Can I upgrade from El Cap without re-install?

[LmnLm3]

I'm running El Cap 10.11.6 with an Intel i5 2500K on a Gigabyte Z68mx with a GTX960 graphics card.

I use this for my work (audio/video) and am running into problems that I need a new version of Adobe AfterEffects but it can't install on El Cap. I have a TI chip firewire card and firewire audio interface, an Apple Cinema Display with DVI and a secondary TV with HDMI that I need to be working. I use ethernet for internet, don't need sleep, would be nice if iCloud worked consistently for iMessage, but other than that I don't care much as long as I don't need to buy a whole new computer...

Any advice is appreciated!

If I need to go out and buy a new SSD for a fresh install, will the rest of my system be compatible with new versions of macOS without a rebuild?

Thanks!

 

[cmn699]

I'm running El Cap 10.11.6 with an Intel i5 2500K on a Gigabyte Z68mx with a GTX960 graphics card.

I use this for my work (audio/video) and am running into problems that I need a new version of Adobe AfterEffects but it can't install on El Cap. I have a TI chip firewire card and firewire audio interface, an Apple Cinema Display with DVI and a secondary TV with HDMI that I need to be working. I use ethernet for internet, don't need sleep, would be nice if iCloud worked consistently for iMessage, but other than that I don't care much as long as I don't need to buy a whole new computer...

Any advice is appreciated!

If I need to go out and buy a new SSD for a fresh install, will the rest of my system be compatible with new versions of macOS without a rebuild?

Thanks!

• Your profile -Graphics has a strange GA-6850.
  • What is it? I suspect it needs your editing​
• Your listed Motherboard:GAZ68MX_UD2H is expected to work in Mojave [and Catalina when released].
• Your Listed PCIE Graphics:Nvidia GTX960 graphics card. is NOT supported in Mojave and Beyond but it should work in High Sierra with Nvidia Web driver
• The Integrated Intel HD 3000 has no support in the usual way.

 

[LmnLm3]

• Your profile -Graphics has a strange GA-6850.
  • What is it? I suspect it needs your editing​
• Your listed Motherboard:GAZ68MX_UD2H is expected to work in Mojave [and Catalina when released].
• Your Listed PCIE Graphics:Nvidia GTX960 graphics card. is NOT supported in Mojave and Beyond but it should work in High Sierra with Nvidia Web driver
• The Integrated Intel HD 3000 has no support in the usual way.

So should I upgrade to High Sierra? Is that a safe path from El Cap?

 

[cmn699]

So should I upgrade to High Sierra? Is that a safe path from El Cap?

Why did you not comment on my question about - Graphics: GA-6850 on your profile?
With your current hardware, and after installing an updated CLOVER on the current el Cap, maOS high Sierra 10.13.6 is the highest you can upgrade using the nVidia Web driver for the corresponding HS version.

 

[LmnLm3]

Why did you not comment on my question about - Graphics: GA-6850 on your profile?
With your current hardware, and after installing an updated CLOVER on the current el Cap, maOS high Sierra 10.13.6 is the highest you can upgrade using the nVidia Web driver for the corresponding HS version.

Thanks, I updated my profile, sorry about that - that was a radeon in the first hackintosh I built.

So you're saying after installing the latest Clover bootloader, I can upgrade OS from El Cap without doing a fresh install? Or do I need to buy a new ssd and then copy my files over or "migrate?"

 

[cmn699]

Thanks, I updated my profile, sorry about that - that was a radeon in the first hackintosh I built.

So you're saying after installing the latest Clover bootloader, I can upgrade OS from El Cap without doing a fresh install? Or do I need to buy a new ssd and then copy my files over or "migrate?"

• I have done direct upgrade from el Capitan to HS using updated CLOVER.
• If you have any concern, I do understand the possibility of losing your personal data during upgrade, you can first CLONE current System Disk to an equal or larger SATA Spin Disk using freeware and Linux based "Clonezilla :
• For the illustrated steps to cloning with Clonezilla you may check my post-> #2
• You can also plan to do a clean installation on a new SSD if you prefer , But that will take longer time and more prone to problems.

