So, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could indicate yous to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or only 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 Bone X on a virtual automobile, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac Bone 10. Further down we'll explain where to become one and what problems you may face up down the road.

A listing of all Mac Bone X versions

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

Cheetah 10.0 Puma x.1 Jaguar x.2
Panther ten.three Tiger 10.four Leopard 10.5
Snow Leopard ten.6 Lion 10.7 Mountain King of beasts 10.eight
Mavericks x.9 Yosemite 10.10 El Capitan ten.11
Sierra 10.12 Loftier Sierra 10.13 Mojave 10.fourteen
Catalina 10.15

STEP 1. Set your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with information, you will probably demand plenty free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the Os itself merely also infinite for other applications and your user data. I more statement is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual retention and so your apps have "fuel" to operate on. The chart below tells you how much costless space is needed.

Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Side by side, you volition need enough deejay space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up infinite 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 > Arrange past size

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

If yous aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac equally it's most simple to use of all. It deletes organisation junk, sometime broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor OS 10.4 - 10.viii (complimentary version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (gratis version)

Download CleanMyMacfor OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)

Footstep two. Get a copy of Mac OS Ten download

Normally, information technology is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That's why going back to a past Apple tree Bone version is problematic. The principal challenge is to download the Os installation file itself, because your Mac may already exist running a newer version. If you lot succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your figurer.

How to download older Mac Os Ten versions via the App Shop

Mac operating system download


If you once had purchased an erstwhile version of Mac Bone X from the App Store, open information technology and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll detect all the installers you can download. However, it doesn't ever piece of work that way. The purchased department lists merely those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to cheque information technology:

  1. Click the App Shop icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top bill of fare.
  3. Scroll down to detect the preferred Os X version.
  4. Click Download.

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

Without App Shop: Download Mac Os version as Apple Developer

If yous are signed with an Apple Developer business relationship, you tin get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you lot desperately need a lower Os X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership toll is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that if y'all visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you lot can just find 10.iii-10.6 Os X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac Bone 10 Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has go 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 email version of past Mac Os 10 directly from Apple. Both volition price you lot around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can but be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email re-create of Lion 10.vii
Get an e-mail copy of Mountain Lion ten.8

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

How to become macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if yous can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it's possible also. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to exist updated to Os X ten.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:

i. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
ii. Update to 10.6.eight using Software Update.
three. Download El Capitan here.

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

If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical selection to install Mac Bone versions older than your current Mac model. For example, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don't expect information technology to run whatsoever OS released prior of that time, because older Apple tree Bone versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

Simply equally it frequently happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a risk to download the installation file if you take an admission to a Mac (or virtual auto) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, one time again, set a virtual motorcar running Lion. Then you will need to set up an external drive to download the installation file using OS Ten Utilities.

Later you lot've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you tin click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to practise it.

STEP iii. Install older Os X onto an external drive

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

  1. Start your Mac belongings down Command + R.
  2. Prepare a make clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Inside Bone 10 Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
  4. Select external drive every bit a source.
  5. Enter your Apple tree ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

At present the Os should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. Later the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to exercise a restart, but at this indicate, you should completely shut it downwards. At present that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, y'all can reinstall the Os, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Kick your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Go to external drive > Os Ten Install Information.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file y'all need to reinstall Lion OS X. The aforementioned steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running afterwards macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra x.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.thirteen, it is possible to revert information technology to the previous system if y'all are not satisfied with the experience. Y'all can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external bulldoze.

Teaching todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Pedagogy todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac upward so your most of import files stay intact. In improver to that, it makes sense to make clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do information technology is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for gratis hither).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older Bone Ten version

If none of the options to get older Bone 10 worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple tree Store. They should accept image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. Yous tin can likewise enquire their assist to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We promise this commodity has helped you to download an sometime version of Mac Bone X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.