So, you've decided to download an older version of Mac Bone Ten. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical conclusion. To begin with, some of your apps may non exist working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. As well, you may accept noticed your Mac'south performance went downwardly right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS 10 on a virtual machine, yous too will need a working installation file of an older Mac Bone X. Further downwards we'll explain where to get one and what problems yous may confront down the road.

A list of all Mac OS X versions

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

Cheetah 10.0 Puma 10.1 Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.3 Tiger ten.4 Leopard 10.v
Snow Leopard 10.vi Lion 10.7 Mountain Panthera leo 10.eight
Mavericks 10.9 Yosemite ten.10 El Capitan 10.11
Sierra 10.12 High Sierra ten.13 Mojave ten.fourteen
Catalina 10.15

Pace ane. Set up your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn't new and is filled with information, y'all will probably need plenty free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the Os itself but too space 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 beneath tells yous how much free space is needed.

Note, that it is recommended that you install Os on a clean bulldoze. Adjacent, you will need enough disk space bachelor, for example, to create Recovery Division. Hither are some ideas to costless up space on your drive:

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

Get to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size

Then you can move your infinite 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 information technology'southward virtually simple to use of all. Information technology deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

CleanMyMac X - Smart Scan complete

Download CleanMyMacfor Bone 10.iv - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)

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

STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac Bone X download

Normally, information technology is assumed that updating OS is a ane-fashion route. That's why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The primary challenge 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 so reinstall the OS on your figurer.

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

Mac operating system download


If you once had purchased an erstwhile version of Mac Bone 10 from the App Shop, open it and go to the Purchased tab. In that location you lot'll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn't always work that fashion. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top menu.
  3. Scroll downwardly to find the preferred OS X version.
  4. Click Download.

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

Without App Shop: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer

If y'all are signed with an Apple Developer account, you tin go access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS 10 version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership price is $99/year and provides a agglomeration of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

All the same, keep in mind that if yous visit programmer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-x.six OS 10 operating systems there. Newer versions are not bachelor because starting Mac Os X Snow Leopard ten.7, the App Store has become the simply source of updating Apple OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

Apple OS Versions

You can purchase a boxed or email version of by Mac OS Ten directly from Apple. Both will cost y'all effectually $twenty. For the reason of beingness rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions tin can only exist installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email re-create of Lion 10.vii
Become an email copy of Mount Lion 10.8

The email edition comes with a special download lawmaking you tin use for the Mac App Store. Notation, that to install the Panthera leo or Mount Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard and then you can install the newer OS on top of it.

How to go macOS El Capitan download

If you lot are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it's possible too. Only before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to exist updated to Os Ten 10.6.8. Then, here are main steps yous should take:

1. Install Snowfall Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.eight using Software Update.
three. Download El Capitan hither.

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

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

Mac os x download

Simply equally it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a run a risk to download the installation file if you take an admission to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for King of beasts, you lot may enquire a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once once more, set up a virtual car running Lion. Then you volition need to gear up an external drive to download the installation file using Bone Ten Utilities.

Later you've completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, simply yous can click Cancel and re-create the file you lot demand. Below is the detailed instruction how to practise it.

Step iii. Install older Bone X onto an external drive

The post-obit method allows you to download Mac OS Ten Lion, Mount Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Offset your Mac holding downward Command + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at to the lowest degree 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within Os X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
  4. Select external drive equally a source.
  5. Enter your Apple tree ID.
How to download old Mac OS X versions

At present the OS should showtime downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, just at this point, you should completely shut it downwardly. Now that the installation file is "captured" onto your external bulldoze, you can reinstall the Os, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Kick your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external bulldoze.
  3. Get to external drive > OS 10 Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you demand to reinstall Lion OS 10. 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 ten.12 or macOS Loftier Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are non satisfied with the experience. You can exercise it either with Time Motorcar 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

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before y'all do it, the all-time advice is to dorsum your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In add-on to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to practise it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).

Visit your local Apple Shop to download older Bone X 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 dorsum to Bone Leopard and before. You lot tin can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. And so here you are. We hope this commodity has helped y'all to download an old version of Mac Os X. Below are a few more links you may detect interesting.