used as an extra web browsing machine and was considering patching an OS above High Sierra. But it does have a spinning disc drive and I hadn’t considered possible problems with that. Now I know not to bother and leave it as is - unless I decide on an SSD upgrade. Thanks so much for that helpful info! 😃
Does it make sense? While there are obviously some very old machines that upgrading won’t work very well on, for people like me, the answer is an emphatic YES!! I’m a semi-retired professional photographer, so I need a good computer. I currently have a 2010 Mac Pro and a 2016 Macbook pro. I cannot afford to replace either. Unfortunately, the photography software I use (Lightroom, Photoshop) requires at least OS Monterey. No earlier OS works. The Macbook was supported, but it it not a stout enough machine to use as an everyday computer for my photo needs. It’s fine (sorta) when traveling, but for normal everyday use, the demands of the photo software are far too great, and the little Macbook struggles. However, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth both do work (as would be expected from a supported computer), so I am covered there. But what to do about a robust enough computer to handle things at home? Re-enter the old 2010 Mac Pro. Thanks to your great videos, I was able to install OS Monterey on it, and it runs great. A tad slower than a newer machine might be, but it works. I have upped the RAM to 64BG, added a USB 3 PCIe card, and have 4 SSD drives installed internally. I can do anything the software is capable of (although I might have to wait on it a little bit). I am currently thinking of adding a PCIe NVME card to allow for 1 or 2 more internal drives. The Bluetooth and built-in Wi-Fi don’t work, but since it’s a desktop, I just use a cable to connect to my network. I run Chrome as my web browser, and it works fine (I watched this and many other videos on it). I have several external SSDs attached (via the USB 3 PCIe card) and a slew of other peripherals, including 2 Stream Decks and a Wacom tablet. This has saved me thousands of dollars that I can spend instead on shooting photographs, which, to me, is the important part. Thank you for making all this possible. Being able to run OS Monterey on an unsupported Mac has saved both my sanity and my wallet. Looking forward to Part 2 of this story.
Das ist ein großartiges Video! Super erklärt und ich freue mich auf das nächste Video...
Danke! ☺️
A note about 2011 iMacs: I am still running one with 16GB RAM (which I need, because I run Parallels virtual machines) and a 1TB SSD. However, although Apple say 16GB RAM is the maximum for these computers, they will in fact go up to 32GB (if you need it!). Also, please note that though these machines will go up to Big Sur , the graphics card on them is a flaw to doing that, and ironically a 2009/2010 machine will more comfortably run as far as Catalina.
Thx!
Running Big Sur with Opencore on a 2010 7.1 8gb macbook white. Still good for watching and browsing the web. It's the limit OS for this setup.
For the 2011 iMacs, if you want to have a metal-capable graphics card, you can change the one it has for a GTX 760M 2GB or a GTX 770M 3GB. You can also do a GTX 780M 4GB, but with an old PSU, you might need to change it because of power limits. Also, this upgrade requires some skill, so it's important for you to be ready to basically disassemble the entire computer to get the motherboard out. Also, if you don't have the highest available CPU, you can upgrade that as well.
I did the CPU upgrade (i7-2600), but swapping the GPU/mainboard makes it more or less an iMac 2012….
@@JessiesFlying yeah, it basically is. But without the glued display and the RAM door being non-existent on the 21 inch model. But, it will allow you to install Open Core with no graphics problems. Something to think about.
Gracias me aclaro muchas dudas que tenia
Agreed. I have a 2010 imac still in service running Monterey and it is ok for playing 720p youtube vids, but I wouldn't want it as a "daily driver". Even with 12GB of RAM and an SSD it is pretty slow, and it uses quite a lot of power. On the other hand, I was recently given a 2013 iMac and after installng OCLP and finding that it is essentially a modern mac, I passed it on to my nephew's son, who *loves* it.
Good video Jessie.
Thx!
You can install linux or windows (this one could be tricky on iMacs, but possible) to have a more up-to-date OS on it. Those older 27" iMacs still have a stunning 2k display. Note, that if you are planning to use Target Display Mode with another Mac you have to stay on High Sierra (as far as I know). If you somehow upgraded the built in wifi and bluetooth card to a newer one, you could use it over AirPlay + a cable connection with a newer MacOS as a secondary display with an acceptable lag... I never tried it though, I have not found a good howto for that...
