Thereβs several reasons why you might want to revert to an earlier version of macOS β perhaps you rely on an app thatβs incompatible with the latest and greatest release; maybe you installed an experimental beta and itβs causing some problems, or perhaps you hate the direction that Apple are taking macOS, and youβre craving a return to the good old days.
Once youβve installed a new version of macOS, reverting to an earlier release isnβt as easy as selecting an option from a menu, or downloading an earlier version and then simply reinstalling it.
In this article, Iβll cover the often-tricky subject of how to downgrade your Mac β whether you want to revert to theΒ version of macOS that shipped with your laptop, or youβre interested in creating a bootable installer.
Running High Sierra?
If youβre on High Sierra 10.12.4 or later, and you want to revert to the version of macOS that shipped with your Mac, then youβre in luck! This is one of the easiest ways to downgrade your Mac:
- Restart your Mac, while holding down the βShift+Option+Command+Rβ keys.
- Once you see the macOS Utilities screen, select βReinstall macOSβ and then click βContinue.β
- Choose your startup disk, and then select βInstall.β
Using a Time Machine backup
If you create regular Time Machine backups (and you should!) then you may be able to reverse a macOS update by restoring a Time Machine backup that you created before installing that update.
Reinstalling an earlier backup will undo all the changes you made since creating this backup, so make sure all of your documents and data are stored somewhere safe before proceeding.
To restore a Time Machine backup:
- If the backup is stored on an external or network drive, then make sure this drive is available to your Mac.
- Restart your Mac while holding down the βCommand+Rβ keys. Release these keys as soon as you see the Apple logo.
- In macOS Utilities, select βRestore from Time Machine Backup.β
- Click βContinue.β
- On the βRestore from Time Machineβ screen, click βContinue.β
- Select your restore source.
- The next screen will display all of your backups. Choose the backup that you want to reinstate, which will typically be the last backup you created before updating macOS.
- Your Mac will now restore this backup, and downgrade you to an earlier version of macOS in the process!
Donβt have a Time Machine backup?
If you donβt have a Time Machine backup, then downgrading is going to be more complicated, as youβll need to create a bootable installer.
For the best results, youβll need a USB flash drive with at least 12GB of memory. Just be aware that formatting this drive will wipe everything from it! If the USB drive contains anything that you want to keep, then make sure you move or copy it to a safe location before proceeding.
Youβll also need the version of macOS that you want to install. In the best case scenario, youβll want to downgrade to a version of macOS that you downloaded via the App Store, as this means youβll be able to re-download the installer via the App Store.
If you want to downgrade to a version of macOS that you didnβt originally download from the App Store, or a version of macOS that was never available via the App Store (such as Mac OS X Snow Leopard) then there are some workarounds. Weβll be covering these workarounds in the next section, so avoid the temptation to download this version of macOS from a third party. This kind of pirated software often contains viruses, adware, spyware and other digital nasties, so you may get more than you bargained for if you download macOS from anyone other than Apple!
To re-download an installer:
- Launch the App Store.
- Select the βPurchasesβ tab. Even though we no longer pay for macOS updates, confusingly theyβre still listed under the βPurchasedβ tab!
- Find the version of macOS that you want to install, and then click its accompanying βInstallβ button.
This will download the installer to your Macβs βApplicationsβ folder. Frustratingly, you canβt install this version of macOS simply by double-clicking its installer, which is where our USB drive comes into play!
Canβt find the version of macOS that you want?
If you want to install a version of macOS that you never downloaded via the App Store, then your best bet is to enlist the help of another Mac user. macOS installers arenβt user specific, so if you have a friend, colleague or family member who did download this version of macOS, then they can re-download the necessary installer for you.
If you want to revert to Snow Leopard, then frustratingly this version of macOS was never available via the App Store, so itβs impossible for anyone to download this installer from the official Apple App Store. In you really want to install Snow Leopard, then your only option is to purchase a boxed version (Β£19.99), and then use either a CD or DVD drive to install the operating system on your Mac.
Create your bootable installer
Once you have the necessary installer, itβs time to transform your USB drive into a bootable installer:
- Attach the USB drive to your Mac.
- Open a new βFinderβ window and navigate to βApplications > Utilities.β
- Launch Disk Utility.
- In the Disk Utility menu bar, select βView > Show All Devices.β
- In Disk Utilityβs left-hand menu, select your root drive.
- Click the βEraseβ button.
- Choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the βFormat.β
- For the βScheme,β choose βGUID Partition Map.β
- Your drive will be named βUntitledβ by default, but you can change this name, if required.
- Select βErase.β
- Disk Utility will now create the partition and prepare the drive. Once itβs finished, click βDone.β
- Launch the Terminal, by opening a βFinderβ window and navigating to βApplications > Utilities > Terminal.
At this point, you need to enter a Terminal command, which will vary depending on your version of macOS. Remember to replace βuntitledβ with the name you assigned to your USB drive.
High Sierra
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia βvolume /Volumes/untitled βapplicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra.app
Sierra
sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia βvolume /Volumes/untitled βapplicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Sierra.app
El Capitan
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia βvolume /Volumes/untitled βapplicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app
Yosemite
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia βvolume /Volumes/untitled βapplicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Yosemite.app
Mavericks
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia βvolume /Volumes/untitled βapplicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ Mavericks.app
- Copy/paste the appropriate command into the Terminal, and then press the βEnterβ key on your keyboard.
- Terminal will now warn that youβre about to erase the drive. To continue, press βY,β followed by the βEnterβ key.
Your Mac will now wipe the flash drive and copy the installer over, at which point youβll have created a bootable installer.
Installing macOS from an external drive
Finally, youβre ready to revert to an earlier version of macOS:
- Make sure your USB drive is attached to your Mac.
- Power down your Mac, and then restart it while holding down the βOptionβ key.
- When you see the βStartup Manager,β select your USB drive and then click βInstall macOS.β macOS will now be installed from your USB drive.
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