And so, you've decided to download an older version of Mac Bone X. There are many reasons that could point y'all to this radical determination. To begin with, some of your apps may not exist working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you lot may have noticed your Mac's performance went down correct after the last update. Finally, if you lot want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, yous likewise will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Farther downwards we'll explicate where to get i and what problems yous may face down the road.

A list of all Mac OS Ten versions

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

Chetah ten.0 Puma 10.one Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.three Tiger 10.4 Leopard 10.5
Snow Leopard ten.6 Lion 10.seven Mountain Panthera leo 10.eight
Mavericks 10.ix Yosemite 10.10 El Capitan 10.11
Sierra 10.12 Loftier Sierra 10.13 Mojave 10.14
Catalina ten.15

STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with data, y'all will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not simply infinite for the OS itself but as well space for other applications and your user data. One more than argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory and so your apps have "fuel" to operate on. The chart below tells y'all how much complimentary infinite is needed.

Note, that it is recommended that you install Bone on a clean bulldoze. Adjacent, you volition demand enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free upward space on your drive:

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

Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size

Then yous tin movement your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.

If y'all aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some squeamish automated "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as information technology's nigh unproblematic to use of all. Information technology deletes system junk, one-time broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Bone ten.4 - ten.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.ix (gratis version)

Download CleanMyMacfor OS ten.10 - 10.fourteen (free version)

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

Normally, it is assumed that updating Bone is a ane-mode route. That's why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The chief challenge is to download the Os installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If yous succeed in downloading the OS installation, your side by side step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and and so reinstall the OS on your computer.

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

Mac operating system download


If you one time had purchased an old version of Mac OS Ten from the App Store, open up it and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll find all the installers y'all tin can download. Nonetheless, it doesn't e'er work that manner. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. Only hither is the path to cheque information technology:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the tiptop menu.
  3. Gyre down to find 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 you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.

Without App Store: Download Mac Os version as 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 Store. If you badly need a lower Bone X version build, consider creating a new Developer account amidst other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Still, continue in mind that if you lot visit programmer.apple.com/downloads, you lot can only find 10.3-x.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are non available because starting Mac OS 10 Snowfall Leopard 10.vii, the App Shop has become the only source of updating Apple tree OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

You can buy a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X straight from Apple. Both volition cost you effectually $20. For the reason of existence rather blowsy, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions tin only exist installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snowfall Leopard ten.6
Become an e-mail copy of Lion 10.vii
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8

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

How to go macOS El Capitan download

If you lot are wondering if you tin can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice equally information technology's possible also. But before your Mac tin run El Capitan information technology has to exist updated to OS 10 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should have:

1. Install Snow 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 Bone Ten"

If you take a newer Mac, in that location is no concrete selection to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don't look it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions only do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

But every bit it often happens, workarounds are possible. In that location is even so a hazard to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual automobile) running that operating system. For case, to become an installer for King of beasts, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, in one case again, set upwards a virtual machine running Lion. Then you lot will demand to set an external bulldoze to download the installation file using Bone X Utilities.

After you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you lot demand. Below is the detailed instruction how to exercise it.

Pace 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive

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

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

Now the OS should beginning downloading automatically onto the external bulldoze. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt y'all to do a restart, only at this signal, yous 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. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Get to external drive > Bone Ten Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Panthera leo Bone 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 ten.12 or macOS High Sierra ten.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are non satisfied with the experience. You can do information technology either with Time Auto or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.

Education todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Didactics todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Earlier you do information technology, the best advice is to back your Mac upwards so your most of import files stay intact. In improver to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest mode to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for gratuitous 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 Store. They should have image installations going dorsum to Bone Leopard and earlier. Yous can also inquire their assist to create a bootable USB bulldoze with the installation file. So here y'all are. We promise this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac Bone 10. Beneath are a few more than links you lot may find interesting.