How to Download and Install Older Versions of macOS – Guide
Running the latest software is not always the best decision. There are many reasons why you might want to downgrade or run an older version of macOS on your computer. You may find that your computer slows down after the latest update, your applications don’t work, or the programs you need to run are still not compatible with the update. Perhaps, as a developer, you want to create a test environment to ensure that your software works correctly on all available versions of OS X – see the infographic below. Or you might just like the look of the older version better (no judgment) and not want to upgrade unless absolutely necessary.
How to Download and install older versions of macOS
Make sure your Mac can run the macOS version
First, you need to confirm that your Mac will be able to run the version of macOS or Mac OS X you want to install. As a guide, expect your Mac to be able to run any version of macOS or Mac OS X that was supported when the Mac was released and any version released in the years immediately following your purchase. Now for the bad news: your Mac is unlikely to be able to run an older version of macOS or Mac OS X than the one that was installed on it when you bought it. You may find that you can’t install an old version of Mac OS X on a new Mac because the drivers for the hardware on your new Mac simply don’t exist in the old software, so it can’t run. Simply put, Macs cannot boot to an older version of OS X than the one they shipped with when new, even if they are installed in a virtual machine. If you want to run older versions of OS X on your Mac, you need to get an older Mac that can run them. However, there may be exceptions, for example if you bought a Mac in 2017 but the spec hasn’t changed from the predecessor, or the model was actually introduced a few years earlier, you may find that you can run an older version of macOS in him. To help you find out which versions of macOS your Mac supports, we have a complete list of which Macs each version of Mac OS X and macOS. If you’re installing an older version of Mac OS X on an older Mac, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. Likewise, if you were hoping to install a newer version of macOS on an older Mac, you may find that you can’t. This is because newer versions of macOS tend to drop support for older Macs. We have a separate article on how to install macOS on an older Mac.
Download the macOS, Mac OS X version you need
Next, you need to download the installer for the version of Mac OS X or macOS you want to install. We have a separate article on how to download an old version of macOS or Mac OS X, so if you don’t have the Mac OS version you want, head over there for advice on how to take it.
Install the older version of macOS on your Mac
Once you download the installer, you might think you can click to install it and your Mac will be upgraded (or rather downgraded) to the older version. Unfortunately it’s not that simple. If your Mac is running a newer version of macOS, you will not be able to install an older version on top of it. You will have to completely clean your Mac before installing an older version of macOS or Mac OS X. Not interested in completely cleaning your Mac? There are options. You can install the required version on an external drive or run two or more versions of macOS side by side. In fact, there are several methods you can use to install an older version of the Mac operating system on your Mac. The method that’s right for you will depend on a number of factors, including whether you want to run more than one version of macOS. We also have dedicated articles for these different methods that go into more detail, you will find links below.
How to revert to an old macOS using Time Machine
If you have a Time Machine backup prior to the macOS version you want to say goodbye to, this might be the simplest solution for you. Here are the steps you need to take to recover an older macOS from a Time Machine backup: Keep in mind that if you recover from an old backup, you will lose data added since upgrading to the version of macOS you want to uninstall. Here it is how to restore your Mac from a Time Machine backup.
How to downgrade to the operating system provided on your Mac
While we’re talking about Recovery, you can try the following method of downgrading your Mac to the version of macOS it shipped with. (It didn’t actually work for us when we tried it, maybe because our internet connection wasn’t good enough, but it should work in theory!) This has been a feature in macOS Recovery since macOS Sierra 10.12.4, and you must reinstall whatever version of macOS your Mac shipped with, according to Apple. Apple explains that you should shut down your Mac and when restarting, press Shift-Option/Alt-Command-R together (this is not easy with one hand!). Here are the steps Apple outlines:
How to install an old macOS using the bootable installer
This is a process known as a clean install, which we’ll look at in more detail here: How to do a clean install of macOS. You will be cleaning your Mac and installing the required macOS version on a clean slate.
Final note
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