Download old version mac os

How to get old versions of macOS

If your Mac isn’t compatible with the latest macOS, you might still be able to upgrade to an earlier macOS, such as macOS Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, or El Capitan.

To get the latest features and maintain the security, stability, compatibility, and performance of your Mac, it’s important to keep your software up to date. Apple recommends that you always use the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.

Check compatibility

The version of macOS that came with your Mac is the earliest version it can use. For example, if your Mac came with macOS Big Sur, it will not accept installation of macOS Catalina or earlier.

If a macOS can’t be used on your Mac, the App Store or installer will let you know. For example, it might say that it’s not compatible with this device or is too old to be opened on this version of macOS. To confirm compatibility before downloading, check the minimum hardware requirements:

Download macOS using Safari on your Mac

Safari uses these links to find the old installers in the App Store. After downloading from the App Store, the installer opens automatically.

• macOS Catalina 10.15 can upgrade Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks
• macOS Mojave 10.14 can upgrade High Sierra, Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion
• macOS High Sierra 10.13 can upgrade Sierra, El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion

Safari downloads the following older installers as a disk image named InstallOS.dmg or InstallMacOSX.dmg. Open the disk image, then open the .pkg installer inside the disk image. It installs an app named Install [ Version Name ]. Open that app from your Applications folder to begin installing the operating system.

• macOS Sierra 10.12 can upgrade El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion
• OS X El Capitan 10.11 can upgrade Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard
• OS X Yosemite 10.10can upgrade Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard

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Downgrading macOS? Here’s What You Need to Know

On the face of it, running old versions of macOS on your Mac seems counterproductive. After all, newer versions of the operating system have more features. They tend to get more updates too. And eventually, Apple stops supporting older editions of macOS — and that means no more security patches.

But there are some good reasons to do it anyway. Older Macs often run better with earlier versions of macOS, for example. Or you might have old software that can’t be run on newer OS X versions like Catalina or Big Sur. In situations like these, installing an old version of the operating system may be your best choice.

To install an older version of OS X on Mac, you need to:

• Check your Mac meets the system requirements to run older OS X versions
• Find and download a macOS installer file for the version you want to install (sometimes this is a .dmg file)
• Create a bootable USB drive
• Use your installation disc or drive to boot up your Mac
• Prepare your Mac for the installation, if necessary
• Follow the on-screen prompts to install macOS

Check you can run the older version of macOS

In general, if you want to run an older version of macOS, it should work. You’re more likely to run into problems when you try to run a new version on an older Mac. That’s because Apple periodically drops support for older Macs that can’t run later OS X releases effectively. There are ways to get around that, but it’s not usually a good idea, because your Mac will usually be slower as a result.

How to check if your Mac can run a particular OS X version:

1. Click the I logo in the top left of macOS

2. Select About This Mac

3. In the Overview section, you’ll see your Mac’s model name and year of release

4. Now check Apple’s technical specification pages for the version of macOS you want to install

If your Mac appears in the list of supported models, then you should be able to downgrade macOS that version.

Finding and downloading an old version of macOS

Once you’ve established your Mac is compatible with a particular version of OS X, you need to download the installer for that version. Some of the newer macOS installers are available in the App store.

Use these links to head straight to them:

To get versions before these, you need to download them without the App Store. Currently, Apple offers direct links going as far back as OS X Yosemite (10.10).

Use these links to download these macOS versions:

If you want to go back any further than that, you’ll need to look elsewhere. You might, for example, find people selling old installation discs on eBay.

Also, be aware that some of these older downloads will come as a .dmg file. To use those, you need to double-click them so they’re mounted. Then run the .pkg file inside them. This will add the relevant macOS installer to your Applications folder.

Creating a bootable USB drive for macOS

After downloading the installer for your old version of macOS, you need to get it into a format your Mac can boot from. The best and easiest option is to create a bootable USB drive. This could be an external hard drive or a thumb drive.

You can also burn installation files to DVD, but this will take longer to install. Also, newer versions of OS X are bigger than the capacity of standard DVDs. And since some Macs don’t have optical drives at all, it’s not a good option.

Creating a bootable USB drive for Mac involves a few steps:

1. Download macOS installer
2. Wipe and format your USB drive in Disk Utility
3. Use Terminal to put the installation files on the USB drive

Check out our full guide to making a bootable copy of macOS to see how this is done.

You can also use the free app Disk Creator to make your bootable USB drive. This does the same thing as using Terminal commands but with a simple graphical interface.

How to create a bootable disk using Disk Creator for Mac:

1. Download and run Disk Creator

2. Select your USB drive under Select the volume to become the installer

3. Click Choose a macOS installer

3. Browse your Mac to find the macOS installer in Applications

5. Click Create Installer and wait for Disk Creator to finish

Installing an old version of macOS from a USB drive

When you’ve created a bootable USB drive, you can use it to install macOS from. To that, you need to select it when your Mac starts up.

