Know More about macOS 10.14. This is unarguably the first thing to do before installing any. Due to increased security and permissions with Mac OS 10.14 Mojave and 10.15 Catalina, you will be prompted to authorize the Zoom Desktop Client to use the microphone, camera, and on Mac OS 10.15 Catalina, screen recording. The permissions are set within System Preferences of the device.

The disk has an operating system (macOS Big Sur), and user data (apps, etc). And since you only have one disk, this is your startup disk: all 500GB. A Mac with two disks will have the storage divided between them. The Mac drive with the OS on it is the startup disk while the other drive is just used for storage of files. Bet you didn't know all these feature existed on Mac OS. 😏Give it a try on your MacBook or iMac and let me know what you guys think! Feel free to share any. Before you install Acrobat Reader DC on your computer, ensure that your computer meets the minimum system requirements. If you're on macOS Big Sur, read the Big Sur compatibility document to.

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:

• 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.

Think Before You Go Mac Os X

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.

Is it time for an upgrade?

First, you should ask yourself if you really need to upgrade. We do not recommend upgrading to Sierra until at least the .3 iteration of the program (so 10.12.3) for most people. There are dangers to early adoption of a new operating system version. We’ve already seen a few Macs come in to the shop with problems from upgrading to Sierra.

Just because the upgrade is available for your Mac, doesn’t mean you have to use it right away. If your computer is currently running well on El Capitan (OSX 10.11) you’re probably better off waiting for a few more months. After a couple updates, Sierra should be much more stable and other users will have worked through bugs so you don’t have to.

Before you click upgrade

If there’s a specific piece of software you want to use that requires Sierra, or if you’re eager to try out the awesome new features like Siri integration and are willing to take a risk, here’s what you’ll want to do.

Back up your Mac!

Always make sure you have a current Time Machine backup of your entire computer on an external drive before upgrading your operating system. During the upgrade, your hard drive will be under a lot of strain, and any underlying hardware issues will be more likely to show up. We’ve seen a few Macs come in with hard drives that failed during an upgrade, causing loss of data. You don’t want to end up needing data recovery on top of the cost of a new hard drive.

Even if you don’t have a hardware problem, you’ll want that backup in case the new operating system is incompatible with some of your applications, or you just decide you prefer the older version. Downgrading your Mac’s operating system is tricky, it’s much easier to have a Time Machine backup you can reinstall on your computer if you change your mind.

Check your available disk space

Make sure you have enough free space on your hard drive. Apple recommends a little over 8GB of space for the update, but more is better. A generally accepted guideline is to have at least 20% of your hard drive open even after the upgrade is complete.

Don’t rush it

Set aside plenty of time to do the update. You won’t be able to use the computer for a few hours while Sierra downloads and installs, so pick a time when you won’t need the computer for work or anything else. You will not be able to interrupt the computer for any reason while the update is installing. If the upgrade is stopped in the middle, it can lead to problems and require a trip to see your friendly neighborhood Mac repair shop. It’s also nice to have some time set aside to explore the new features and make sure everything is working properly.

Updating the operating system is a great weekend project, but not something you want to start before work on Monday.

Think Before You Go Mac Os 11

We are here if you need us

And as always, feel free to bring your computer in for help if you run into trouble! We offer our free diagnosis with no appointment necessary and have a lot of experience with OS updates.