Deadlines

Upgrade All Macs to MacOS 10.14 or higher

Top view of team working with laptops

In the coming months, there will be several changes to Stanford's IT infrastructure that will affect our Apple computer users. Due to these changes, most Apple computers in H&S will need to be upgraded to MacOS 10.14 Mojave or MacOS 10.15 Catalina.

Why upgrade?

Two changes are driving the need to upgrade: 

  • Changes to e-mail authentication
  • CrashPlan backups

Stanford's email system (Microsoft Office 365) is being upgraded to require two-step authentication.  This is rolling out gradually across the University and will include all SUNetIDs with e-mail service by October, 2020.  Two-step authentication will help limit the impact of phishing on Stanford's population (most phished accounts are used to send spam and more phishing attacks).  Apple Mail in MacOS 10.13 and lower does not support two-step authentication. To continue to use Apple Mail, MacOS users will need to upgrade to a supported OS. As an alternative to Apple Mail, webmail and the Outlook app will continue to function on laptops with MacOS prior to 10.14. 

Additionally, in November 2020, CrashPlan will no longer support MacOS 10.13 and lower. CrashPlan is the enterprise backup software H&S deploys on all systems to guard against loss, theft or catastrophic failure. To ensure your data continues to be preserved, we need to upgrade laptops backing up Stanford data to a supported OS.

How to upgrade?

  • Upgrade your own system (perform these system checks before you start your upgrade)
  • Create a Service Now ticket to get assistance with your upgrade.  A technician will reach out to you.
  • Get a new computer through the H&S Computer Replacement program (if you have an older Mac and are eligible for an new system, H&S IT will reach out to you)

A note about MacOS 10.15 Catalina

Catalina (MacOS 10.15) no longer supports 32-bit applications. Most 32 bit applications have 64-bit versions, but some do not, such as ProTools, WINE (Windows Emulator) and others. If your work relies on a 32-bit app, we recommend upgrading to 10.14 Mojave. Even though Mojave supports 32-bit apps, please check your work critical applications to ensure they are compatible with 10.14 Mojave. Please perform all the system checks, including a check for 32-bit applications, before upgrading.