Orchard macOS Ventura Upgrade

An upgrade to macOS Ventura is now available via a Jamf policy for compatible Orchard managed Macs. This is accessed via the Self Service application, located in the Applications folder and probably also in the Dock on most Macs.

The upgrade consists of two stages: 1. Downloading the Ventura installer | 2. Performing the upgrade. Stage 2 usually takes around 30 minutes. The length of time Stage 1 takes is dependent on Internet connection speed; see the section below for how to calculate this. Once you have started the upgrade (step 3 of the guidance notes) you do not need to interact further with your Mac, the upgrade will progress automatically.

Optional: Calculating the Length of Time to Download the macOS Ventura Installer

First visit fast.com to check your Internet connection speed. Based on the result of this you can use the table below to work out how long (approximately) it will take to download the installer.

Performing the Upgrade

You will need to have at least 45GB of free space for the upgrade. If you have a portable Mac please connect it to an AC power source.

1. Start the Self Service application, which can be found in the Dock or in the Applications folder.

2. The upgrade is in the Core Software section, however, you will likely also spot it in the All section that appears when Self Service starts.

3. After clicking the Upgrade button please read through the information, then click the Upgrade button to begin. If you have an Apple silicon based Mac, such as an M1, you will be prompted for the password to your account (you do not have to be an administrator, however, you do need to be a volume owner to perform the upgrade).

4. Whilst the installer for macOS Ventura downloads you can view the download progress; unless you click the OK button in which case this progress window will vanish, however, the download will continue in the background. Although you can keep using you Mac during the download phase it is recommended to leave it alone to complete the entire process.
5. Once the installer has downloaded there will be some preperation time. No action is needed on your part.
6. The Mac will reboot at least once during the installation; after upgrade completion you will be at the login window and your Mac will be running macOS Ventura!

For more information about the additional features macOS Ventura brings to your Mac, please look here: New features available with macOS Ventura