Apple began transitioning to 64-bit hardware and software technology for Mac over a decade ago, and all modern Macs now include powerful 64-bit processors that can run advanced 64-bit apps. These apps can access dramatically more memory, enable faster system performance, and take advantage of technologies that define today's Mac experience.
Mac Os High Sierra 32 Bit Apps
Apple has been working with developers to transition their apps, and in 2018 Apple informed them that macOS Mojave would be the last version of macOS to run 32-bit apps. Starting with macOS Catalina, 32-bit apps are no longer compatible with macOS.
When installing macOS, you may see a list of recently used apps that are 32-bit. You can review this list before deciding to continue installation. You may also see a prohibitory symbol over the icon of each 32-bit app in the Finder, letting you know that the app will not open.
This is not Apple's first warning on the matter. Apple officially announced during the 2017 WWDC all new apps submitted to the Mac App Store are required to be 64-bit starting this month. The noose tightens a bit in the summer of 2018, with all app updates needing to comply with the mandate.
At the time, it would start to "aggressively" warn users about 32-bit apps after High Sierra, but it appears the initiative has started a bit early. High Sierra is the last version to support 32-bit apps "without compromises."
Apple's latest version of macOS, 10.15 Catalina, looks a lot like earlier versions of the operating system, but is vastly different under the hood. The biggest change is that Apple ripped out all the code that, in earlier versions, made it possible to run older 32-bit apps in Apple's 64-bit operating system. Apple warned us years ago that this change was coming, and there's no doubt that an all-64-bit OS like Catalina is more efficient than an OS that runs both 32-bit and 64-bit code. Still, for many users, Catalina blocks apps that they've relied on for years. Here, we show you how to run 32-bit apps on an OS that isn't designed for them.
The 32-bit apps you find on your machine are typically of two kinds: older Mac apps that have been abandoned by their developers (or that developers are slow to update) and apps based on the Wine software project that lets Macs and Linux computers run Windows software. (Wine stands for "Wine Is Not an Emulator," but, effectively, it emulates Windows features so that Macs and Linux boxes can run some, but not all, Windows applications.)
You can now explore the Parallels options for fine control over your apps and use the System Preferences app in the virtual Mojave to make one or more 32-bit apps start up automatically when the virtual machine is launched. (Go the Users & Groups preference pane, then the Login Items tab.)
So, instead of using the Recovery Partition, you'll need to download a Mojave or High Sierra installer, as described above, and drag it into the Select the Installation Window. Follow the prompts to install a virtual machine. When the new virtual system starts up, use the Virtual Machine/Install VMware Tools menu to install the VMware Tools. After restarting the virtual machine, drag your 32-bit apps into it and run them in the same way you can run them in Parallels. VMware uses the name Unity for the same option that Parallels calls Coherence; it runs an app in a virtual machine in a way that looks as if the program is running in a window of your main macOS installation.
In the screenshot example here, you can see that this particular Mac has quite a few 32-bit apps installed and in regular use, including Steam, SuperDuper, TextWrangler, Warcraft 3, and WriteRoom. Of course this is just an example, and there are many other apps used by Mac users which are 32-bit.
There is some precedent for this, both on the Mac and in the iOS world. For example, fairly recently Apple iOS abandoned 32-bit app support, which led some apps to stop working on some iPhone and iPad devices. And in the past, Apple has taken similar measures with Rosetta for PPC apps on Intel chips, and when running Classic apps in the early versions of Mac OS X.
What apps are 32-bit will vary per user, but some games are often 32-bit still on Mac too. Some I am guessing will never be updated which is disappointing for down the road usage. I hope Apple does a Rosetta type experience for 32-bit for quite a while to preserve those games.
I am trying to install mac os high sierra on my new mac running catalina using parallels. I am getting a message that Parallels does not support anything beyond Snow Leopard. Is that correct or am I doing something wrong.
Although the Cupertino, Calif. company has been warning Mac owners when they run 32-bit applications since April and had told customers in June 2017 that the now-current macOS High Sierra would be among the last editions to support 32-bit apps, no banishment date had been set until this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Developers got the word in June 2017 at that year's WWDC. There, Apple told programmers that macOS 10.13, aka "High Sierra" and the year's free upgrade, would be the final version that would "run 32-bit apps without compromise."