The display is awesome, but it’s a lot of power drawn for a secondary display…. Linux works fine 👍
Very interesting. It was a bit painful to watch that old Egg-Mac crawl its way out of the grave.
😂
Danke !
Thanks a lot After having a shakey hand to install macos sonoma on my beloved MacBook pro early 2015 13" I did it yesterday . I can understand why apple have forced to ditch my devices. The os is running ok but a little bit slow , i have some issue releated to my touchpad Double finger as a secondary click doesn't work from the first time and i takes a while to unmount any usb device This was my first impression about the os I did a clean install that's why i feel my machine is running okay
Keep us posted about your findings!
@@JessiesFlying The good side (I can't thank you enough) I managed to install xcode + ruby So I could continue working on my development project mainly iOS and flutter ❤❤
they use to have Yellow Dog Linux that would run on vintage G4 Macs.
Hi Jessie, I have a 27” iMac (late 2015) this has Sonoma 14.4 and OCLP 1.4.1 ‘running’! It’s temperamental; occasionally hanging and taking 4 or 5 restarts to become functional again (booting in recovery mode seems to help) ! 😅 I’m wondering if you recommend updating to OCLP 1.4.2 or 1.4.3 and whether this might make performance a bit more stable? Thanks in advance! 😊
I have no info that an earlier version of Sonoma is more stable, but maybe try OCLP 1.4.0
"Does this make any sense" Are we seeing a Jessie's Flying Existential dread series? Next video "What's it all FOR"
😂
i have the 20" iMac g4 running 10.5.8, it has the maximum ram (1.25Gb) and wifi. Can do https and email. VLC works for media streaming for radio and via the imac g4 speakers it sounds excellent. It does 480p video in 16:9 perfectly. SMB cant connect, but if you use WebDAVS then file transfer works from 2014 mac mini running 14.4.1
Thx for the info!
CS6, Office, all work perfectly also@@JessiesFlying
Good examples. In my case i have upgraded 2011 imac 27" with 500g ssd, gpu Nvidia 4100 quattro w/4g memory and the system memory to 16g the cpu is i7 which is the highest this computer takes. Everything works flawless with Sonoma. Benchmark with geekbench 5 is midde 800 and multicore is around 3000. Economical and functional for my needs.
🚀
Does your Ethernet port work? Mine does not, I had to buy a usb to ethernet, but I do not know how to fix it. Any help?
I think if your mac is officially running macos that is just one or two versions behind the newest macos version ,for now which is Monterey and Ventura , you are better just stick with it for better stability and compatibility. Patching your mac to a newer unsupported software is only worth it when the latest official version the computer can run is too outdated that it no longer receiving security updates and losing app support.
So far i run Ventura with Opencore on a MacBookPro (late 2008), iMac (2010) and MacMini (2014). No problems!
What about maps and photos in full screen?
Thanks for your great videos! Question - do you have a video that covers how to make bootable backups of OCLP macOS installs on unsupported macs using something like SuperDuper or CCC? Is there some trick to get this to work?
Unfortunately I don’t, but maybe ask on Discord…?
@@JessiesFlying Do you know if it's even actually possible to make bootable backups like with regular macs running supported macOS?
@@davidhughes8413 never heard of that… 🤔
Also, if you have two hard drives, or one hard drive make two partitions, would it be feasible to keep latest supported OS on one partition and use OpenCore Legacy Patcher to install some newer macOS version... so, on this iMac 2011, install Big Sur on the second partition, then you can switch back and forth as needed between these two OSes...?
Absolutely! I’m testing around with external drives also at the moment…
Hi !I recently successfully managed to install OCLP onto my NVME SSD (Mac Pro 5,1) and now managed to get Windows 10 on a sata SSD in bay 1. I've heard it mentioned that Opencore will boot quicker from the Bay 1 drive rather than the PCIE slots. Could you do a tutorial on how to move OCLP to the bay 1 drive, and wether or not it is possible to have OCLP on a windows drive ? Thanks !