How to use a bootable USB drive on a Mac:

1. Restart or turn on your Mac
2. Before the chime, press and hold the Option key
3. Keep holding it until you see a choice of boot options
4. Select your USB drive and wait until it loads

If you’re installing to an external drive or a new partition, you can just follow what the installer tells you to do. But Apple doesn’t let you downgrade your current version of macOS. If you want to install an older version of macOS on your main drive, you need to completely wipe it first.

How to wipe your Mac’s hard drive, ready for a downgrade:

1. After booting from your bootable USB drive, select Disk Utility
2. Select your main drive from the list on the left
3. Click Erase
4. Give the drive a name, set the format as OS X Extended (Journaled). This is called Mac OS Extended (Journaled) in later version of the operating system
5. Make sure the Scheme is set as GUID Partition Map
6. Click Erase and then allow Disk Utility to wipe your drive

Now, when you head back to the macOS installer, you should be able to install the older version of OS X on your main disk.

Should I downgrade OS X?

If it’s at all avoidable, no. You miss out on newer features by downgrading, and you’ll lose support from Apple sooner. If you need to run an older version of OS X to use older third-party software, consider looking for alternatives that run on the latest versions instead.

And if you’re downgrading because your Mac is slower after an update, try some of our speed-up tips for Mac first. It’s also a good idea to download MacKeeper to run regular scans to remove junk files and clear caches. That way, downgrading might not be necessary at all.

Can I downgrade my M1 Mac?

M1 Macs use a completely different type of processor to all of Apple’s previous computers. That means you can’t run anything older than Big Sur on them — the first version of macOS to support M1 chips.

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How to Download MacOS Installers for New & Old Versions

Want to know how to download MacOS and Mac OS X Installers from? You might be wondering where you can download older versions of Mac OS from, particularly if you’re looking to install a different MacOS version or even an older system software version.

Downloading and using different Mac OS installers is very common for troubleshooting purposes, for IT staff and admins, and for tinkerers. This article will discuss where to download and access installers for macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, MacOS Mojave, MacOS High Sierra, macOS Sierra, Mac OS X El Capitan, OS X Yosemite, OS X Mavericks, Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Mac OS X Lion, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Mac OS X Leopard, Mac OS X Tiger, and others too.

Where to Download Mac OS Installers From

The following links point to locations from Apple website where you can download various MacOS system software installers.

New versions of MacOS installers are typically available through the Mac App Store, accessed through a computer that is compatible with the latest Mac system software release.

Older versions of Mac OS X installers can often be downloaded as well, but from different sources.

For earlier versions of Mac OS X, including Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9, Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8, Mac OS X Lion 10.7, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6, Mac OS X Leopard 10.5, Mac OS X Tiger 10.4, and before, the process to obtain those installers differs a bit.

Downloading MacOS Installers via Terminal

Mac users can download the latest macOS installer available from the Terminal by using the following command string:

You can also download specific installer versions by using the following syntax, replacing the asterisks with version number:

softwareupdate —fetch-full-installer —full-installer-version **.**.*

For example, to get macOS 11.3.1 the syntax would be as follows:

softwareupdate —fetch-full-installer —full-installer-version 11.3.1

Downloading Mac OS X Installers from App Store “Purchases”

If you had at one point in time purchased or downloaded a version of MacOS or Mac OS X from the Mac App Store, then you should be able to re-download it from the Mac App Store by going go the “Purchases” section. This can typically be used to access downloads for installers for MacOS Mojave, High Sierra, Sierra, Mavericks, and Mountain Lion, though there are some caveats and exceptions.

1. Open the App Store
2. Go to the “Purchases” section (newer App Store versions must go to Account > Purchases)
3. Scroll down the list of Purchased items to locate the Mac OS X Installer version you wish to re-download, then click on the download button

This works particularly well if the Mac you’re downloading the software onto is running an older version of Mac OS X.

This approach for re-downloading older OS X installers from App Store Purchases section works for obtaining many older versions of Mac OS X, particularly if the machine doing the downloading is running an older Mac release too. For example, re-downloading Mavericks from Yosemite, whereas if you’re running the App Store from newer versions of MacOS you’d need to follow the links further above to download the installers directly, or via the App Store links.

Downloading Mac OS X Snow Leopard

If you’re a registered Apple developer then you may be able to download Mac OS X Snow Leopard and Mac OS X Leopard directly from Apple ADC using the following links:

Downloading / Buying Mac OS X Mountain Lion, Lion, Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Apple also sells some older Mac OS X versions for convenience:

For buying even older versions of Mac OS X, you may have some luck searching on Amazon or Ebay and buying old physical copies of the installer disks. Keep in mind those earlier Mac OS X software updates used to cost a significant amount of money to update to and so even if they’re hold they can still carry a premium.

