And so, you've decided to download an older version of Mac OS 10. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To brainstorm with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or only crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may accept noticed your Mac'south functioning went downwards right later on the last update. Finally, if you lot desire to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual automobile, you lot also will need a working installation file of an older Mac Os Ten. Further down we'll explain where to go one and what problems you may face downwards the road.

A list of all Mac Os X versions

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

Cheetah 10.0 Puma x.1 Jaguar 10.2
Panther ten.three Tiger ten.4 Leopard ten.5
Snow Leopard ten.6 Panthera leo ten.7 Mount Lion 10.8
Mavericks x.nine Yosemite x.10 El Capitan 10.11
Sierra x.12 High Sierra 10.xiii Mojave 10.14
Catalina 10.xv

Pace 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with information, you will probably need enough complimentary infinite on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also infinite for other applications and your user data. Ane 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 lot how much gratis infinite is needed.

Annotation, that it is recommended that you install Os on a clean drive. Side by side, you lot will need plenty deejay space available, for example, to create Recovery Division. Hither are some ideas to free upwardly infinite 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 > Suit by size

Then you can motion your infinite hoggers onto an external bulldoze or a deject storage.

If you aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, in that location are some dainty automated "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as it'south most simple to utilise of all. It deletes arrangement junk, onetime broken apps, and the residual of subconscious junk on your bulldoze.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Os 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.ix (costless version)

Download CleanMyMacfor OS 10.ten - 10.14 (free version)

STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac Bone 10 download

Commonly, it is assumed that updating OS is a i-way road. That's why going back to a by Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, considering your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your adjacent pace is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the Bone on your figurer.

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

Mac operating system download


If y'all once had purchased an one-time version of Mac Bone X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you'll find all the installers yous tin download. However, information technology doesn't ever work that manner. The purchased section lists just those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But hither is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top bill of fare.
  3. Scroll down to notice the preferred Os X version.
  4. Click Download.

This method allows you lot to download Mavericks and Yosemite past logging with your Apple tree 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 tree Developer account, you lot can become access to products that are no longer listed on the App Shop. If you lot desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account amid 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 developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find x.3-x.six OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac Os Ten Snowfall Leopard ten.7, the App Shop has get the only source of updating Apple tree OS versions.

Buy an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

You lot can purchase a boxed or electronic mail version of past Mac Os 10 directly from Apple. Both volition cost you around $twenty. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard ten.6
Become an email copy of Lion x.vii
Go an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8

The electronic mail edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snowfall Leopard so yous can install the newer OS on top of information technology.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice equally it'southward possible as well. But before your Mac can run El Capitan information technology has to exist updated to Os X 10.vi.8. So, hither are main steps you should have:

one. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to ten.half-dozen.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.

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

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

Mac os x download

Just every bit it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a run a risk to download the installation file if you lot have an access to a Mac (or virtual car) running that operating organization. For case, to go an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, in one case once again, ready a virtual machine running Panthera leo. Then yous will demand to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

Afterwards you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, simply you tin can click Cancel and copy the file you demand. Below is the detailed instruction how to practise it.

Step 3. Install older Bone Ten onto an external bulldoze

The following method allows you to download Mac Os Ten King of beasts, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.

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

Now the Bone should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. Afterward the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, y'all should completely shut it down. At present that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, y'all tin reinstall the Bone, 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 X Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file yous demand to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running after macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS Loftier Sierra ten.xiii, it is possible to revert it to the previous arrangement if you are not satisfied with the experience. You tin do it either with Fourth dimension Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.

Pedagogy todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Pedagogy todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Educational activity to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you do it, the all-time advice is to back your Mac upward so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old organization junk files and application leftovers. The easiest style to do it is to run CleanMyMac 10 on your machine (download it for gratuitous here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older Bone Ten version

If none of the options to go older Bone 10 worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple tree Store. They should have paradigm installations going back to OS Leopard and before. You can also ask their assist to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. And so here you are. We promise this article has helped y'all to download an old version of Mac OS 10. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.