If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. “I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X” So, here are main steps you should take:ġ. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. 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. The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD. You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system 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. Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit /downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer 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.

Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.

The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. However, it doesn’t always work that way. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store 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. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.ĭownload CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)ĭownload CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)ĭownload CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version) Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage. Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size

Locate the biggest files on your computer:.

Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive: Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road. 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.

Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems.

There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. Now, check out our more solutions below.įeatures described in this article refer to the MacPaw site version of CleanMyMac X. It removes only safe-to-delete files and is notarized by Apple. So here’s the tip for you: download CleanMyMac X to refresh your Mac’s drive automatically.

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