Update Mac Os Mountain Lion To El Capitan
If your current operating system is OS X Lion (10.7), you can skip a few versions, and upgrade directly to macOS High Sierra. To upgrade to Sierra from, say, Mavericks, you’ll have to consequently upgrade to Yosemite and then to El Capitan first. Upgrading to Mountain Lion. To upgrade to Mountain Lion you must have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 or Lion installed. Purchase a redemption code at the Online Apple Store: OS X Mountain Lion. Mountain Lion is $19.99 plus tax. Use the code to redeem a download of Mountain Lion from the App Store. The file is quite large, over 4 GBs, so allow some time to. If you’re using Lion (10.7) or Mountain Lion (10.8), you will need to upgrade to El Capitan (10.11) first before you could upgrade to macOS Catalina. Begin installation. Once the download is completed, the installer will open automatically. Simply click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
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.
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.
| Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
| Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
| Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
| Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
| Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
| Catalina 10.15 |
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:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- 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
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- 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.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- 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.
Mac Os Mountain Lion Torrent
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.
Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7) is the eighth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. A preview of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion was publicly shown at the 'Back to the Mac' Apple Special Event on October 20, 2010. The new Mac OS X is compatible with any Mac PC that was previously running Mac OS X versions 10.8 - Mountain Lion, 10.9 - Mavericks, 10.10 - Yosemite. The reason why Mac computers only with Mavericks upgrade or latest will work with download El Capitan is thanks to Apple not removing any Mac hardware from its Mac OS X support list since.
Coincidentally, the Mac OS X Mountain Lion download was the last paid upgrade to an OS X release. Future updates starting from the OS X Mavericks were all free. Apple also offered another marginal update on the Mac OS X Mountain Lion download called the Mountain Lion version 10.8.1. Apple’s Mac OS X El Capitan is a free update that has further simplified the OS X experience by featuring the upgraded performance, security, and convenience. With this twelfth main release of OS X after Yosemite and Mavericks, the Mac-based ecosystem got further tighter than ever before.
Apple OS X El Capitan beta was first released to developers in July 2015 and was released to the millions of Apple consumers worldwide September of 2015, following several beta releases. This version of the Apple Mac OS X marks a significant milestone in Apple Mac OS history for many reasons. It was the 12th major release of the Mac OS X line, since the introduction of the new brand in 2002 by Apple from its previous product line of Mac OS.
Upgrade Mac Os Mountain Lion To El Capitan Safari
Download El Capitan OS X is also significant since it’s the last version of Apple Mac OS X releases as its successor Sierra was released in the year 2016 under the brand macOS. El Capitan is a rock formation found in Yosemite National Park, which gives out the meaning that the new release is a solid version of its predecessor, Yosemite. The naming convention to use important landmarks of Northern California started with the Apple release of Mavericks.
At the time of release, El Capitan was promoted as a significant release by Apple similar to how they promoted Mavericks and Yosemite upgrades which were the predecessors of El Capitan. Update macbook air os.
Brief Guide For Download El Capitan
In this article, we’ll also discuss few things that you should do before you upgrade your OS to the new Download El Capitan version in order to make sure your computer is all ready for the new upgrade including whether your Mac is compatible both in terms of hardware and software. There we will discuss the minimum system requirements and supported Mac devices released in the past.
Installation Methods For Download El Capitan
1. Download El Capitan Mac OS X from scratch while upgrading the current Mac OS version
The new Apple El Capitan supports two installations methods. As in the case of many other operating system installations, Apple El Capitan also provides an option to upgrade from your current OS version or the option to install the new download El Capitan Mac OS X from scratch. The default method which is the upgrade installation option will try to install OS X El Capitan to your Mac device while protecting your user data and app data. This is currently the most frequently used method of upgrading to the new version of Mac OS X and also the easiest too. If your Mac computer is in very good shape and running smoothly, it is recommended to install using this method.
Upgrade Mac Os Mountain Lion To El Capitan Dmg
2. Download El Capitan and install fresh the Mac OS without upgrading current Mac OS version
The second method of installations is the clean install method. It basically erases the entire content of your chosen drive and installs a fresh, smooth version of the new operating system which is download El Capitan Mac OS X in this case. This would mean no older versions of the Mac OS X, system applications and user data all will be wiped out with a clean install. This is an excellent choice to test an operating system on a separate disk drive or a partition in cases where you have had prevailing software issues on your computer which you have been unable to fix. Therefore when these issues become a major headache for you, your best option is to perform a clean install of the OS X – El Capitan. Although you may have to let go of your apps and their data, it becomes a smaller price to pay for when compared to running the system in its current state with a truckload of software issues.
The upgrade install option is pretty straightforward. Therefore in this article, we will only discuss the download El Capitan andclean installation of El Capitan Mac OS X.