 

[Shiitaki]

That's a big jump, I would be inclined to get a new drive and stash your original drive. Do a clean install of High Sierra like a new Hackintosh with the computer disconnected from the internet. Once you have your /EFI figured out and setup, installing any extra drivers to /EFI/Clover/Kexts/other. Once it seems to be working fine you can copy the /EFI from your new SSD to your High Sierra USB installer.

Then change your bios settings back(if necessary), put your old drive back in, and boot the old drive. Then erase your new SSD and use Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate your existing system from the old drive to the new. You can also mount the /EFI of the new drive and verify that the everything is still there. Copy from the USB drive if necessary. Then you use Clover Configurator to open the config file on the new SSD /EFI/Clover/config.plist to replace the data on the System Definiton page, SMBIOS on the left side of Clover configurator. You can mount the /EFI using Mount EFI further down on the left. Doing this with the thumb drive removed might be best just to make sure you have a safe backup of the working EFI incase there is a mistake. Then copy over your existing system Definition and numbers from your old config file to the new file, cutting pasting to the matching fields. This way your software will think it is the same system. Before shutting down you want to check for and delete any drivers you have installed in /System/Library/Extensions and /Library/Extensions so they don't mess up the new system. Hopefully you can remember any custom/modified drivers you installed in the past. The kexts on the new drive are in /EFI so these could conflict or not be compatible with the new OS. Other than being careful what you are booting from using the motherboard bios F12 boot menu and clover boot menu

Then you should be able to shut down, change the bios back, remove the old drive and boot the new drive, but when the clover comes up you can chose the macOS installer and try installing over the existing OS. It's a big jump but probably will work. If it gives an error you may just have to dig up the intermediate versions and install them in sequence.

Once everything is working you can then install the needed kexts using Multibeast in System/Library as is recommended.

I think you will need to go from bios booting to UEFI, I'm pretty sure there is a beta bios for your motherboard that supports uEFI booting which is the recommended. Clover has the old method but I think it is going away so I would really try the new way first.

By using a new drive you can keep your working old drive as a fall back to start over if you need too. Once you have a working Clover install and your existing system definition and serials, with working drivers in /EFI/Clover/kexts/other, it should be easy after that. The actual upgrade of the original operating system will basically be the last step.

 

[LmnLm3]

• I have done direct upgrade from el Capitan to HS using updated CLOVER.
• If you have any concern, I do understand the possibility of losing your personal data during upgrade, you can first CLONE current System Disk to an equal or larger SATA Spin Disk using freeware and Linux based "Clonezilla :
• For the illustrated steps to cloning with Clonezilla you may check my post-> #2
• You can also plan to do a clean installation on a new SSD if you prefer , But that will take longer time and more prone to problems.

Clonezilla is good, glad to hear it's still up to date!

When you did a direct upgrade from El Cap to HS did you need to re-install kexts and such or did everything continue to work as before (network, audio, etc)?

That's a big jump, I would be inclined to get a new drive and stash your original drive. Do a clean install of High Sierra like a new Hackintosh with the computer disconnected from the internet. Once you have your /EFI figured out and setup, installing any extra drivers to /EFI/Clover/Kexts/other. Once it seems to be working fine you can copy the /EFI from your new SSD to your High Sierra USB installer.

Then change your bios settings back(if necessary), put your old drive back in, and boot the old drive. Then erase your new SSD and use Carbon Copy Cloner to duplicate your existing system from the old drive to the new. You can also mount the /EFI of the new drive and verify that the everything is still there. Copy from the USB drive if necessary. Then you use Clover Configurator to open the config file on the new SSD /EFI/Clover/config.plist to replace the data on the System Definiton page, SMBIOS on the left side of Clover configurator. You can mount the /EFI using Mount EFI further down on the left. Doing this with the thumb drive removed might be best just to make sure you have a safe backup of the working EFI incase there is a mistake. Then copy over your existing system Definition and numbers from your old config file to the new file, cutting pasting to the matching fields. This way your software will think it is the same system. Before shutting down you want to check for and delete any drivers you have installed in /System/Library/Extensions and /Library/Extensions so they don't mess up the new system. Hopefully you can remember any custom/modified drivers you installed in the past. The kexts on the new drive are in /EFI so these could conflict or not be compatible with the new OS. Other than being careful what you are booting from using the motherboard bios F12 boot menu and clover boot menu

