I have an older macBook Pro

[bif]

I took it to the Apple store today and they installed Mac Os Catalina 10.15.7. Now my Microsoft Word and Photoshop don't work. Any idea how to fix this?

[ret5hd]

1. my unsolicited advice:

please ignore if unwanted:

switch to LibreOffice (word replacement)

and

Gimp (Photoshop replacement)

both free, both very capable, both will import your existing files and export your created files to the formats you want.

[bif]

4. Which version should I download?

MacOS (Apple Silicon) or MacOS (Intel)?

[ret5hd]

5. 1) click on the apple icon...

at the very top left of your screen

2) the first item on the drop down menu that then appears should be “About This Mac” or something similar…click on that

3) a description of the basic hardware in your computer will appear, one item being “Processor”. For instance, mine says “3.4 GHz Quad Core Intel Core i5”…so i would choose the MacOs Intel version. Your processor may differ.

Hope that helps

[bif]

6. This is what mine says

2.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7

[ret5hd]

9. so you would get the intel version

[bif]

10. I downloaded it. Thank you for the info! Now...

Is there a version of Gimp that works with my operating system? I downloaded the X86 version and it says it's not compatible with my OS 10.15.7

[usonian]

2. OK. I think this is the deal.

I did a web search, and the very question turns up a LOT.
https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=Mac+Os+Catalina+10.15.7.+Now+my+Microsoft+Word+and+Photoshop+don%27t+work.&ia=web
And a lot of people have/had the same exact problem.

The reason being that MacOS Catalina stopped support for 32-bit apps.
Bummer. Apple posted that notice long ago, but of course, you had no reason in the world to have seen it, getting an all-at-once update to the OS.

I *do* think that the Apple person should have told you!!!!!
This was a big crossing of the Rubicon for Apple and older 32-bit apps.

And I do think it's why I stuck my old imac (before the display quit working) with 10.14 Mojave and told a friend not to go beyond that if he was running old 32-bit apps..

"Downgrading" an OS and keeping you apps and data is way harder than upgrading, so I won't send any links I may have gathered in my journeys. It is way complex.


I hope this helps, even if the answer leaves even me pissed off.

I use GIMP and Libre Office.
Even the free Mac Office apps (Pages and so on) are very MS-compatible, if not 100%

[bif]

3. I still have the Office install disk

So that would be a wast of time trying to install it?

[usonian]

7. I think so. It must be a 32-bit app, and not compatible with Catalina.

The Apple guy should have warned you about 32 bit apps. Sigh.
That upgrade was so long ago that I guess they forgot the warning.

• Downgrade to Mojave would be tough and I can't advise on downgrades. (*)
• Buying new apps is bad news. I can't advise on whether there's a 64-bit version of them that installs instead of new online/subscription model versions
• The open source apps do work, as do the free Apple office apps (not including image editing) but I totally understand if you want your old apps to work.

(*) It's tricky. Get some expert mac hacker to help. It could destroy your apps and files. Do you have backups (like Time Machine) of the old operating system?

[bif]

8. Looks like I'm going to bite the bullet

And get a new MacBook Air. I'm long overdue for a new computer. This one is from 2012.

[usonian]

11. Good luck. My old MBA is 2010. I use it only to run RadioShark software which stopped upgrading.

But be aware that those 32 bit apps won’t run (AFAICT) on Catalina or newer.

And I totally dislike the new “subscription model” MS and Adobe “apps” hosted elsewhere.

I don’t see any way to get installed versions of your apps that will run on MacOS past Mojave.

Is it possible to get a laptop that has Mojave or older installed? Those old apps are gems,.

A quick scan of sites … they don’t say what OS the used/refurbished units run, just the hardware specs.

I have an old mini that I capped out at Mojave, so there must be others with laptops, for the same reasons as yours.

I have gone the mini route, because you can get an M4 mini for $600.

I use an ipad pro for my music scores with the keyboard case, so it’s like an ios laptop FWIW. Typing on it right now. Keyboard above the piano keyboard. I like the mac apps a lot more, and have a 27 inch display for my aging eyes. The music is easier to read with the lighted screen compared to print.