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.

OS X Mavericks download is the 9th major release of the Mac OS X versions history. It was the most powerful operating system in 2013 for Macintosh computers. The OS X Mavericks download version 10.9.1 released in December 2013 after two months from releasing the OS X Mavericks original version. Dec 01, 2020 It installs an app named Install Version Name. Open that app from your Applications folder to begin installing the operating system. MacOS Sierra 10.12 can upgrade El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion; OS X El Capitan 10.11 can upgrade Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, Lion, or Snow Leopard.

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

Mac App Store Os X Mavericks Download Dmg

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.

These might also interest you:

Download Os X Mavericks Iso

The Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9 release proved to be the most significant of all the releases made by apple in the Mac operating system X series. Mavericks proved to have a lot of in-built features that made it stand apart from all other operating systems released under the tag of the Mac OS X line up. The major standpoint behind the release of the Mavericks OS was t make sure that there was increased battery life, more adaptability and add in more application and revamp the old applications in terms of aesthetics.

License
Official Installer

File Size
5.0GB / 5.1GB

Language
English

Developer
Apple Inc.

Overview

The Mavericks OS also made sure that the mac system was stable in terms of performance and made the best out of the existing software such that apple didn’t have to run the compatibility test on the newly developed software. The OS also packed powerful improvements in terms of graphical efficiency as well as to get the most out of your RAM. All these elements packed together made sure that the Mac OS X Mavericks got a superior hold over the battery performance.

There are also various other features like the improvement in the usage of the applications through aesthetic detailing as well as user-friendliness embedded into the Mac OS makes it even more appealing.

1. iBooks

The iBooks is a beautifully done software that is exclusively built for reading books. This application covers all the aspects of a perfect reading application starting from night mode reading to exclusive fonts, highlighting and taking notes and much more. There is a wide range of collections in the library that allows you to have nearly 2 million book collections. Some of the basic things that come along with the system are the syncing of all the mac devices so that all the books that you register using the Apple device will be available throughout all the devices that are connected across along all the devices.

2. Multiple Display support

There was an expectation among the mac users that they wanted to have the extensions of their macs to other displays as well. This was particularly the request from all the graphical designers and people whose life revolved around the heavy usage of monitors and computers. Apple decided to release this feature along with the Mac OS X mavericks to ensure that the need was looked into. It did not require much of the configurations to enable this display configuration. The extensions of the display were just like that done as an extension to other system displays that necessarily didn’t have to be an apple monitor. This also made sure that the graphical card was put to the best use.

3. Apple maps

The much-anticipated application from apple was Apple Maps. It is a dedicated map application that was designed for Apple devices to get the best out of your outside world. Apple maps had all the features of a conventional map application with all the revolutionary standpoints that would be covered by a map application. The apple map also displayed adaptive such that the application would adjust the resolution accordingly to the device it is being used in.

Mac Os App Store

Apple decided to release apple maps with the Mac OS X Mavericks keeping in mind that the OS was the revolutionary kind that was released with all the standard features that will remain in Apple devices.

4. Apple calendar

The apple calendar was also a feature that was adored by many with the release of the Mac OS X Mavericks. The apple calendar will help you with events and also it will help you integrate the newly added maps application to get your way to a mentioned event in the calendar.

5. iCloud keychain

The iCloud keychain was released along with the Mac OS X Mavericks as there was an update in the framework of Safari to support the keychain feature. The iCloud Keychain is a password keeper that is embedded along with the Mac OS to ensure that all your passwords are kept safe and secure. The Security protocol of iCloud Keychain is so complex that it would definitely be a tough framework to crack into. It saves information starting from credit card information to the Wi-Fi logins as well. This made sure that the Mac OS X Mavericks was much more user-friendly as well with its release.

System Requirements

• Minimum 2GB of RAM
• Minimum of 8GB HDD drive
• It can run on any mac system that can run the OS X mountain lion.

Download the MAC OS X Mavericks 10.9 ISO and DMG File

The mac OS X Mavericks are one of the most revolutionary Mac OS X releases that imbibed all the revolutionary features that make apple stand a class apart. you can download the DMG file from the below link and make sure that you have met all the basic system that requires to run the Mac OS X Mavericks on your Mac system without any hassles.

Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9 ISO and DMG Image Download - ISORIVER

The mac OS X Mavericks are one of the most revolutionary Mac OS X releases that imbibed all the revolutionary features that make apple stand a class apart. you can download the DMG file from the below link and make sure that you have met all the basic system that requires to run the Mac OS X Mavericks on your Mac system without any hassles.

Price Currency: USD

Operating System: Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9

Application Category: OS