Then, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could betoken you to this radical decision. To brainstorm with, some of your apps may not exist working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Too, you may have noticed your Mac's performance went down right after the terminal update. Finally, if you desire to run a parallel copy of Mac OS 10 on a virtual auto, yous too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS Ten. Farther down nosotros'll explicate where to get one and what problems y'all may face down the road.

A listing of all Mac OS X versions

Nosotros'll be repeatedly referring to these Apple Os versions beneath, so information technology'due south adept to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.one Jaguar 10.ii
Panther 10.three Tiger 10.4 Leopard ten.5
Snow Leopard 10.6 Lion 10.7 Mount Panthera leo 10.8
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite 10.10 El Capitan 10.11
Sierra ten.12 High Sierra 10.13 Mojave x.14
Catalina 10.xv

STEP ane. Fix your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with information, you will probably need enough gratuitous infinite on your Mac. This includes non just space for the Bone itself but also space for other applications and your user information. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual retention and then your apps accept "fuel" to operate on. The chart beneath tells you how much gratis space is needed.

Note, that it is recommended that y'all install OS on a clean drive. Next, you lot will need plenty disk space available, for instance, 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:

Become to Finder > All My Files > Adapt past size

And so you tin can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.

If yous aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some squeamish automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as information technology's most uncomplicated to utilise of all. It deletes system junk, sometime broken apps, and the residue of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for Bone 10.9 (gratuitous version)

Download CleanMyMacfor Bone 10.10 - 10.14 (gratuitous version)

STEP 2. Get a re-create of Mac OS X download

Usually, it is assumed that updating OS is a ane-way road. That'south why going back to a past Apple Bone 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 you succeed in downloading the Bone installation, your adjacent footstep is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your figurer.

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

Mac operating system download


If you once had purchased an quondam version of Mac Os X from the App Store, open information technology and go to the Purchased tab. At that place you'll discover all the installers yous can download. However, it doesn't e'er work that manner. The purchased department lists simply those operating systems that you had downloaded in the by. Just hither is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top card.
  3. Scroll downwards to detect the preferred Os X version.
  4. Click Download.

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

Without App Shop: Download Mac Os version as Apple Developer

If you are signed with an Apple Programmer account, you can get admission 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 business relationship among other options. The membership cost is $99/twelvemonth and provides a agglomeration of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Withal, keep in heed that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only observe 10.3-10.6 OS Ten operating systems there. Newer versions are not bachelor because starting Mac Bone X Snowfall Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the just 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 straight from Apple tree. Both will cost you effectually $xx. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snowfall Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.vi
Become an e-mail copy of King of beasts x.seven
Get an email copy of Mount Lion 10.8

The email edition comes with a special download code you tin can use for the Mac App Shop. Note, that to install the Panthera leo or Mountain Panthera leo, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so y'all can install the newer OS on top of information technology.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If y'all 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 exist updated to Bone X ten.6.8. So, hither are main steps you should take:

1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.viii using Software Update.
three. Download El Capitan here.

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

If you lot have a newer Mac, in that location is no physical option 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 whatever Bone released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if y'all take an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for King of beasts, y'all may inquire a friend who has Panthera leo-operated Mac or, once again, ready a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

After y'all've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, simply you can click Abolish and re-create the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to exercise it.

STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive

The following method allows you lot to download Mac OS X King of beasts, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Beginning your Mac holding down Command + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at to the lowest degree 10 GB of storage).
  3. Inside Bone Ten Utilities, choose Reinstall OS 10.
  4. Select external bulldoze as a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

At present the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac volition prompt you to practise a restart, but at this point, you lot should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this fourth dimension running the file on your Mac.

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

Locate InstallESD.dmg deejay paradigm file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS Ten. 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 x.12 or macOS Loftier Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous organization if you are not satisfied with the experience. You lot tin do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external bulldoze.

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Teaching todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you lot exercise it, the all-time advice is to dorsum your Mac upward so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old organisation junk files and application leftovers. The easiest style to practise it is to run CleanMyMac 10 on your machine (download information technology for free hither).

Visit your local Apple Shop to download older Os Ten version

If none of the options to get older Bone X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should take paradigm installations going back to Bone Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. Then hither you are. We hope this commodity has helped you to download an old version of Mac Bone X. Beneath are a few more links you may observe interesting.