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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The Mac App Store is the place to look if you want to download free Mac apps. With so many free apps already installed on your Mac you might think that there’s not much more you need, but there. Start quickly with the most recent versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote and OneDrive —combining the familiarity of Office and the unique Mac features you love. Work online or offline, on your own or with others in real time—whatever works for what you’re doing. A library of over 125,000 free and free-to-try software applications for Mac OS.

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:

• 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.

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Great apps for your Mac. Right there on your Mac.

The Mac App Store makes it easy to find and download Mac apps as well as widgets and extensions — like editing extensions for the new Photos app. You can browse Mac apps by category, such as games, productivity, music and more. Or do a quick search for something specific. Read descriptions and customer reviews. Flip through screenshots. When you find an app you like, click to buy it. The Mac App Store has apps for just about everything and everyone. Here are a few of our favourites.

Pages

Create beautiful documents, letters, flyers, invitations and more.
View in Mac App Store

Numbers

Make eye-catching spreadsheets and charts in just a few clicks.
View in Mac App Store

Keynote

Put together a presentation with captivating graphics and transitions.
View in Mac App Store

iBooks Author

Create stunning Multi-Touch books for iPad and Mac.
View in Mac App Store

Final Cut Pro X

Bring your film to life using revolutionary video editing software.
View in Mac App Store

Logic Pro X

Turn your Mac into a complete professional recording studio.
View in Mac App Store

Wunderlist

Manage and share your to‑do lists across all your devices. View in Mac App Store

Evernote

Take notes, save web pages, create lists, attach images and PDFs, and more. View in Mac App Store

Cobook Contacts

Find, organise and keep your contacts up to date in even easier ways. View in Mac App Store

Things

Keep track of to-dos, deadlines and projects with this task manager app. View in Mac App Store

Notability

Annotate documents, record lectures and take notes with this all-in-one app. View in Mac App Store

Autodesk SketchBook

Take your ideas further with a complete set of digital drawing tools.View in Mac App Store

Day One

Keep a journal that sends reminders and looks great in day or month view. View in Mac App Store

Pocket

See something you like? Save interesting articles, videos and web pages for later. View in Mac App Store

The Photo Cookbook

Follow over 240 easy‑to‑prepare recipes picture by picture. View in Mac App Store

Kuvva Wallpapers

Choose specially curated wallpapers from a new artist each week. View in Mac App Store

Tonality

Create inspiring black-and-white images on your Mac.View in Mac App Store

swackett

Get visual weather reports that turn complex data into fun infographics. View in Mac App Store

Sky Gamblers Cold War

Rule the action-packed skies in over a dozen different aeroplanes. View in Mac App Store

Sparkle 2

This easy-to-play but enthralling game makes the most of the Retina display. View in Mac App Store

Bike Baron

Beat hundreds of challenges as you master over 100 different bike tracks. View in Mac App Store

Civilization V: Campaign Edition

Build and defend the most powerful empire the world has ever known. View in Mac App Store

Galaxy On Fire 2™ Full HD

Battle your way through a 3D war-torn galaxy against an alien armada. View in Mac App Store

SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition

Build a city from the ground up and manage your metropolis in every way. View in Mac App Store

Money

Set a budget, schedule payments and track investments — all in one app. View in Mac App Store

MoneyWiz – Personal Finance

View all your accounts, transactions, budgets and bills in one secure place. View in Mac App Store

iBank

Manage your money with this fully featured, intuitive personal finance app. View in Mac App Store

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Next - Track your expenses and finances

See your expenses by year, month or day, and take control of your finances. View in Mac App Store

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Investoscope

Monitor your portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds and more. View in Mac App Store

StockTouch

Keep track of the market in a whole new way. View in Mac App Store

djay

Mix songs from your iTunes library and spin live on a digital turntable. View in Mac App Store

Sound Studio

Record, edit and produce digital audio. Create your own mixes and add effects. View in Mac App Store

Shazam

Like what you hear? Identify a song at a moment’s notice. Then share it or buy it. View in Mac App Store

Tabular

Read and write tablature notation for guitar, bass, drums and more. View in Mac App Store

AmpKit

Turn your Mac into a powerful guitar amp and effects studio. View in Mac App Store

Sound Forge 2

Record, edit, process and render high-resolution audio files. View in Mac App Store

Install any app with ease.

The Mac App Store revolutionises the way apps are installed on a computer — it happens in one step. Enter the same iTunes password you use to buy apps and music on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or iPod touch. Within seconds, your new app flies to Launchpad, ready to go. So you can spend more time enjoying new apps and less time installing them.

Keep your apps up to date.

Since developers are constantly improving their apps, the Mac App Store keeps track of your apps and tells you when an update is available — including OS X software updates. Update one app at a time or all of them at once, for free. You can even have your apps and OS X update automatically, so you’ll always have the latest version of every app you own.

The app you need. When you need it.

Can’t open a file you’ve downloaded or received in an email? OS X can search the Mac App Store to find the app that can open the file. Buy what you need instantly and get back to business.

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Buy, download and even re-download.

You can install apps on every Mac authorised for your personal use, and even download them again. This is especially convenient when you buy a new Mac and want to load it with apps you already own.

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From the Mac App Store

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