Sep 02, 2009. Jan 15, 2018.
So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There 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. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you 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 down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also 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 below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage. If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main 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 next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App StoreIf you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple 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 Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among 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 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. 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 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7 Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email 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 Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update. 3. Download El Capitan here. “I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you 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 OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut 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.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later 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 Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Ifreeup download. Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old 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 X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
These might also interest you:
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Mac News ReviewThis Week's Apple and Desktop Mac News
Compiled by Charles Moore and edited by Dan Knight - 2008.11.26
Low End Mac will be closed Nov. 27 through 30 for the Thanksgivingholiday, so we're posting our news roundups on Wednesday this week.We'll be back on Monday with new content.
PowerBook, iBook, MacBook, and other portable computing is coveredin The 'Book Review. iPod, iPhone,and Apple TV news is covered in The iNewsReview.
All prices are in US dollars unless otherwise noted.
News & OpinionProductsSoftwareDesktop Mac DealsNews & OpinionWhy I've Switched from Ubuntu to Mac
ECMArchitect's Jeff Potts reports:
'It pains me to say it, but I've left Ubuntu as my primary OS andswitched to Mac. I used Ubuntu as my primary operating system on myDell laptop for over two years. I loved it. I felt very productive inthe OS, especially relative to Windows. Many people have commented onhow excited I must be ('Dude, you're getting a Mac!') but for me itkind of feels like it did when we moved out of the house our kids wereborn in - I know we moved for the right reasons, but the old place wasspecial to me.
'So why the switch? With Ubuntu there were a few annoyances..
'Could I have fixed these issues? Given enough time, probably. ButI'd rather spend my time elsewhere rather than fooling around withstuff that ought to 'just work'..'
Link: WhyI've Switched from Ubuntu to Mac
Picking the Right Mac
ITManagement's Ryan Faas reports:
'Computers tend to be one of those big-ticket items that make it onto many holiday shopping lists. With the current state of the economy,choosing the best machine for your money is probably a bigger concernfor would-be computer shoppers this year than in the past.
'If you're thinking about buying a Mac for your family (or evenyourself), understanding Apple's product line can be important tomaking that right choice, whether you're a longtime Mac fan or someonejust considering switching from a PC.'
Link: Picking the Right Apple: A Guide to Apple's Mac Lineup
Is Apple Still Worthy of the Jolly Roger?
The Register'sRik Myslewski has posted the Mac Report Card, Part Two:
'In August 1983, Steve Capps of Apple's original Macintosh Divisionfamously hoisted a pirate flag over his team's Cupertino building toembody Steve Jobs's dictum that 'It's better to be a pirate than jointhe navy.' From that day forward, members of the Mac community havebeen a little feistier, a little more insular, a little more picky, anda little more self-righteous than other computer users.
'Five months after the flag went up, Jobs, Capps, and Co. unleashedthe first Macintosh with that iconic'1984' Super Bowl ad, and after 25 years, their symbol ofrule-breaking innovation is still on the market. The question iswhether Apple is still the pirate it once was.
'Last week, in honor of the Mac's upcoming quarter centuryanniversary, we unloaded Part One of our Apple Report Card, grading thecompany/cult on everything from sales to CEOs. Now, we give you PartTwo, which dares to ask if today's Apple is just another money-hungrytech biz. How does it score on innovation? The environment? Corporatephilanthropy?'
'Being a member of the Mac gang also meant defending your turf. TheFord versus Chevy arguments of the 50s and 60s were small potatoescompared to the Mac versus PC bickering of the 80s and 90s. Webdiscussion groups and user forums bristled with invective and trashtalk. It was Sunnis versus Shi'ites sans IEDs and mortar rounds - withthe Linux-using Kurds keeping a safe and peaceful distance.
'But those scrappy days are drawing to a close..'
Editor's note: I'm disappointed in Apple and SteveJobs in the area of philanthropy. Myslewski was unable to find evidencethat Apple engages in any charitable giving, although it did donate$100,000 to fight Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment to endgay marriage in California. After Jobs' return, Apple ended itscorporate giving in 1997 and is listed as one of America's Least Philanthropic Companies.
It appears that Jobs doesn't engage in any charitablegiving. As LeanderKahney said on Wired in January 2006, 'On the evidence, he'snothing more than a greedy capitalist who's amassed an obscene fortune.It's shameful.' In writing on the Jobs legacy earlier this year,BusinessWeek's Arik Hesseldahl says, 'Jobs isn't widely known for his associationwith philanthropic causes.' That's an undertatement - thetongue-in-cheek Complete Book of Steve Jobs' Philanthropy is a title pagefollowed by 49 blank pages.
Kudos to those in the Mac community who arecharitable: Small DogElectronics comes to mind for its support of Doctors WithoutBorders, Amnesty International, Puppy Mill Rescue, the VermontFoodbank, and other causes. On a much smaller scale, Low End Macsupports a local food bank and Kids Food Basket, an amazing localprogram that provides sack dinners to over 1,500 school children whootherwise would not have an evening meal - and hopes to double that. Itall began when one woman decided to do something about childhood hunger in GrandRapids, Michigan. It's an honor to be associated with programs likethis. dk
Link: TheApple Armada - Still Worthy of the Jolly Roger?
