Updating or Installing Mac OS X

Owned by Dylan Nigh
Last updated: Nov 16, 2023
2 min read

While MacPractice Support cannot assist you with updating or installing your operating system, we do have some recommendations and warnings to help the update go smoothly. If any of this information is unclear or you'd like some assistance, don't hesitate to contact MacPractice Support!

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  • Before taking any action, you'll want to determine whether the macOS version that you are planning on updating to is compatible with your current version of MacPractice. You can check your MacPractice Build by navigating to the MacPractice Menu and clicking "About MacPractice".  

    From here, you can see the Build number on the third line. Be sure to check the "MacPractice Build" line, not the Version line!

    For recent OS versions and MacPractice builds...MacPractice Build 7.3.x is compatible with OS X Sierra and High Sierra.MacPractice Builds 12.x are compatible with OS Mojave and OS Catalina.MacPractice Builds 13.x are compatible with Catalina and Big Sur.

  • Make a backup of your MacPractice database by navigating to the MacPractice Menu > Preferences > Server Backups. We recommend backing up to an external hard drive before installing any updates, or re-installing your operating system. This ensures you will have a current copy of your database, if there are issues with the update and you need to restore your data. Click here for more information on creating MacPractice backups.

  • The built-in Migration Assistant will not transfer the MacPractice data correctly. If you use Migration Assistant on your MacPractice server, you must download the MacPractice Server installer and reinstall the application. Click here for installation directions. After you reinstall MacPractice, you will need to restore your database. Restore instructions can be found here.

  • If you do not have a static IP address set up for your server, the server IP may change. Please read our documentation on connecting MacPractice clients to the server to help resolve any login issues.

  • If you use Mac OS X Server, the default MySQL included with Mac OS X Server may become enabled. If this happens, you will be unable to log in to MacPractice. You can disable the built-in MySQL using the Server Admin utility, or contact MacPractice Support for assistance.

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