So, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point y'all to this radical conclusion. To brainstorm with, some of your apps may non be working properly (or but crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you lot may accept noticed your Mac's performance went downward correct subsequently the last update. Finally, if yous desire to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual car, yous too will demand a working installation file of an older Mac Os Ten. Farther downward we'll explain where to become one and what problems you may confront downwards the route.

A list of all Mac OS X versions

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

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.one Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.iii Tiger 10.4 Leopard x.5
Snowfall Leopard x.6 Lion 10.vii Mountain Lion ten.8
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite ten.x El Capitan ten.11
Sierra x.12 High Sierra 10.xiii Mojave 10.14
Catalina 10.15

Footstep 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with data, you will probably demand plenty gratis space on your Mac. This includes not simply space for the Bone itself merely too infinite for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory 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 make clean bulldoze. Adjacent, yous will need plenty disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Segmentation. Here are some ideas to gratuitous upwards space on your drive:

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

Go to Finder > All My Files > Accommodate by size

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

If yous aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, in that location are some prissy automated "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as it'due south most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old cleaved apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

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

Download CleanMyMac for Bone 10.ix (free version)

Download CleanMyMacfor Os 10.10 - 10.xiv (costless version)

STEP 2. Go a copy of Mac Os X download

Normally, information technology is assumed that updating OS is a one-style route. That's why going dorsum to a past Apple tree Os version is problematic. The main claiming is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your side by side stride is to create a bootable USB or DVD and and then 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 Shop, open it and go to the Purchased tab. In that location you'll find all the installers y'all tin download. However, it doesn't e'er work that way. The purchased department lists only those operating systems that you lot had downloaded in the by. Merely hither is the path to bank check it:

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

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

Without App Store: Download Mac OS version equally Apple tree Developer

If you lot are signed with an Apple Programmer account, you tin can get admission to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If y'all badly need a lower OS X 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.

All the same, keep in listen that if you visit programmer.apple.com/downloads, you tin just find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not bachelor because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard ten.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple tree OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

Y'all can purchase a boxed or electronic mail version of by Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you lot effectually $twenty. For the reason of being rather blowsy, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only exist installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an electronic mail copy of King of beasts ten.7
Go an email copy of Mountain Panthera leo 10.viii

The e-mail edition comes with a special download lawmaking yous can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Panthera leo or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard and then y'all tin can install the newer Bone on superlative of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if yous tin run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it's possible too. But earlier your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X x.6.8. And then, here are main steps yous should take:

1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to x.six.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan hither.

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

If you take a newer Mac, at that place is no concrete pick to install Mac OS versions older than your electric current Mac model. For case, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don't expect it to run any Os released prior of that time, because older Apple Bone versions simply practise not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

Simply as it ofttimes happens, workarounds are possible. There is withal a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating organization. For instance, to get an installer for Panthera leo, y'all may ask a friend who has Panthera leo-operated Mac or, once once again, set up a virtual machine running King of beasts. And so you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

Afterward you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but y'all can click Cancel and re-create the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to practise it.

STEP three. Install older Os X onto an external bulldoze

The following method allows yous to download Mac OS 10 Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Starting time your Mac holding down Command + R.
  2. Gear up a clean external bulldoze (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall Bone X.
  4. Select external drive as a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

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

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

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk paradigm file — this is the file you need to reinstall King of beasts Bone X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Panthera leo and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra x.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous organization if you are not satisfied with the experience. Yous can practise it either with Time Machine or past 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 do it, the best advice is to back your Mac upwardly so your most of import files stay intact. In addition to that, information technology makes sense to clean upwardly your Mac from erstwhile arrangement junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac Ten on your machine (download information technology for costless here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older Bone Ten 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 back to Bone Leopard and earlier. You tin can likewise ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you lot are. We promise this commodity has helped you to download an old version of Mac Os X. Below are a few more than links you may find interesting.