Download Old Versions of Mac Software Updated

Download Old Versions of Mac Software

How to install older versions of macOS or Bone X

Need to install an old version of macOS on your Mac so y'all can downgrade or run more than one version? Here's what you need to practice.

There are a few reasons why yous might want to install an one-time version of macOS or Mac Bone Ten:

Perhaps you are relying on software yous take discovered doesn't work properly in the newest version of macOS and you want to downgrade macOS.

Perchance you lot are a developer and you need to be running multiple versions of macOS then that you tin exist sure that your software runs correctly on them.

Or peradventure you just don't like the version of macOS that you have installed.

Any your reason for wanting to install an older version of macOS the peachy news is you tin install an older version of macOS and we will explain how.

If yous want to downgrade the latest version of the Mac operating system to the i before then you might find it helpful to read: How to downgrade macOS Monterey to Big Sur or older.

We'll walk you through all the steps below for installing an older version of macOS on your Mac - from making sure your Mac can run the version, to where to download the former version of macOS from, and how to install the old version on your Mac. We'll too explore some of the issues you might encounter forth the way.

Step 1: Check your Mac tin run the macOS version

First you lot need to confirm that your Mac will be able to run the version of macOS or Mac Os X y'all want to install.

Equally a guide, wait your Mac to be able to run any version of macOS or Mac Bone X that was supported when that Mac launched, and whatever that were released in the few years immediately post-obit your purchase.

Now for the bad news: It is unlikely that your Mac will be able to run a version of macOS or Mac Bone X that is older than the ane that was installed on it when you bought information technology. You may find y'all tin't install an former version of Mac OS 10 on a new Mac because the drivers for the hardware in your new Mac merely don't exist in the old software, then information technology can't run.

Simply speaking, Macs cannot boot into an Bone X version older than the 1 they shipped with when new, fifty-fifty if it'due south installed in a virtual motorcar. If you desire to run older versions of OS X on your Mac, you demand to get an older Mac that can run them.

Even so in that location may be exceptions, for case, if y'all bought a Mac in 2017, simply the spec hadn't changed from the predecessor, or the model was actually introduced a few years earlier, you may notice you lot tin can run an older version of macOS on it.

To help you detect out what versions of macOS your Mac supports we take a total listing of which Macs each version of Mac Bone X and macOS.

If you lot are installing an old version of Mac OS X on an quondam Mac you shouldn't have too many difficulties though.

Similarly, if you lot were hoping to install newer version of macOS on an sometime Mac y'all might find that you tin't. This is because newer versions of macOS tend to drop support for older Macs. We have a separate commodity most installing macOS on an older Mac.

Stride 2: Download the version of macOS, Mac Os X yous require

Next you need to download the installer for the version of Mac Os X or macOS you wish to install.

We have a separate article about how to download an old version of macOS or Mac Bone X, and then if you haven't got the version of the Mac operating organization yous want pop over there for advice on how to get it...

Step 3: Or detect an old Time Machine fill-in

If you accept a Time Machine backup from before you updated your Mac to a newer macOS you can jump to this section. But remember you won't be recovering any data you accept added since you upgraded and then y'all might want to save that somewhere you will be able to admission later.

Step four: Install the older version of macOS on your Mac

Once y'all have the installer downloaded you might call up you can just click to install information technology and your Mac will be updated (or rather, downgraded) with the older version. Unfortunately it's not that uncomplicated.

If your Mac is running a newer version of the macOS you won't exist able to install an older version on top of it. You will accept to completely wipe your Mac earlier you can install an older version of macOS or Mac OS Ten.

Non swell on completely wiping your Mac? In that location are options. You could install the version you require on an external drive, or y'all could run two or more than versions of macOS alongside each other.

There are actually multiple methods you tin use to install an older version of the Mac operating organization on your Mac. The about appropriate method for you will depend on a number of factors including whether you want to run more than than one version of macOS.

Below nosotros volition look at the post-obit options:

• Recover from a Time Motorcar backup
• Revert to the version of macOS installed when you purchased your Mac
• Install macOS using a bootable installer
• Run the version of macOS on an external drive
• Run the version of macOS in a segmentation or a volume
• Run the version of macOS in a virtual machine

We besides accept defended articles for these different methods that go into more than detail, you lot'll find links below.

How to revert to an old macOS using Fourth dimension Machine

If you take a Fourth dimension Car backup that predates the version of macOS that yous want to bid farewell to, and so this could be the simplest solution for y'all.

Here are the steps yous need to take to recover an older macOS from a Time Motorcar backup:

1. Starting time up your Mac and immediately hold downward Command + R.
2. Proceed holding both keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
3. When you see the Utilities window choose Restore from Time Machine Fill-in and click on Continue.
4. Click Go along once again.
5. Choose a Time Machine backup from before you installed the version of macOS you wish to revert from and click on Continue.

Remember that if you recover from an old backup y'all will lose the data you have added since updating to the version of macOS you wish to uninstall.

Here's how to restore your Mac from a Fourth dimension Machine backup.

