And then, you lot've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical determination. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Too, you may have noticed your Mac'south performance went downward right after the last update. Finally, if y'all want to run a parallel copy of Mac Bone 10 on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down nosotros'll explain where to get one and what problems you lot may confront down the route.

A list of all Mac Bone Ten versions

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

Chetah 10.0 Puma 10.ane Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.3 Tiger 10.4 Leopard x.five
Snow Leopard 10.6 Panthera leo ten.7 Mountain Lion ten.8
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite ten.x El Capitan ten.11
Sierra ten.12 High Sierra 10.13 Mojave x.14
Catalina 10.15

Footstep 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough costless space on your Mac. This includes non but space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. I more than argument is that the complimentary space on your disk translates into virtual memory and then your apps take "fuel" to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free infinite is needed.

Annotation, that it is recommended that y'all install Bone on a clean drive. Adjacent, yous volition need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your bulldoze:

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

Go to Finder > All My Files > Suit by size

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

If you aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, in that location are some overnice automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as information technology'southward nearly unproblematic to use of all. It deletes organization junk, erstwhile broken apps, and the remainder of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Bone 10.iv - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)

Download CleanMyMacfor Os 10.10 - ten.14 (costless version)

STEP 2. Get a re-create of Mac Bone 10 download

Normally, it is assumed that updating Os is a one-way road. That's why going back to a past Apple Bone version is problematic. The primary claiming is to download the OS installation file itself, considering your Mac may already be running a newer version. If y'all succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the Bone on your computer.

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

Mac operating system download


If yous once had purchased an former version of Mac OS X from the App Shop, open information technology and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll find all the installers y'all can download. All the same, it doesn't e'er work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. Only here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top carte.
  3. Scroll downwardly to observe the preferred Os 10 version.
  4. Click Download.

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

Without App Shop: Download Mac Os version as Apple tree Developer

If y'all are signed with an Apple Programmer account, you tin get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you badly need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account amongst 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 tin simply find x.3-10.6 Bone 10 operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard x.vii, the App Store has become the merely source of updating Apple OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating organization

Apple OS Versions

You lot can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac Bone X directly from Apple tree. Both will cost you effectually $20. For the reason of existence rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and before Apple versions tin only exist installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snowfall Leopard 10.6
Go an email copy of Lion ten.seven
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8

The electronic mail edition comes with a special download code you tin can use for the Mac App Store. Notation, that to install the King of beasts or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you tin install the newer OS on superlative of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if you tin can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it's possible also. Merely before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X x.6.8. So, here are main steps you should accept:

1. Install Snowfall Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.half-dozen.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan hither.

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

If you accept a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac Os versions older than your electric current Mac model. For example, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don't expect it to run any Os released prior of that time, considering older Apple Os versions simply do non include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

But as information technology frequently happens, workarounds are possible. There is nevertheless a chance to download the installation file if yous have an access to a Mac (or virtual motorcar) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, y'all may enquire a friend who has King of beasts-operated Mac or, again, set a virtual auto running Panthera leo. Then you will need to gear up an external drive to download the installation file using Bone X Utilities.

Afterwards you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, simply you can click Abolish and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to practise it.

Footstep iii. Install older Os X onto an external drive

The post-obit method allows you to download Mac Os X Panthera leo, Mountain King of beasts, and Mavericks.

  1. Start your Mac holding down Control + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within Bone X Utilities, cull Reinstall Os 10.
  4. Select external drive as a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

At present the OS should get-go downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt y'all to practice a restart, only at this point, you should completely shut information technology down. At present that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, you tin reinstall the Os, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg deejay image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Panthera leo 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 10.13, 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 Car or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.

Teaching todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Didactics todowngrade from macOS Loftier Sierra

Teaching todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Education to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up and then your about 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 practise it is to run CleanMyMac X on your automobile (download it for free here).

Visit your local Apple tree 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 tree Store. They should have image installations going dorsum to OS Leopard and earlier. You lot tin can as well ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. And so here you are. Nosotros hope this article has helped you to download an former version of Mac Os X. Below are a few more than links y'all may observe interesting.