And so, yous've decided to download an older version of Mac Bone X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical determination. To brainstorm with, some of your apps may not exist working properly (or just crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you lot may have noticed your Mac's operation went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel re-create of Mac OS X on a virtual auto, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Farther down we'll explain where to go i and what problems you may face up down the road.

A list of all Mac OS X versions

Nosotros'll be repeatedly referring to these Apple tree Os versions below, and then information technology's practiced to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0 Puma ten.1 Jaguar 10.two
Panther 10.3 Tiger 10.4 Leopard x.5
Snow Leopard 10.six King of beasts 10.vii Mountain Lion x.8
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite 10.ten El Capitan x.11
Sierra 10.12 High Sierra x.13 Mojave 10.14
Catalina 10.fifteen

Footstep ane. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with information, you will probably need enough free infinite on your Mac. This includes non only space for the Bone itself just also space for other applications and your user information. Ane more argument is that the costless space on your deejay 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 bulldoze. Side by side, you will demand enough disk infinite bachelor, for case, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to costless up infinite on your drive:

  • Uninstall big unused apps
  • Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
  • Locate the biggest files on your reckoner:

Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size

Then you tin move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.

If you aren't comfy with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as it's near simple to employ of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your bulldoze.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Os x.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for Os x.9 (gratuitous version)

Download CleanMyMacfor OS ten.x - ten.14 (free version)

STEP two. Get a copy of Mac Os X download

Commonly, it is assumed that updating Os is a one-manner road. That's why going back to a past Apple Bone 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 side by side step is to create a bootable USB or DVD so reinstall the OS on your estimator.

How to download older Mac Bone X versions via the App Shop

Mac operating system download


If you lot once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Shop, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll detect all the installers y'all can download. However, information technology doesn't ever work that way. The purchased section lists but those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. Simply here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the acme bill of fare.
  3. Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
  4. Click Download.

This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if yous previously downloaded them from the Mac App Shop.

Without App Store: Download Mac Os version equally Apple Developer

If you lot are signed with an Apple Developer business relationship, yous tin become access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you badly demand a lower OS 10 version build, consider creating a new Developer business relationship amidst other options. The membership cost is $99/twelvemonth and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Nevertheless, proceed in mind that if y'all visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can but detect 10.three-10.6 Os X operating systems in that location. Newer versions are not bachelor because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.seven, the App Shop has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

You can purchase a boxed or electronic mail version of past Mac OS Ten direct from Apple. Both will price you around $twenty. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snowfall Leopard and earlier Apple versions can just be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snowfall Leopard 10.half-dozen
Get an email copy of Panthera leo 10.7
Become an email copy of Mountain Lion ten.8

The electronic mail edition comes with a special download code you can apply for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to exist running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on acme of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice every bit information technology's possible also. Just before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you lot should take:

i. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to ten.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.

"I tin can't download an old version of Mac Bone X"

If yous accept a newer Mac, at that place is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your electric current Mac model. For case, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don't await it to run any Os released prior of that time, considering older Apple Os versions just do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. In that location is nonetheless a risk to download the installation file if y'all have an access to a Mac (or virtual automobile) running that operating system. For case, to get an installer for King of beasts, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, prepare a virtual machine running Lion. Then you volition need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

Afterwards y'all've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but y'all can click Cancel and copy the file you lot need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do information technology.

Pace 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive

The following method allows y'all to download Mac OS X Lion, Mount Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Get-go your Mac holding downwards Control + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at least ten GB of storage).
  3. Within Bone Ten Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
  4. Select external drive as a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

At present the Bone should start downloading automatically onto the external bulldoze. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt yous to practise a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. At present that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, y'all tin reinstall the Os, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external bulldoze.
  3. Go to external drive > Bone Ten Install Information.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall King of beasts OS X. The same steps are valid for Mount Lion and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.thirteen, information technology is possible to revert it to the previous organisation if you are not satisfied with the feel. Y'all can practice it either with Fourth dimension Automobile or by creating a bootable USB or external bulldoze.

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Pedagogy todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Pedagogy to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you exercise information technology, the all-time advice is to dorsum 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 awarding leftovers. The easiest way to practise it is to run CleanMyMac X on your car (download it for gratuitous here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older Os Ten 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 Bone Leopard and before. You lot tin also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. And so here y'all are. We hope this article has helped you to download an one-time version of Mac OS X. Beneath are a few more links you lot may find interesting.