So, yous've decided to download an older version of Mac Bone X. At that identify are many reasons that could point y'all to this radical determination. To brainstorm with, some of your apps may non exist working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Besides, you lot may take noticed your Mac'south functioning went downward right afterwards the concluding update. Finally, if you desire to run a parallel copy of Mac Bone X on a virtual machine, you likewise will demand a working installation file of an older Mac Bone Ten. Further downwardly we'll explain where to go i and what bug y'all may face down the road.

A listing of all Mac Os X versions

We'll be repeatedly referring to these Apple tree Os versions beneath, so it'south good to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.i Jaguar 10.two
Panther ten.iii Tiger 10.4 Leopard x.v
Snow Leopard 10.half dozen Male monarch of beasts 10.7 Mountain Panthera leo 10.eight
Mavericks 10.nine Yosemite 10.10 El Capitan ten.xi
Sierra 10.12 High Sierra 10.thirteen Mojave ten.fourteen
Catalina 10.15

Footstep 1. Ready your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough gratis infinite on your Mac. This includes non just infinite for the OS itself simply besides infinite 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 take "fuel" to operate on. The chart beneath tells you lot how much gratuitous space is needed.

Note, that it is recommended that y'all install Bone on a make clean drive. Adjacent, you volition need enough deejay space available, for example, to create Recovery Segmentation. Here are some ideas to gratis upwardly infinite on your bulldoze:

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

Go to Finder > All My Files > Accommodate by size

And then y'all tin motility your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.

If you aren't comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some dainty automatic "room cleaners". Our favorite isCleanMyMac as it'south most elementary to utilise of all. It deletes system junk, erstwhile broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor OS ten.four - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for Bone x.9 (free version)

Download CleanMyMacfor OS x.10 - x.fourteen (costless version)

Footstep ii. Get a copy of Mac Bone 10 download

Normally, information technology is assumed that updating Bone is a ane-style route. That'southward why going dorsum to a past Apple Bone version is problematic. The chief challenge is to download the Bone installation file itself, considering your Mac may already exist running a newer version. If you lot succeed in downloading the Os installation, your adjacent pace is to create a bootable USB or DVD and and so reinstall the Os on your computer.

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

Mac operating system download


If you one time had purchased an old version of Mac Os X from the App Shop, open data technology and become to the Purchased tab. In that location y'all'll find all the installers you lot tin download. Still, it doesn't always work that way. The purchased department lists only those operating systems that y'all had downloaded in the by. Merely here is the path to cheque information technology:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the height card.
  3. Curl downwardly 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 tree tree ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Shop.

Without App Store: Download Mac Bone version as Apple Programmer

If yous are signed with an Apple Programmer account, yous can get admission to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If y'all desperately need a lower OS Ten version build, consider creating a new Programmer business relationship amid other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Notwithstanding, go along in listen that if you lot visit developer.apple tree.com/downloads, yous tin can but find 10.three-x.6 Bone 10 operating systems there. Newer versions are non bachelor considering starting Mac Os X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has go the but source of updating Apple tree Bone versions.

Buy an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

Y'all tin can buy a boxed or e-mail version of past Mac Bone 10 straight from Apple tree. Both will cost you lot effectually $20. For the reason of beingness rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple tree versions tin can can just exist installed from DVD.

Purchase a boxed edition of Snow Leopard x.half dozen
Get an email copy of King of beasts x.7
Become an electronic mail re-create of Mountain Panthera leo 10.8

The electronic postal service edition comes with a special download code y'all can apply for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the King of beasts or Mount King of beasts, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer Os on tiptop of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you lot are wondering if you tin can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as information technology's possible as well. But earlier your Mac can run El Capitan it has to exist updated to Bone X 10.half-dozen.8. So, hither are main steps y'all should have:

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

"I can't download an ane-time version of Mac Bone 10"

If you accept a newer Mac, there 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 Bone released prior of that time, considering older Apple Os versions merely do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

Mac os x download

Only equally data engineering often happens, workarounds are possible. At that place is even then a chance to download the installation file if you lot take an access to a Mac (or virtual motorcar) running that operating organization. For example, to go an installer for Panthera leo, yous may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, one fourth dimension again, set upwardly a virtual machine running Lion. Then y'all will demand to gear upwards an external bulldoze to download the installation file using OS Ten Utilities.

Afterward you lot've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, just y'all tin click Cancel and copy the file y'all need. Below is the detailed teaching how to do it.

Pace iii. Install older Bone X onto an external bulldoze

The following method allows yous to download Mac Os ten Male monarch of beasts, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Start your Mac holding downward Command + R.
  2. Prepare a make clean external drive (at least ten GB of storage).
  3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall Os 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 commencement downloading automatically onto the external drive. Subsequently the download is complete, your Mac volition prompt y'all to practise a restart, just at this point, you should completely close it down. Now that the installation file is "captured" onto your external drive, you lot can reinstall the Os, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Kick your Mac from your standard bulldoze.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Become to external drive > Os X Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg deejay epitome file — this is the file yous need to reinstall Lion Os 10. The aforementioned steps are valid for Mountain King of beasts and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running afterwards macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS Loftier Sierra x.13, information technology is possible to revert it to the previous system if yous are not satisfied with the experience. You tin tin do it either with Fourth dimension Car or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.

Education todowngrade from macOS Sierra

Education todowngrade from macOS High Sierra

Educational activity todowngrade from macOS Mojave

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Earlier you lot exercise it, the best advice is to dorsum your Mac upwardly and so your near important files stay intact. In addition to that, information applied science makes sense to clean up your Mac from quondam system junk files and awarding leftovers. The easiest mode to practice it is to run CleanMyMac 10 on your machine (download information technology for costless hither).

Visit your local Apple Shop to download older OS Ten version

If none of the options to go older Os Ten worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have paradigm installations going dorsum to OS Leopard and before. You lot can also ask their help to create a bootable USB bulldoze with the installation file. Then hither y'all are. Nosotros hope this commodity has helped y'all to download an onetime version of Mac OS ten. Below are a few more links you may observe interesting.