So, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. At that place are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Besides, yous may have noticed your Mac's performance went down correct after the last update. Finally, if y'all want to run a parallel re-create of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, yous too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we'll explain where to get one and what problems you may face downward the route.

A listing of all Mac Bone X versions

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

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.ane Jaguar ten.two
Panther x.3 Tiger 10.4 Leopard ten.5
Snow Leopard 10.half-dozen Lion ten.seven Mount King of beasts 10.eight
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite x.10 El Capitan 10.xi
Sierra ten.12 High Sierra 10.thirteen Mojave x.14
Catalina x.15

STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

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

Note, that information technology is recommended that you install Os on a clean drive. Next, yous will need enough deejay space available, for case, to create Recovery Partition. Hither are some ideas to gratuitous up space on your drive:

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

Go to Finder > All My Files > Adapt by size

Then you tin move your space hoggers onto an external bulldoze or a deject storage.

If you aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as information technology's about elementary to use of all. Information technology deletes arrangement junk, old cleaved apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Os 10.4 - ten.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for Bone x.9 (costless version)

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

STEP two. Get a copy of Mac Os 10 download

Usually, information technology is assumed that updating OS is a ane-fashion route. That'due south why going back to a by Apple Os version is problematic. The master 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 footstep is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the Os on your estimator.

How to download older Mac OS 10 versions via the App Store

Mac operating system download


If you once had purchased an old version of Mac Bone X from the App Store, open it and get to the Purchased tab. There you'll find all the installers you can download. Yet, it doesn't e'er work that mode. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that yous had downloaded in the by. But here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top menu.
  3. Scroll down to discover the preferred Bone Ten version.
  4. Click Download.

This method allows y'all to download Mavericks and Yosemite past logging with your Apple ID — only if you lot 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 tree Developer business relationship, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Shop. If y'all badly need a lower OS 10 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 programmer.apple tree.com/downloads, you lot can merely detect ten.three-ten.six OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac Os X Snow Leopard 10.seven, the App Store has become the merely source of updating Apple Os versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

You lot tin can purchase a boxed or e-mail version of past Mac Bone 10 directly from Apple. Both will price you effectually $20. For the reason of being rather blowsy, Snow Leopard and before Apple versions can just be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Panthera leo 10.7
Get an e-mail copy of Mountain Lion ten.8

The electronic mail edition comes with a special download code you can employ for the Mac App Shop. Note, that to install the King of beasts or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to exist running Snowfall Leopard so you can install the newer Bone on meridian of it.

How to become macOS El Capitan download

If y'all are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as information technology'south possible also. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to Bone X 10.half dozen.eight. So, hither are main steps you should take:

1. Install Snowfall Leopard from install DVD.
ii. Update to x.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan hither.

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

If y'all have a newer Mac, there is no concrete option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For case, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don't look information technology to run any OS released prior of that fourth dimension, because older Apple Bone versions only do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

Merely equally information technology often happens, workarounds are possible. There is notwithstanding a hazard to download the installation file if you lot take an admission to a Mac (or virtual motorcar) running that operating system. For case, to get an installer for Lion, you may enquire a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, ready up a virtual car running Lion. Then you will need to gear up an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

Afterward you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Abolish and copy the file yous demand. Below is the detailed teaching how to exercise it.

STEP 3. Install older Bone X onto an external drive

The following method allows yous to download Mac OS X Lion, Mount Panthera leo, and Mavericks.

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

Now the OS should starting time downloading automatically onto the external bulldoze. Later the download is consummate, your Mac will prompt you to exercise a restart, but at this signal, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, y'all can reinstall the OS, 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 drive > Bone X Install Information.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS 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 10.12 or macOS Loftier Sierra ten.13, information technology is possible to revert it to the previous arrangement if you are not satisfied with the feel. You can exercise information technology either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external bulldoze.

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Didactics to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you lot do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up then your virtually of import files stay intact. In improver to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old organization junk files and awarding leftovers. The easiest manner to exercise it is to run CleanMyMac 10 on your machine (download it for free here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS Ten version

If none of the options to get older Bone X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Shop. They should accept prototype installations going dorsum to OS Leopard and earlier. You tin also inquire their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here y'all are. We promise this article has helped you to download an erstwhile version of Mac Os 10. Beneath are a few more than links you lot may find interesting.