I have many old apps purchased from the App store that I wonder if they will still work with the newest versions of OS
Is there a reliable list or source that I can validate these and how can I find it.
I have a 2 year old I-Mac using the latest version of OS.
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Walt Ryan
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How Can We Know If Old App Store Apps Still Work With New Versions Of macOS?
Comments: 3 Responses to “How Can We Know If Old App Store Apps Still Work With New Versions Of macOS?”
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There wouldn't be a definite list as there are tens of thousands of apps and all in different places. You could make a list of the few apps that are very important to you, eliminate the ones that will obviously be updated because they are major apps or from major developers, and then check out the websites and ask the developers of any other apps on your list.
If you go to the page for any Mac app in the Mac App Store, you can scroll down to the Information section. There you will find an entry for Compatibility. That tells you if the app is compatible with your Mac and if you click on it you get some more information. So this tells you if it will work before you buy it. But it won't help to predict if it will work in future updates. It may already be ready for the next version of macOS, or not, or the developer could update it long before that time.
If you have an app installed, however, there is a way to at least tell if it is 32-bit or 64-bit. Only 64-bit apps will work with the next version of macOS, whatever that will be and whenever it comes out.
Go to the Apple menu and choose About This Mac. Then click System Report. This takes you to the System Information app. On the left, choose Applications under Software. Now choose an app and look at the information for it. If "64-Bit (Intel)" is "yes" then it is ready for the next version of macOS, at least in theory.
You can also choose Legacy Software and it will only show the ones that are 32-bit apps, or have some component that is 32-bit.
But if you see something listed as 32-bit or Legacy Software, don't freak out. There is still time for the developer to update the software. Perhaps they already have, and you simply missed it. Check with them to see if there is an update.
Another thing to consider is that 32/64-bit isn't the only issue. It is possible that the software won't be ready for the next version of macOS for other reasons. It would be up to the developer to test and update if necessary once Apple starts the beta program, usually in June.
My Mac says that my Microsoft for Mac 2011 will stop working due to this changeover. Will I lose every Document /Excel sheet?
Margarose: What does it say, exactly? Is it the "..is not optimized for your Mac" message? If so, it is just telling you that your old version of word is 32-bit and won't work on the new version of macOS (to come in 2019). It will still work with Mojave. And when it does stop working, you won't lose your documents -- they remain there. It is just you'll need to use a newer version of Word, or an alternative app. Same for Excel. Upgrade to the new version of those apps now or next year, or go with something else (Page/Numbers, Google Docs, etc).