So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
I was able to download the macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 full installer version thanks to a mid 2012 macbook pro with macOS El Capitan installed. All other attempts with the latest mac book pro and already installed versions of the operating system (Catalina or Mojave) have been unsuccessful. Download macOS High Sierra for Mac & read reviews. Increased security. Advertisement Platforms. MacOS High Sierra for Mac.
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
![Installer Installer](/uploads/1/1/9/4/119461221/978620031.jpg)
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
![Installer Installer](/uploads/1/1/9/4/119461221/678882191.jpg)
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
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Published On: , by MacSoftAdmin
macOS High Sierra has promised that this coming fall there will be loads of great features that app creators can work with in creating their apps. Apple also is bringing out initial beta software because they want app manufacturers to produce apps that will work well when the finished operating system is finally unraveled to the public.
Usually, Apple provides updates to iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS as closed developer previews or public betas for its iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac except for the Apple Watch which has no public beta. Though these betas come with recent characteristics but also present testing bugs that can stop your devices from working the normal way. Sometimes, these bugs can allow virus attack which can cause permanent damage to your device. They are actually not supposed to be used daily on a primary device. If you truly want to keep your device at its best then wait till the finished edition is launched.
Always remember to backup your Mac
One rule to always carry at the back of your mind is ensuring your Mac is backed up. Usually, the entire process from download to the installation is quick and simple. Also note anytime an alteration is made to your computer, there is always the chance of a problem. So it is better to be on the safe path. Always ensure you backup and have all your data saved. Below are the steps to how you can backup your system.
- First, you need to connect to an external source where you can backup your files to. There is the hard disk, FireWire, Thunderbolt cable and Time Capsule with a USB. Any of these can serve the purpose.
- Check to find the Apple icon which should be on the upper left corner, then click on it.
- On the drop-down menu find the system preferences and select it.
- Now pick the Time Machine from the System Preferences window
- The slider has to be turned on.
- Chose the disk you like to use and click on Select Backup Disc.
Time Machine will format the hard drive for backups and begin under two minutes.
Steps in downloading the developer beta
Getting the latest beta is quite easy, more like you visiting the Apple’s developer portal
- Visit developer.apple.com on your Mac.
- Tap on the Develop tab.
- Tap on the Downloads tab.
- Now sign into your developer account.
- Scroll down and get to the download button for macOS 10.13. Click on it and the file will be downloaded.
- Open downloads window and click the downloaded file access utility to open.
- Double-click on the file to run the installer. On successful completion, you will be automatically redirected to apps store update page. Click on update, after which developer beta will be downloaded and installed. The system will automatically restart itself at the end of the operation.
Normally, the developer beta should be present in the lists of updates but if it’s not, then you will have to restart the system. Go to the app store and click on updates. This might take a bit of time depending on the size. Check the status on the update tab.
Installation
When the download is completed, a prompt will appear requesting automatic installation of the software.
- Click on Continue.
- Tick the box to agree to Apple’s terms and conditions.
- Click on Install.
- Follow the instructions to install macOS High Sierra. Rebooting will ensure the installation of High Sierra and a black screen carrying the Apple logo and a progress bar. Now sit and wait for the process to run through completion.
How to install the macOS High Sierra beta on a partition
To prevent your data from corruption by a beta operating system you can partition your hard drive to run macOS High Sierra in tandem with your present operating system.
- Create a partition on your Mac if you haven’t already done so.
- Select Continue when the download is finished and ready to install.
- Agree to the terms.
- Click Agree to confirm that you have read the terms.
- Select Show All Disks to switch from your main partition.
- Select the partition you wish to install the software on.
- Click Install.
You will have the chance to transfer information from your present OS through the installation helper, or chose a totally fresh installation from the scratch.
How to get started with the macOS High Sierra developer beta
Once your Mac reboots, you’ll be set up with macOS High Sierra. You’ll have to follow a couple of steps to get started.
Download Full High Sierra Installer
- Click on Continue.
- Sign in with your Apple ID and password. iCloud will sync your desktop and other files.
- Click on Get Started.
You’ll be directed to your Home screen and it’s time to dig around to find interesting features.
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