In general terms, the larger the developer, the more likely it has already made the move to 64-bit. Microsoft, for example, launched 64-bit versions of its Office apps - Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint - in August 2016, automatically updating the suite's programs.
The 64-bit Office apps' predecessors, the Word and friends bundled as Office for Mac 2011, will likely be among the most prominent 32-bit standouts in the System Report list. The 2011 suite dropped off the support list in October; while Microsoft halted security updates, the applications continue to operate.
Apple has already barred new 32-bit apps from placement in its Mac App Store (it did so starting in January) and was to require "app updates and existing apps" in the e-market to be 64-bit as of last month. That second part, however, left enough wiggle room for 32-bit to remain in the store, such as the May 22 update to Amazon's Kindle.
For years, Apple has been migrating its hardware and software from the older 32-bit approach, with 64-bit apps having access to more memory and allowing faster, more efficient system performance. Many of the newest core features of the Mac, including the Metal graphics acceleration architecture, are designed with 64-bit in mind and only work with 64-bit apps.
Up until October 2019, the Mac operating system supported applications that were both "32-bit" and "64-bit". Starting with macOS Catalina 10.15, Apple has stated that applications which are 32-bit will no longer run on the newest macOS and beyond. For the last few versions of macOS, launching a 32-bit app would produce a one-time alert that " is not optimized for your Mac." Apple has been supporting 64-bit applications, which can access dramatically more memory and enable faster system performance, for many years, so if you have not seen such messages on your macOS High Sierra (10.13.4) or later Mac, you are likely not using any 32-bit apps and will not be impacted by the change.
While Apple continues the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit only on the Mac, Apple has already completed the transition on iOS. Apple included a similar alert dialogue on 32-bit iOS apps with iOS 10.3 before requiring 64-bit support to launch on iOS 11 last year.
Like with iOS, the goal is likely to ultimately not support older 32-bit apps on macOS at all. Upgrading to new versions of affected apps or looking for alternative solutions sooner than later is recommended.
Apple has not announced when the migration to 64-bit will be complete, but it is coming. With the next Worldwide Developers Conference just over a month away, a timeline for the transition should be public soon. Until then, you can continue to use 32-bit apps with your Mac.
As Apple says, "macOS High Sierra would be the last version of macOS to run 32-bit apps without compromise". So, for now, 32b programs are fully compatible with High Sierra. All it does when a user runs 32b software is give him a one-time notification to inform him that his 32b program may not run on future versions of the OS.
Alternately, you can use the free 32-bit Check application ( -bitcheck-archichect/), which lets you save, print, and filter the list. With it, you can check the folders of your choosing, and can check just apps, or all bundles including plugins and other executable code.
With the arrival of macOS Catalina, Apple's transition towards 64-bit technology is complete. Starting with macOS Catalina, 32-bit apps no work on your computer. With that being said, there are some workarounds to consider if you happen to have older software that's essential for work or play. Think VM!
Before doing anything else, you should check with the app developer to see if a 64-bit version of your software title is available. The transition to 64-bit technology was a lengthy one for Apple and the odds are high that your developer did make the switch.
There's no harm in using 32-bit apps, but Apple wants developers to utilize modern hardware features that only work with 64-bit apps. Apple is encouraging macOS users who see the alert to contact developers of the app, presumably to pressure them to make the move.
"Starting with macOS High Sierra 10.13.4, apps that have not been updated to use 64-bit processes produce a one-time alert when opened. This gives users advance notice that they are running 32-bit software, which will not be compatible with macOS in the future," Apple says in a new support note.
"The 64-bit transition for macOS and macOS apps is still underway, so final transition dates have not yet been established. But now is a good time to check with the software developer to see if 64-bit versions of your favorite titles are available," it continues.
Users can check which apps are 32-bit or 64-bit by going to About this Mac and pressing System Report, scrolling down to Software and then selecting Applications. Next to a field '64-bit (Intel)', it will say 'Yes' if it is a 64-bit app and 'No' if it's a 32-bit app. 2ff7e9595c
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