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.

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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.

OS X Yosemite is Apple’s newest operating system for Mac. An elegant design that feels entirely fresh, yet inherently familiar. The apps you use every day.

Nov 29, 2017  Past operating systems are not available in the App Store, but here is our guide on how to download old OS X versions: download and install El Capitan, Yosemite, and macOS Sierra download. Apps compatible with Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite 1. M4VGear for Mac. Camtasia for Mac version 2.0.1. Microsoft office 2011 for Mac. Oct 18, 2019  If you're using one of these computers with OS X Mavericks or later,. you can install macOS Catalina.Your Mac also needs at least 4GB of memory and 12.5GB of available storage space, or up to 18.5GB of storage space when upgrading from OS X Yosemite or earlier. MacBook introduced in 2015 or later MacBook Air introduced in 2012 or later MacBook Pro introduced in 2012 or later. Nov 10, 2018  With OS X Yosemite, we set out to elevate the experience of using a Mac. To do that, we looked at the entire system and refined it app by app. Feature by feature. Pixel by pixel. Oct 16, 2014  The newest version of OS X runs on all Macs that are capable of running Mavericks, if you haven’t done so yet, you can prepare your Mac for the Yosemite update by following a few simple tasks, including updating your software and backing up the computer before installing the free update. OS X Yosemite is available as a free download from the Mac App Store. Nov 12, 2014  With Yosemite, Apple made the Mac OS a bit slimmer and faster while keeping the familiar feel that users love. Overall, OS 10.10 is a stable and responsive operating system - when it works. If you already own iOS 8-ready devices and/or the latest Mac, upgrading is a no-brainer.

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:

• 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 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 Store

If 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:

1. Click the App Store icon.
2. Click Purchases in the top menu.
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 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

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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.

1. Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
2. Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
4. Select external drive as a source.
5. Enter your Apple ID.

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.

1. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
2. Connect the external drive.
3. Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.

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

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:

OS 10.10 Yosemite for Mac

OS X 10.10, codenamed Syrah and officially named Yosemite, is the 2014 version of the Mac operating system from Apple, released on October 16, 2014. OS X 10.10 was shown off at WWDC 2014 on June 2. In addition to new features, OS X brings interface and experience refinements to Apple's desktop operating system, similar in spirit if not exact execution to the iOS 7 makeover of 2013 — interface depth and translucency effects, textual clarity and other elements to improve the overall user experience.

But that's just scratching the surface. There are a ton of new features under the hood.

OS X 10.10 Yosemite design language

Last year Jony Ive and Apple's design team spent so much time working on iOS 7's new look, OS X mostly got the linen and the leather — if not the felt — stripped out but not much else. The intent was always to go back and give OS X the design attention it deserved as well.

Yosemite employs clearer, smarter and easier-to-understand controls, with streamline toolbars, translucent elements and clean, consistent icon design. An updated system font also improves readability. Depth, deference and clarity are the design guidelines Apple first employed in iOS 7, and now we're seeing that work continue over to Yosemite.

Continuity

Apple doesn't seem compelled to blur the lines between iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 as much as obliterate them, at least where it makes sense to. Continuity is what Apple's calling that — design that enables one device to complement the other. Handoff, for example, lets you start an activity on your iPad or iPhone and continue it on your Mac. And Instant Hotspot lets your Mac use your phone more easily. SMS and MMS messages sent to your phone will automatically appear in Messages on all your devices; you can even make and receive phone calls on your Mac when your iPhone is on the same network.

OS X 10.10 and AirDrop

AirDrop debuted on the Mac but after several initial attempts to bring it to iOS were shot down as overly complex, the version that finally shipped in iOS 7 wasn't even compatible with the Mac.

That changes with OS X 10.10 as the teams at Apple get their protocols back in sync and their cross-platform beaming fully in order.

OS X 10.10 Notification Center

Notification Center gets a rework with the new Today view — a quick look at everything you need to know. Apple's also introducing Notification Center Widgets to help you view your calendar, weather, stocks, reminders and a World Clock, and the API is open for developers to use to create custom Widgets that can be downloaded from the Mac App Store.

OS X 10.10 Spotlight

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Spotlight's now in the Spotlight. Apple's search feature in OS X has been taken out of the realm of just file search; now it can find applications (making it a potential replacement for Apple's Launchpad app) and content on the Internet (putting it toe to toe with the popular third-party tool Alfred). It will view search results from Wikipedia, the App Store, iTunes Store, iBooks Store and more.

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iCloud Drive

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Apple's integration with cloud-based storage and services continues with 10.10 and iOS 8 thanks to iCloud, which lets you store any kind of file online. It also works with a Windows PC.

OS X 10.10 bottom line

The Mac's operating system is beyond mature, but there's huge room for improvement. Apple's moving iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 together, forward, for a new era of interdevice and intersystem communication. Stay with us as we provide you with more details.