ProductsMacPadd Aluminum Mousepad
PR: MacPadd is an aluminum mouse padwith a patented finish, design providing superior tracking performancedeveloped for the iMac and MacBook Pro user community offering reducedfriction and wrist action with an elegant design on a non-slip base. Nomore scratching or wearing the desk surface. Truly superiorresponsiveness, accuracy, feel, and appearance.
100% precision machined anodized aluminum keeping with the Apple'scorporate thrust to manufacture quality products. MacPadd is alsostylish and developed minimizing the carbon foot print in itsmanufacture.
The interior design shift on many desks these days is aluminum trim,so these pads are matching both the Apple motif and general interiordesign trend.
Advantages of the aluminum mouse pad includedurability, style, and quality. The surface cleans very easily (spills,dirty hands, body oils, etc.). Laser mice perform better on thereflective surface. Reduced stress on wrist (reducing chance of carpaltunnel syndrome) when mousing (less friction). There is increasedbattery life on the wireless laser mouse (reduced battery use). Using amouse pad does not scratch your desktop, and the mouse tracksprecisely
The mouse pad weighs about 6 oz. In the same spirit as Apple Inc.engages some of the most sophisticated manufacturing methods in theworld to get the accuracy and quality required for performance anddesign. At the same time the product, systems, sub-components andsuppliers comply with the International Organization forStandardization (ISO).
MacPadd's dimensions are 9' x 6' x1/4' total depth.
This product is precision designed and manufactured for its targetmarket, the Mac users of the world. Other mouse pads are developed fromfossil fuels products (rubber) and are typically given away or thrownaway items sometimes used as promotional products. MacPadd is meant forthe discriminating Mac community of users to be your last mouse pad,using a natural material that could be recycled if and when it is nolonger needed.
Key Features of MacPadd
MacPadd is a high end mouse pad made of solid aluminum, thenanodized to specification to provide superior mouse-to-screen trackingperformance. This product has been engineered and tested, not just massproduced and punched out with a die.
Top Ten Features of MacPadd
Available in Canada and the USA.
$24.99
Link: MacPadd
OWC Exclusive Rebates on Hitachi Hard Drives andExternal Solutions
PR: Other World Computing (OWC) has partnered with HitachiGlobal Storage Technologies to offer consumers up to $120 in rebates onselect bundles featuring OWC Mercury Elite-AL Pro, OWC MercuryOn-The-Go, OWC Mercury Rack Pro, OWC Neptune, NewerTech miniStack,NewerTech Guardian MAXimus FireWire, and NewerTech Voyager DockingStation storage solutions featuring Hitachi hard drives. Rebates of upto $30 are also available on select Hitachi bare hard drives, DIY 'Adda Drive' Upgrade Kits, and on Hitachi hard drive/NewerTech Voyager harddrive dock bundles.
Qualifying storage products must be purchased from OWC betweenNovember 11 and November 30 at macsales.com, and customers mustdownload individual Hitachi rebate forms to check for purchase datedeadlines and rebate submission guidelines. Rebates up to $120 areavailable for these select solutions and drives purchased before Nov.30:
SoftwareClone X Creates a Copy of Your SystemInstallation
PR: Clone X is dedicated to the duplication of your harddisk. You can create useable copies of your disk (including the startupdisk) as well as special copies, such as the creation of bootable DVDor minimum System disks.
With Mac OS X, the system is a very complex construction withmultiple folders, most of them being inaccessible (invisible,protected, or permission denied). Moreover, any copy or installationmust preserve permissions and ownership of each file.
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Main Features
New in version 3.2:
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
System support: PPC/Intel
$49
Download Mac Os X Iso
Trial mode available
Link: CloneX
Free LaCie SilverKeeper Automates External Backups,Supports 10.5.5Mac Os X Download Dmg
PR: SilverKeeper V2.0 is a new release of LaCie's free backupapplication. It has been designed to support Apple's OS X operatingsystem for Intel and PowerPC based Macintosh computers.
It is now compatible with OS X 10.3.9 through 10.5.x. This includesthe current version 10.5.5 of OS X. SilverKeeper is a freewareapplication from LaCie that automates backups to external storagedevices like hard drives, network drives, and other removable storagedevices that have IDE, SATA, eSATA, IDE/ATA/ATAPI, SCSI, USB, orFireWire interfaces.
Almost any read/write device that can mount a writable volume on theMacintosh Desktop can be used with SilverKeeper.
SilverKeeper requires OS X 10.3.9, 10.4.11, or 10.5.x.
This version of SilverKeeper is not recommended for older versionsof the Mac OS. Click here for previous version of SilverKeeper.
Documentation is provided as a set of SilverKeeper Help and ReadMefiles that are installed with the application. If you would like topreview the SilverKeeper documentation before installing, pleasedownload from these links. These are PDF files that can be opened witheither Preview or Adobe Reader.
New in version 2.0.1:
System requirements: Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later
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System support: PPC/Intel
SilverKeeper is freeware, but you must provide LaCie with your nameand email address before you can download the program.
Link: SilverKeeper
Desktop MacDeals
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