Then you should be able to shut down, change the bios back, remove the old drive and boot the new drive, but when the clover comes up you can chose the macOS installer and try installing over the existing OS. It's a big jump but probably will work. If it gives an error you may just have to dig up the intermediate versions and install them in sequence.

Once everything is working you can then install the needed kexts using Multibeast in System/Library as is recommended.

I think you will need to go from bios booting to UEFI, I'm pretty sure there is a beta bios for your motherboard that supports uEFI booting which is the recommended. Clover has the old method but I think it is going away so I would really try the new way first.

By using a new drive you can keep your working old drive as a fall back to start over if you need too. Once you have a working Clover install and your existing system definition and serials, with working drivers in /EFI/Clover/kexts/other, it should be easy after that. The actual upgrade of the original operating system will basically be the last step.

That wall of text with the bit about extracting the clover config.plist, is that for the purpose of not having to use Multibeast for system definitions and kexts?

Also, I've been using the uEFI for a few years now, and the appropriate Clover to go with it so I could dual boot with Windows 10 on a separate ssd more reliably, especially since there was some business with the hard drive configuration in the bios needed for OSX that broke windows (or it did for me).

If I back up my OSX drive with Clonezilla as mentioned, would it be any different to pull the backup, keep it aside, and just try to upgrade the OS on the main drive as if it were a mac? If I do that, what should I expect to break?

 

[cmn699]

Clonezilla is good, glad to hear it's still up to date!

When you did a direct upgrade from El Cap to HS did you need to re-install kexts and such or did everything continue to work as before (network, audio, etc)?



That wall of text with the bit about extracting the clover config.plist, is that for the purpose of not having to use Multibeast for system definitions and kexts?

Also, I've been using the uEFI for a few years now, and the appropriate Clover to go with it so I could dual boot with Windows 10 on a separate ssd more reliably, especially since there was some business with the hard drive configuration in the bios needed for OSX that broke windows (or it did for me).

If I back up my OSX drive with Clonezilla as mentioned, would it be any different to pull the backup, keep it aside, and just try to upgrade the OS on the main drive as if it were a mac? If I do that, what should I expect to break?

Clonezilla is good, glad to hear it's still up to date!

When you did a direct upgrade from El Cap to HS did you need to re-install kexts and such or did everything continue to work as before (network, audio, etc)?

It was eons ago! I cannot recall the details. Currently I don't run any High Sierra in any of my systems.
You can see this Tonymac Guide if you like to do that: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/update-directly-to-macos-high-sierra.232707/

 

[cmn699]

Clonezilla is good, glad to hear it's still up to date!

When you did a direct upgrade from El Cap to HS did you need to re-install kexts and such or did everything continue to work as before (network, audio, etc)?



That wall of text with the bit about extracting the clover config.plist, is that for the purpose of not having to use Multibeast for system definitions and kexts?

Also, I've been using the uEFI for a few years now, and the appropriate Clover to go with it so I could dual boot with Windows 10 on a separate ssd more reliably, especially since there was some business with the hard drive configuration in the bios needed for OSX that broke windows (or it did for me).

If I back up my OSX drive with Clonezilla as mentioned, would it be any different to pull the backup, keep it aside, and just try to upgrade the OS on the main drive as if it were a mac? If I do that, what should I expect to break?

Clonezilla is good, glad to hear it's still up to date!

When you did a direct upgrade from El Cap to HS did you need to re-install kexts and such or did everything continue to work as before (network, audio, etc)?

It was eons ago! I cannot recall the details. Currently I don't run any High Sierra in any of my systems.