So, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you lot to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may non be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Too, you may take noticed your Mac's performance went down correct later on the final update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel re-create of Mac Os X on a virtual machine, you too volition need a working installation file of an older Mac Os 10. Further down we'll explain where to get one and what problems you may face downwards the road.

A list of all Mac OS Ten versions

We'll be repeatedly referring to these Apple Bone versions below, then it'southward adept to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.ane Jaguar x.two
Panther ten.3 Tiger 10.4 Leopard 10.5
Snowfall Leopard 10.half-dozen Lion 10.seven Mountain Lion 10.8
Mavericks 10.ix Yosemite 10.10 El Capitan 10.11
Sierra 10.12 Loftier Sierra 10.13 Mojave x.14
Catalina 10.15

STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with data, you volition probably demand enough gratis infinite on your Mac. This includes not simply space for the Bone itself but also space for other applications and your user data. 1 more than argument is that the costless space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps take "fuel" to operate on. The chart beneath tells you how much gratuitous infinite is needed.

Annotation, that information technology is recommended that y'all install Bone on a clean drive. Side by side, you will need enough disk infinite available, for example, to create Recovery Sectionalization. Here are some ideas to gratis up infinite 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 you lot tin 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 prissy automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as it's virtually simple to utilise of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the residue of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Bone ten.4 - x.8 (gratuitous version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS x.9 (complimentary version)

Download CleanMyMacfor Bone 10.ten - ten.14 (free version)

Step ii. Get a copy of Mac OS 10 download

Normally, it is assumed that updating Os is a ane-way road. That'due south why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main claiming is to download the Os installation file itself, considering your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you lot succeed in downloading the Bone installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your calculator.

How to download older Mac Os 10 versions via the App Shop

Mac operating system download


If you once had purchased an onetime version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll observe all the installers you can download. However, it doesn't ever piece of work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to bank check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the height carte du jour.
  3. Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
  4. Click Download.

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

Without App Store: Download Mac Os version as Apple Developer

If you are signed with an Apple tree Developer account, you lot tin go admission to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you badly need a lower OS Ten version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/twelvemonth and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Notwithstanding, keep in mind that if y'all visit developer.apple.com/downloads, yous can only find x.3-10.half dozen Os X operating systems there. Newer versions are not bachelor because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.seven, the App Shop has go the merely source of updating Apple tree Bone versions.

Buy 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 around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions tin can merely be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.six
Become an e-mail copy of Lion 10.7
Become an e-mail copy of Mountain Panthera leo 10.8

The email edition comes with a special download code you lot can use for the Mac App Shop. Note, that to install the Lion or Mount King of beasts, your Mac needs to exist running Snowfall Leopard so you can install the newer Os on top of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

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

1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan hither.

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

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

Mac os x download

But as it oftentimes happens, workarounds are possible. There is nonetheless a take chances to download the installation file if yous have an access to a Mac (or virtual car) running that operating organization. For example, to become an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Panthera leo-operated Mac or, once over again, set upward a virtual car running Lion. And so you will demand to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using Bone X Utilities.

After y'all've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you tin can click Cancel and copy the file you lot need. Below is the detailed education how to practise information technology.

Pace 3. Install older Os X onto an external drive

The following method allows y'all to download Mac OS Ten Lion, Mountain King of beasts, and Mavericks.

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

Now the Bone should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. Later the download is consummate, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, y'all should completely close it down. Now that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, you 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. Go to external drive > Bone X Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file yous need to reinstall King of beasts OS 10. The same steps are valid for Mountain Panthera leo and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running later on macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Automobile or by creating a bootable USB or external bulldoze.

Pedagogy todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Teaching todowngrade from macOS Loftier Sierra

Education todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Education to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you practise it, the all-time advice is to dorsum your Mac upwards and then your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, information technology makes sense to clean up your Mac from sometime system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version

If none of the options to get older OS Ten worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should accept image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can as well inquire their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. And then here you lot are. Nosotros hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac Bone X. Below are a few more than links you may observe interesting.