How to downgrade to the OS that shipped on your Mac

While we are talking about Recovery, you might like to endeavor the post-obit method of downgrading your Mac to the version of macOS it shipped with. (It didn't actually work for us when we tried, perhaps because our internet connection wasn't practiced enough, but information technology should work in theory!)

This has been a feature in macOS Recovery since macOS Sierra 10.12.4, and it should reinstall whatsoever version of the macOS your Mac shipped with, according to Apple.

Apple tree explains that y'all should shut down your Mac so as you restart press Shift-Option/Alt-Command-R together (this is not piece of cake one-handed!).

Note that if yous take an M1 Mac the process for starting in recovery style has changed - read all the new means of doing things on M1 Macs - all the same, you won't be able to install any macOS older than Large Sur.

Here are the steps Apple tree describes:

1. Commencement up your Mac pressing Shift-Pick/Alt-Control-R.
2. Once you see the macOS Utilities screen cull the Reinstall macOS option.
3. Click Continue and follow the on-screen instructions.
4. Select your startup disk and click Install.
5. Your Mac will restart once the installation is complete.

Note: This will wipe your Mac so make a copy of anything you desire to keep!

How to install an sometime macOS using bootable installer

This is a procedure known equally a clean install, which we await at in more particular here: How to do a clean install of macOS. You will be wiping your Mac and installing the version of macOS you require on a make clean slate.

1. Download the installer of the version of macOS that you require from the Mac App Store. Follow the instructions here.
2. Employ this installation file to create a bootable installer on an external storage device. Read about creating a bootable installer here.
3. Next you demand to completely erase everything from your Mac, restoring information technology to factory settings. To start this process, restart the Mac in Recovery Way by property downwardly Command and the R cardinal during restart.
4. Your Mac volition open in Disk Utility. Click on Deejay Utility > Continue.
5. Select the primary volume and click Unmount and then Erase.
6. Quit Disk Utility (Deejay Utility > Quit Disk Utility).
7. At present click on Reinstall macOS or Reinstall macOS and Continue. Follow the instructions to reinstall macOS using the installer you lot just saved to the external drive (link to divide article higher up).

How to run an older macOS on an external drive

Running a version of macOS on an external drive is a keen solution if you wish to continue to run the version of macOS currently installed on your Mac.

It is possible to run a version of macOS or Mac OS 10 on an external storage device plugged into your Mac.

Rather than go through the steps hither, we'll direct y'all to this article well-nigh how to run How to run macOS on an external drive.

Once you take installed macOS on the external bulldoze all you need to exercise is hold Option/Alt downwardly when yous start up your Mac you can choose to boot from that drive.

The benefit of this method is y'all don't need to wipe your Mac. The disadvantage is that the older version of macOS might run slowly - particularly if it's on a slow USB retentiveness stick.

How to run an macOS in a partitioning or volume

Another great option, if you lot don't want to be limited to running just one version of macOS is to install the other version (or versions) on a partitioning or book.

Whether it's a partition or book depends on the version of macOS that is primarily installed on your Mac. It'southward a lot easier to install a version of macOS on a Volume, but only newer versions of macOS support volumes.

We look separately at how to run ii versions of Mac Os X on separate partitions/volumes.

How to install an older Mac OS X in a virtual machine

Before nosotros wait at how to install a version of Mac OS 10 on a virtual machine we need to look at Apple'due south end user license agreement. This is a legal minefield. Read near Apple's Terms and Atmospheric condition and the EULA here.

Since Mac OS X 10.seven versions of the Mac operating arrangement are merely licensed to exist run in a virtual machine if the host Mac is running the same version. This means that installing an OS X 10.8 VM on a Mac running some other version of OS X is a violation of the x.8 software license agreement. The newest version of Os X that tin can legally be run in a virtual motorcar with a dissimilar OS X host is Snowfall Leopard (10.6).

The solution hither is too run the server versions of the Bone that yous crave, as long as yous have the software license from Apple.

Despite this, VMware Fusion and Parallels do back up Os X client besides as server versions.

Another thing to note is that Apple'due south end user agreement does allow y'all to run the Mac Bone on two virtual machines on one computer, but these virtual machines cannot be used for business (unless y'all're a registered Apple tree developer).

As well acquit in mind, as we mentioned earlier, Macs cannot boot into an Os X version older than the one they shipped with when new, fifty-fifty if it's on a virtual automobile. If y'all want to run older versions of Os 10 on your Mac, you need to go an older Mac that can run them.

There are a number of software packages that brand it possible to run multiple versions of the Mac OS (and fifty-fifty Windows) on your Mac. These include Parallels, VMware Fusion, Virtual Box. Find out which is best by reading: Parallels, VMware, VirtualBox compared.

Related to virtual machines, you tin also run Windows and use Windows apps the aforementioned way, read: How to run Windows apps on a Mac and How to install Windows on a Mac.

Author: Karen Haslam, Editor

An ex-Apple PR, Karen'southward career highlights include interviewing Apple's Steve Wozniak and discussing Steve Jobs' legacy on the BBC. Her focus is Mac, only she lives and breathes Apple tree.

Download Old Versions of Mac Software

Posted by: kathleenachough1996.blogspot.com