Let me think about that. But windows also has an UEFI partition and OpenCore works there as well 👍
It’s a very helpful video but when it comes to the 2011 iMac you can upgrade the CPU and GPU to a capable metal you can do it to late 2009 to 2011 iMacs but the problem is that the normal user can’t do it and it can be done by a specialist
Correct, I was talking about stock iMac (as you have basically a 2012 iMac when you upgrade all the hardware)….
The problem with most these older Macs at its latest supported official version, is that most browsers it can download and install can't connect to modern websites, such as KZhead or CNN, etc... I've tried to find 3rd party web browsers that can install on these various older Macs to be able to surf these modern websites correctly. Alas. This makes these older Macs basically useless for web-surfing.. they're okay for using older programs and games, but just not web-surfing needed for normal day-to-day use.
What I have done is install Fedora or Linux Mint on my old Macs. It works amazing and both of these world class Linux OS are nicely updated for security and speed. Modern Linux not the same as Linux 10 or 20 years ago.
Great videos Jessie. Thanks! I have a 2014 MacBook Pro and I have tried to upgrade to Sonoma 14.4 through OpenCore doing a fresh install three times. It always hangs just a little bit into the install. Do you have any suggestions? Should I try with Sonoma 14.1 and then update? Any suggestions you have would be most welcome. Thanks.
I just found your video on using safe mode if the installation hangs. I’ll try that. Thanks for that video too Jessie.
@@tf4343 keep me informed!
Hi Jessie. Unfortunately safe mode didn’t work for me. I held down the shift key before clicking on the efi boot and kept it down after clicking install Sonoma until the install started and it still stalled very quickly. I tried as an update to Big Sur and as a fresh install but it still hung. If you have any further suggestions they would be most welcome. Thanks Jessie.
@@tf4343 shift is only needed when selecting macOS. Do you have FileVault on?
Thanks Jessie. I don’t have FileVault on.
I have a 2012 Mini running 14.3 I'm expecting to get an M chip Mac and wondering will I have issues transferring my current Mini data to the new Mini. Is the 14.3 version running on my 2012 Mini going to cause problems moving to a true 14.3 version on an M chip?
No, never heard of any problems in that direction… 👍
I have an iMac 21.5'' 2010, is it worthwhile to upgrade the Ati Radeon GPU with an MXM Nvidea metal GPU and install Ventura o Sonoma?
It’s possible but maybe you get an iMac 2012 off eBay cheaper as only the GPU and tearing the whole iMac apart…? 🤔
I dont use the icloud, app store or itunes store on my M1
Hello Jessie, I have Macbook Pro Late 2013 and running Big Sur latest version. Actually 2 months ago I actually messed up with updates in MacOS Sonoma and had to reset. Now I am deciding to update it again to Sonoma, so now is it safe to do it without USB via Settings of Mac by installing MacOS Sonoma from Appstore and using OCLP?
Basically yes, but have a USB drive that works for recovery
USB for what? Can you make a video on this for how to do it without USB
@@thegamingtech3795 just to have a backup option if anything doesn’t work. Check out my tutorial: Easiest Tutorial to instal macOS Sonoma on UNSUPPORTED MACs! kzhead.info/sun/mtGwnsl-loupdnk/bejne.html
Hello bro, is it possible to change only the glass of an imac 2014 retina 5k? There is not a one video of change glass on youtube, They all change the complete LCD
I think it’s glued to the screen. My 2011 has still a separate glass though
@@JessiesFlying 😢
i have mackbook pro mid 2012 retina , what OS will be suitable for it?
I would recommend Monterey
There was a beta version of 10.6 that had PPC support so people have hacked 10.6 updates onto the beta PPC version.
That’s correct, but that would’ve been a whole video only about that (unofficial) hack…
Hey Bosss. Just released Sonoma 14.5 !!! We need your confirm to update or not 😂.
Here it is: 😬 macOS 14.5 released - but no new OpenCore Legacy Patcher? kzhead.info/sun/hr6HY8Vxq3iod40/bejne.html
if only High Sierra had a (true, working) dark mode...
Love ya Jessie. Need your expertise. 2011 iMac, updated oclp, updated to newest 14.4 or similar number. Installed fine, then asked me to install root patches. Near end it gives error. Noticed my wifi not working. Any advice? Either way I really appreciate all you do for us wannabe nerds
So you have an error during root patch or during boot?
