Then, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. At that place are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may non exist working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may accept noticed your Mac's performance went downwards correct afterward the terminal update. Finally, if y'all want to run a parallel copy of Mac Bone X on a virtual machine, you too will demand 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 downward the route.

A listing of all Mac Bone X versions

We'll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it's skilful to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.i Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.3 Tiger 10.four Leopard 10.5
Snow Leopard 10.6 Lion ten.seven Mountain Lion ten.8
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite 10.10 El Capitan 10.11
Sierra ten.12 Loftier 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 information, y'all will probably need enough gratis space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the Bone itself just also space for other applications and your user data. One more than statement is that the gratuitous space on your disk translates into virtual memory and so your apps have "fuel" to operate on. The chart beneath tells you how much free space is needed.

Note, that information technology is recommended that you install OS on a clean bulldoze. Adjacent, y'all will need enough disk space available, for instance, to create Recovery Partition. Hither are some ideas to free upwards space on your drive:

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

Become to Finder > All My Files > Accommodate by size

Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a deject storage.

If yous aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, in that location are some squeamish automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as it'southward most simple to employ of all. It deletes arrangement junk, old broken apps, and the remainder of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for Os 10.nine (gratis version)

Download CleanMyMacfor OS 10.10 - x.14 (free version)

STEP two. Get a re-create of Mac Bone 10 download

Normally, information technology is causeless that updating Os is a one-way route. That's why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the Bone installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If y'all succeed in downloading the OS installation, your adjacent step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and and so reinstall the Bone on your estimator.

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

Mac operating system download


If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS Ten from the App Shop, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll notice all the installers you lot can download. Yet, it doesn't always piece of work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. Just here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top card.
  3. Scroll down to find the preferred Bone Ten 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 Bone version equally 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 Shop. If you desperately need a lower OS 10 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 lot can merely notice x.3-x.half-dozen Bone X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available considering starting Mac Bone X Snow Leopard 10.seven, the App Store has go the but source of updating Apple OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac Os 10 directly from Apple tree. Both will cost y'all effectually $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and before Apple versions can only exist installed from DVD.

Purchase a boxed edition of Snow Leopard ten.6
Get an email re-create of Lion x.7
Get an email re-create of Mount Lion ten.eight

The e-mail edition comes with a special download code you can utilize for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Panthera leo, your Mac needs to be running Snowfall Leopard so you can install the newer Os on top of it.

How to become macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if you lot can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as information technology'due south possible besides. But earlier your Mac tin run El Capitan information technology has to be updated to OS 10 10.6.8. So, here are main steps yous should take:

1. Install Snowfall Leopard from install DVD.
ii. Update to 10.half dozen.8 using Software Update.
three. Download El Capitan here.

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

If you take 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 wait it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple tree OS versions but do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

Merely as it oftentimes happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if yous have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating arrangement. For instance, to get an installer for Lion, you lot may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual auto running Lion. Then yous will demand to set an external drive to download the installation file using OS 10 Utilities.

After you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and re-create the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do information technology.

Stride three. Install older Bone Ten onto an external bulldoze

The following method allows you lot to download Mac OS X Lion, Mount Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
  2. Fix a make clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS Ten.
  4. Select external drive equally a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

At present the Bone should showtime downloading automatically onto the external drive. Afterward the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you lot to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely close it down. Now that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, yous tin reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Boot your Mac from your standard bulldoze.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Get to external drive > Os 10 Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you demand to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain 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.xiii, information technology is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the feel. Y'all tin practice it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Didactics todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Educational activity 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 one-time system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to exercise it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for costless here).

Visit your local Apple tree Store to download older Bone X version

If none of the options to get older OS 10 worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. Y'all can also ask their assist to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. Then here you are. We promise this article has helped you to download an former version of Mac OS 10. Below are a few more links y'all may notice interesting.