Apple is expected to release OS X Yosemite today, where after months of testing with its developers and its new Public Beta program, the new version of OS X will be made available as a free download from the App Store. As with prior OS X upgrades, Yosemite will come with a number of new services and features that have been extensively tested, but which may still have a bug or two so while you might be eager to upgrade, be sure you have prepared your Mac by at least fully backing it up with Time Machine, but in addition, be sure your apps are fully updated.

As with any upgrade Apple’s developer program has made it available to developers looking to create and update apps to work properly in Yosemite. While there has been ample time for most developers to ensure their apps are working, this process is always an ongoing effort. You might have noticed that App Store updates are progressively showing more Yosemite features, or at least an official “compatible with OS X Yosemite” statement, but keep in mind that bugs may still exist in these apps, both as the developers progress their coding as well as Apple refines the new features in Yosemite.

Therefore, be sure that today you go to the App Store, check for updates, and apply them as soon as you can. In addition, be sure to do this frequently over the next few weeks, since updates for programs might sometimes be released within days of each other.

In addition to checking the App Store, be sure other third-party programs and services you use are updated. These can include system add-ons such as those like Dropbox, Little Snitch, and others that reside in your system status menus, or third-party system preference panes, kernel extensions, and other tools.

Since for the most part, such services either have a preference pane or front-end application used for configuring them, you can get an idea of what programs you have by opening the Applications folder and perusing the items you have in there. In addition, be sure to check the Utilities subdirectory, and also check the “Other” section of the system preferences (the one at the bottom) for any add-ons you might have.

For the most part, these locations on your Mac will show the various third-party tools you have installed, and most of these tools should have built-in updaters that you can use to ensure they are at their latest versions. However, if not then be sure to check the developer’s Web page to see if any updates are available, and apply them.

When you have done this, before upgrading to OS X Yosemite, be sure to read up on how to best prepare for and upgrade to OS X Yosemite.