Another option is to peruse the Apple Vintage Software collection at Archive.org which may have image files of older system restore disks and other older system software, just beware that archive.org is not an official distributor of Apple software so appropriate precautions should be taken and only download from there at your own risk.

Finally, if you’re looking to download much older classic Mac OS software, check out this article which discusses finding original classic Mac OS System releases that go back far before the transition to Mac OS X and Unix underpinnings.

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How to Download Old MacOS and Mac OS X Versions

Why download old macOS and Mac OS X versions? There are a few reasons for this. First, some software you need doesn’t work well in the newest versions. Or possibly you are familiar with the old one, and simply put, don’t like the newest ones.

Some developers, at times, need to run different versions of macOS and Mac OS X to make sure the software you create runs efficiently on them. For whatever purpose it may be, we will guide you on where to find and how to install some of the older macOS versions.

Where to download old macOS?

You need the installer for whatever version of macOS you want to install before you are able to do it. These files are easy to get from the App Store.

We will show you where and how to install the following versions: macOS Catalina

• macOS Catalina
• macOS Mojave
• macOS High Sierra
• OS X Snow Leopard
• OS X Mountain Lion
• OS X Lion

Other ways to get old macOS versions

If you have access to a computer with an older version of macOS, it should be rather easy to find older versions to download. In the Mac App Store of any version older than macOS Mojave (2018) you should be able to find every macOS under the tab Purchased.

How to get an older mac OS X from the Mac App Store

Step by Step:

1. Open the Mac App Store and choose Store > Sign inif you haven’t logged in.
2. Click on the tab Purchased.
3. Scroll down until you find the copy of OS X or macOS you want.
4. Click Install (this will not install the software, but download the installer)

This process will only work if you downloaded these versions before, or had them previously installed. Notice that if you have installed Mojave or later it won’t work at all.

With the Mojave version, the Mac App Store changed, and the older installers cannot be found in the purchased section.

How to download macOS Catalina?

Catalina should have arrived on your Mac via Software Update, it is still possible to download the installer through the Mac App Store. This link will allow you to download it without much effort, remember to use Safari when browsing: macOS Catalina downloader.

Step by Step:

1. Click on the link above
2. Click on Get
3. The Software Update will show “Finding Update”, and eventually turn into “Are you sure you want to download macOS Catalina”. While it looks like it is a full version, the size of the file after the download should be about 6GB.
4. After the download is complete, don’t click on Install or the installer will delete itself automatically.
5. Then find the installer MacOS Catalina app in the Applications folder where you can copy it onto your own computer or make a bootable installer of it.

How to download macOS Mojave?

You can access macOS Mojave through this link to the Mac App Store: macOS Mojave installer. Remember to open it in Safari only, or else it won’t download. You can follow the same steps used for macOS Catalina.

How to download High Sierra

Use only Safari to download High Sierra. You can use this link to access the file on the Mac App Store: macOS High Sierra installer. You can follow the same steps used for macOS Catalina.

How to get older macOS like OS X Snow Leopard, OS X Lion, Mountain Lion

Mac OS x Snow Leopard

Snow Leopard has never been available on the App Store since it is the first version of Mac OS X to come out on the Mac App Store.

Snow Leopard introduces the way to download Mac OS X updates and new apps. This means anyone with a Mac running Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard or earlier can’t access the Mac App to download anything.

Luckily, Apple sells the boxed version of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. The price is about $20, a bit less than at its release. This link goes to one of the places where you can purchase it on the Apple website: macOS X Snow Leopard.

They will send a physical box that contains an optical disc, meaning you will need a CD/DVD drive.

Mac OS x Lion and Mountain Lion

Snow Leopard is not the only one that you can purchase from Apple’s website, Lion and Mountain Lion versions are available as well.

If you want the macOS X 10.7 Lion, you need to be running Snow Leopard to install it. It cost about $20. After purchase, Apple will send a download code to use on the Mac App Store.

OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, costs the same and can be available for download with the code sent by Apple after the purchase.

How to get OS X Leopard or earlier mac OS

The only way to get an OS version that predates the Snow Leopard is by having a developer’s account at developer.apple.com/downloads.

If you go into the OS X category, you will find downloads for all versions of OS X, from 10.3 to 10.6.

You need to have an Apple ID with a paid Apple Developer Program to download certain software.

The Bottom Line

The three main ways to download different versions of older mac OS X are very straightforward. Keep in mind that some older macOS versions are not stable and may contain a lot of bugs and glitches, so make sure you know what you are doing.

That’s how to download old macOS and mac OS X versions. If you have got any problems during the process, let us know in the comments below.

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