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I got error of "you can't use this version of the application with this version of osx" but I installed all updates available

I tried to get firefox on there but it said

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"you can't use this version of the application with this version of osx".

I tried to update their OS but it said no updates available when I looked for an update

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Added info..

They have 10.11.6 OSX El Capitan.

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jaume
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barlop
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2 Answers2

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As visible in the first screenshot you need to upgrade macOS itself. iMacs from 2015 are able to run Monterey which can be searched for and downloaded from the App Store.

If you want to update to a not so recent version (or you can't access the App Store), see How can I download an older version of OS X/macOS? for other options.

nohillside
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  • That thing that said "no updates available", was that not the app store? You write that "can be searched for and downloaded from the App Store." I think the latest osx or a later osx wasn't showing in the app store. The link to "older versions" ended up leading me to download and install Monterey(so, latest osx), but I dont think I was able to get it via the app store. You write "(or you can't access the App Store)" Is it possible that I could access the app store but it wasn't showing the latest osx? – barlop Mar 05 '22 at 00:08
  • @barlop Major OS upgrades don‘t show as updates on the Store, you need to search them by name. – nohillside Mar 05 '22 at 05:54
  • when you search them by name, are they downloaded from the app store? – barlop Mar 05 '22 at 06:34
  • @barlop not sure I understand the question: You search for Monterey in the App Store and download from there. – nohillside Mar 05 '22 at 07:51
  • you write "Major OS upgrades don‘t show as updates on the Store, you need to search them by name." then you wrote "You search for Monterey in the App Store and download from there" OKAY so you are saying that they do show up in the store (when searched by name). So looking at what you mean to say, it's not true to say they don't show up in the store. That said, I wonder if maybe they really weren't showing up in the store even when searching by name, and so I used the link https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211683 – barlop Mar 05 '22 at 23:29
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What solved it was the following info from somebody I spoke to, they said "its a late 2015, should be able to run macOS 12.2 Monterey which is the most recent macOS, its just too old to get that update in app store"

this page has links to old versions of Mac osx https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT211683

I "backed up" the computer with CCC / carbon copy cloner. Cloned the main partition to an external USB hard drive. So all the important data was there.I didn't test if I could boot off it but that was sufficient for me.

I went to download the latest one on that page, called "Big Sur / MacOS 11".. I think it ended up showing one later than that, Monterey / MacOS 12. So I installed that one.. (I was told it was a bit of a risk to go straight to that as it was a big upgrade and Monterey is very new, so worth doing to Big Sur first, wasn't entirely intentional, but anyhow..)

It's for a friend and they have a lot of apple software configured on other devices so if there were any issues reconfiguring any software then that info would be on the other working apple computers they have. Turned out didn't have to reconfigure anything anyway.

When updating , when it said 1 minute or so, that had to be left overnight to complete. I don't know if that's normal for apple. But then was fine. I've seen an update take days before.

barlop
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