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

Oct 02, 2017 Some Mac users like to perform a clean install when a new operating system is released. Usually this is reserved for more advanced users, as a clean install means the hard drive is formatted and completely erased, removing the existing Mac operating system, and erasing all contents, data, files, applications – everything from the Mac is.

We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.

• A retail Snow Leopard DVD won't work on that Mac. Phone Apple and order replacement original disks; if you've made an USB installer from the Mac App Store version of 10.7 or newer, you can use that instead. The computer's exact specifications, including its original OS and the answer as to whether or not the retail DVD would have worked.
• Step 2b: Get the install file for an older version of macOS. For older versions of macOS and Mac OS X it's a bit more difficult to get the install file: Apple doesn't offer downloads of outdated.

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

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:

Download Mac Os Sierra

A majority of Mac clients who are moving up to OS X Yosemite ought to experience the standard procedure using the Mac App Store and start the establishment from that point, it’s by a long shot the least demanding methodology and it by and large goes perfectly.

A few clients like to perform what is known as a spotless establishment of Mac OS X however, which is cleaning the Mac drive, and beginning crisp with a spic and span immaculate introduce of OS X Yosemite, and afterward physically replicating or getting to records and re-introducing applications.

While clean introducing isn’t especially troublesome, it’s viewed as further developed because it’s a substantially more active and protracted procedure than essentially refreshing to OS X 10.10 through the App Store.

Download Mac Os 10.12

• Simply ensure that once you have the establishment application for Yosemite in your Applications organizer, which will be named “Introduce OS X Yosemite,” that you don’t introduce it yet.
• When you introduce Yosemite, the document will consequently eradicate itself, so it’s critical to make a bootable drive first. If you need to introduce first and, at that point make a bootable drive, duplicate the installer application in another area so you can get to it later.

Also Read:-How to Clean Install Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 using USB

Step-by-Step Clean Installation of macOS X Yosemite 10.10 using USB

Back up the Mac with Time Machine or by physically duplicating your most significant information to an outer drive – never skip backing up your significant information.

• Append the OS X Yosemite bootable installer drive to the Mac, at that point reboot as typical.
• During boot down the OPTION key until a boot determination menu shows up, pick “Introduce OS X Yosemite” as the drive for sure (this is the USB installer).
• When the “Operating system X Utilities” screen shows up, pick “Disc Utility”.
• Pick the hard drive (or parcel) from the left side menu which is the goal for the spotless Yosemite introduction, at that point pick the “Eradicate” tab.
• Pick the Format type as “Macintosh OS Extended (Journaled)”, name the drive something self-evident (like Macintosh HD or Yosemite HD), and afterward pick “Delete” – this will design the drive/parcel and all substance on it.
• At the point when the drive has completed the process of arranging, quit Disk Utility to come back to the OS X utility menu.
• Presently from the “Operating system X Utilities” menu, select “Introduce OS X”.
• Navigate the Terms of Service and essentials, and select the crisply arranged “Mac HD” or “Yosemite HD” drive to set as the goal for the new introduction of OS X.
• Operating system X Yosemite will introduce a fresh start rendition of itself on the clear goal drive, giving the client a new beginning. Since the drive was organized first, no current working framework will be refreshed, and no different substance on the drive will be brought over.
• At the point when the establishment is fully completed, the Mac will reboot into OS X Yosemite and experience the ordinary new arrangement process.

Keep in mind, no information will be on the volume beside the crisp Yosemite establishment, so it’s dependent upon the client to re-introduce essential applications, modify inclinations, and above all, recuperate or move over again their significant records and documents.

Investigating Tips for troubleshooting purposes

• On the off chance that the establishment of Yosemite freezes, it’s likely because your USB drive is tainted here and there. This transpired on the main couple attempts, where it would freeze at 5 minutes left. The third USB stick I utilized was effective, and it took under 15 minutes for Yosemite to boot up.
• In case you’re getting an Undefined mistake: 0 admonitions when attempting to introduce, this more than likely implies that you neglected to perform Step 6 above, so make a point to duplicate over those two Base System documents.

Significant note

A clean installation of OS X Yosemite requires re-designing the Mac hard drive by formatting it, which means all substances on the drive will be expelled and deleted. Be certain you have your significant documents supported up before endeavoring this.

Necessary System requirements

• A Mac which can run OS X Yosemite – as far as framework prerequisites, the machines which bolster Yosemite are equivalent to that which can run Mavericks
• An OS X Yosemite bootable installer drive – generally this is a USB disc yet it tends to be whatever in the scenario that the drive is bootable, the installer independent from anyone else is lacking except if you’re crisp introducing onto an alternate parcel or volume. On the off chance that you haven’t made one of these yet, do that first.

Clean Install macOS X Yosemite 10.10 using USB

Where To Download Mac Os For Clean Install Internet Explorer

Download Mac Os Mojave For Clean Install

You can clean Install MacOS X Yosemite 10.10 using USB by accessing the link below. Also, make sure that you have enough back up before you proceed with the same. There are a lot of duplicate ISO images on the market and it is best to download the same from a trusted source.