TekRevue:
Following the path it took with iOS, Apple is preparing to transition macOS to require 64-bit apps. The Mac operating system itself has been 64-bit for years, but has maintained compatibility with 32-bit apps. But that’s going to change soon.
Through the use of a Terminal command, you can configure your Mac to only run 64-bit applications. Any 32-bit apps you have installed on your Mac will still be there, but they’ll simply crash when you try to launch them. The potential issue with enabling 64-bit mode on your Mac is that you (or an otherwise 64-bit app) will end up needing to launch a 32-bit app for whatever reason and it will be unavailable. The good news is that this process is reversible, so if you run into the aforementioned situation, you can always switch back to supporting 32-bit apps.
This is something you might want to do ahead of Apple eventually shutting down access to 32-bit apps. You want to find out what your alternatives are before your forced to.
But… High Sierra warns you on first run of a 32 bit app.
Ok, but you can get an overview, all be it, a bit convoluted, on which application is written in 32 bit by going to About this Mac, clicking on System Report and selecting Applications. You get a list of everything 64 or 32 bit. You can then decide what you need to dump or replace.
This seems a bit extreme compared to just doing System Report or looking at Disk in Activity Monitor.
Just noticed one issue I will have is my Epson Scanner Monitor / Event Manager and my Seagate Storage app.
Chances of those being updated for 64 bit – pretty fricken small…
Wondering when Apple will pull the plugin 32bit apps. I have a staggering amount of games, apps and driver software that are 32bit and will probably never be updated. So if you had been postponing playing some of your older games, better do it soon 🙂
Another way is to go to Activity Monitor, right click in the table header on the CPU tab and choose Kind. Now sort by that column. Currently I’m showing two mdworker32 processes running on mine.
Or just run in a VM.
(Or keep an old Mini around, say…
I’m honestly sort of surprised Apple’s going to can 32 bit support rather than just ship 32 bit libraries in parallel for legacy use.
It’s not rocket surgery.)
“Or just run in a VM. Or keep an old Mini around.” For a lot of people, that’s not possible or feasible.