@@JessiesFlying Do I need wifi to upload root patches. Was thinking I could plug in Ethernet and that might fix the roof patch error. Update worked for iOS,
@@dranderson6071 root patch works without internet, but maybe KDK download is required
@@JessiesFlying I have the 1.4.2 I believe. I’ve heard you guys say sometimes it doesn’t grab the correct kdk version. Is downloading a kdk easy? And thanks my friend
@@JessiesFlying Fixed it. Plugged Ethernet in and downloaded 1.4.3 . Cleaned it all up as I had 1.4.2. Really appreciate you my friend. Good man
Any Mac, either fine working or bricked, has two main features. The owner has always a reserved coffee table at the Mall and is a certified US citizen.🤣!!!
😈😂
The 2011 iMac has a quad core CPU, that will handle at least Monterey no problem! Now of course the non Metal patches have some downsides! Btw Dosdude's patchers are not just a platform check bypass at all
I agree, I mentioned that to distinguish the patchers to OpenCore/root patches
@@JessiesFlying yeah I get that.
can't get messaging working on my 2012 macbook pro with sonoma :(
Are you sure all root patches are installed and you’re logged into iCloud correctly?
I have an Apple Lisa. How can I run Mac OS Sonoma? 😅
Maybe if you ask her nicely… 😂
You forgot to tell that "find my" also uses map features and won't work on non metal too
Thx for the heads up👍
@@JessiesFlying I think you should also discuss about Siri and stage manager if it works or not
my mac pro 5,1 install macos14 vega64,oclp，but don't have gpu acceleration.
Vega is not yet supported in Sonoma by OCLP as far as I know
@@JessiesFlying With the forth coming release of OpenCore Legacy Patcher v0.5.0, systems with legacy Metal GPUs will finally be able to achieve graphics acceleration in macOS Ventura! Reminder: These patches are still in beta and in active development. Stay on Monterey if you're not comfortable with the trade offs listed GPU Models Supported GPU models include: Intel: Ivy Bridge (HD4000) Haswell (HD4400/4600/5xxx) Broadwell (HD6xxx) Skylake (HD5xx) Nvidia: Kepler (GTX 6xx, GTX 7xx) AMD: GCN 1-3 (HD 7xxx/8xxx/9xxx, R7/R9) Polaris (RX 4xx/5xx) - (Hosts lacking AVX2.0) Vega (RX 56/64/VII) - (Hosts lacking AVX2.0)
@@JessiesFlying I install macos 13 with vega64,but no gpu acceleration
Did the post install root patch show drivers for Vega before installing? Did it recognize the card correctly?
Does Logic Pro X run on unsupported iMac?
Yes, but depending on the exact model there might be some features that don’t work
Is upgrading MBP 2012 to MacOS Sonoma Recommend??
I run 14.4 on such a Machine, it runs well.
8GB RAM recommended 👍
15:08 I don’t agree with you. I’m currently using a mid 2010 and early 2008 iMac on Sonoma. They both work perfectly, especially the mid 2010 because I got a 1 TB SSD and 16 GB of RAM installed
What about maps and Fotos in full screen?
@@JessiesFlying maps is the only thing, which doesn’t work. Full screen works perfectly on my devices. To be honest, I never use Maps on these devices anyway
@@Morschyt 👍
Still waiting for part II 🤔
Much other things to do atm. But it will be out soon 👍
What about Mac Pro 3,1? Nothing?
Next part ☝️
older mac like the 2011 and below dont go above Mac OS 11.7.10. Newer than that, if it has 16Gb RAM and an SSD yes
my 2014 mac mini, 2017 iMac are running 14.4.1 perfect. the 2011 mac mini dont like anything above 11.7.10
The X stands for 10 - Roman numerals its not os ‘EX’
That’s correct, but it was called “OS X”. Otherwise its name would be “Mac OS X.4.11” instead of 10.4.11 🤔
No its garbage just said oh update your opencore and then it wont fucking boot up. How do i get this opencore garbage off my imac ? Do not bother its bloody crap
Just do recovery and wipe the hard disk before installing
@@JessiesFlying Yes I can get into recovery it just wont boot past apple logo just sits there bar half full. Yes I am done with Open Core its pretty amateur and unreliable and not and ruins the Imac