How To Get The Macos .dmg
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.
MacOS Catalina includes new features to help everyone get the most out of Mac. Voice Control lets users who can’t use traditional input devices control Mac, iPad, and iPhone entirely with their voice. New tools for users with low vision allow you to zoom in on a paragraph of text or the entire screen. In this article we will cover how to get old versions of Mac OS X including El Capitan, Sierra, Yosemite and more - or rather how to get hold of the installer so that you can install the software. Convert macOS Mojave and High Sierra Installer.app to.dmg or.iso. Converting macOS installer into DMG or ISO format allows you to make a bootable USB pen drive or DVD from Windows.
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. Bookworm dmg download. 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)
The DMG is used on the Mac platform while ISO is popular on the Windows platform.
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.
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.
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macOS 10.14 Mojave is one of the most highly lauded desktop operating systems developed by Apple, Inc. It comes with a slew of new features and enhancements that's geared towards a smoother and more delightful user experience. If you haven't upgraded yet, we'll show you all the possible ways to download macOS Mojave so you can install it and start to enjoy the benefits that millions of other users around the world are already seeing from this upgrade, such as Dark Mode, Continuity Camera, Stacks and the Voice Memos app.
Downloading macOS Mojave can get a little confusing because there are two types of downloads. One is the basic stub installer file that's about 22-23 MB, but the full size installer is about 5.8 to 6 GB. The stub installer does fetch all the other required content once you do the installation, but if you need the full installer so you can put Mojave on a different computer, then there are several ways to do that.
macOS Mojave DMG Direct Download Link
The legit way to download or install macOS Mojave provided by Apple is through Mac App Store, where you can get the macOS Mojave install app but it is can be used by other programs for installation. You need addtional settings to make it work. However, some of the tech experts are smart enough and grab the direct download link of macOS Mojave.
macOS 10.14.1 DMG Direct Download link: http://updates-http.cdn-apple.com/2018/macos/091-99991-20181030-10052238-C103-11E8-A480-9257C82E983B/macOSUpd10.14.1.dmg
In addition, you can also download the install dmg from other file hosting or torrent sites. This method is a little risky unless you know the website you're downloading from. For example, some websites that offer direct downloads for macOS Mojave will actually give you version 10.14.1, which is an update rather than the full OS installer. Others might even just serve you the stub installer.
To avoid this, try and read some genuine user reviews before attempting this approach. For that reason, there's no particular site that we recommend. However, that's not to say that there aren't genuine sites that offer the full installer. Most are free, but some might ask for donations via PayPal. If their version works out for you, it's up to you whether you want to pay them a small amount for their trouble.
p.s you need to burn mojave dmg to USB to make it a bootable media for macOS installation. After that, you can use the bootable USB to install macOS on the current or another Mac.
Use Download Manager to Get Mojave DMG Installer
macOS Mojave Patcher is a third-party utility that can be downloaded from the dosdude1 website, and is required to get the full 6GB DMG installer file for macOS Mojave.
As a first step, download the patch utility and run it on a Mac PC or laptop. Note that some Mac computers are not supported by this software, so check the list of compatible devices before getting the app. Within the app, click on the Tools option in the top toolbar and select Download macOS Mojave… The keyboard shortcut for this is Command+D. You'll see a pop-up notification asking you to confirm the download. Click Yes to download the full installer, which should be around 6000MB.
Download macOS Mojave DMG Installer from Mac App Store
If all you need is the stub installer for an upgrade from an existing macOS installation, it's even easier because it's just a question of simple and direct download from Apple's servers. However, this version can't be used for a clean install on a different computer because it won't contain the needed applications to create bootable media on a USB or DVD. For that, you are better off using the first method.
Go to App Store app on your Mac and search for macOS Mojave, then click the Get button next to it. This file will be called Install macOS Mojave.app, and all you need to do is click the Download button in the Software Update utilitiy that automatically launches when you click on Get in the App Store. You will need to enter your Mac credentials when prompted.
Again, remember that this is merely the stub installer, so it's only useful for upgrading current macOS to Mojave, not able to do a clean install on a different computer.
Re-Download Mojave with Mojave Running
Another way to get the stub installer is when you're already running macOS Mojave on your computer. The process is the same as the one described in Method 2, so you can follow the steps described above.
In certain cases, however, this method won't work because the Get button might not be available. It might show you that the OS is already installed, which means the button is greyed out and basically useless to you.
Abort the Reboot after Running macOS Mojave.app
This method is a sort of gimmick that tricks the stub installer into downloading all the required files for a full installation, and then aborting the process right before your computer reboots to actually go into the installation. This is not for the feint-of-heart because it requires commands to be run in Terminal, the command line interface in Mac.
How To Get The Macos .dmg Download
Get the stub installer from the App Store and run it. You'll see several prompts, which you just need to follow by clicking through each. When you see the countdown timer for the reboot, hit the Cancel button.
At this point, all the files for the full installer have been downloaded, but they still need to be packaged in order to work. For this, run the following three commands in Terminal (Applications > Utilities), clicking Enter after each one:
sudo -s
mkdir /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/SharedSupport
cd /macOS Install Data
find . -mount cpio -pvdm /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/SharedSupport
Now go to the directory where you saved the original stub installer, and you'll see that it has magically turned into a 6GB file, which is the full installer.
How To Get The Macos .dmg Version
Summary
These are all the possible ways to download macOS Mojave to your computer so you can create bootable media for a macOS installation. If you're aware of other methods or genuine sites for downloading the full DMG file from macOS Mojave 10.14, please do share it with our readers in the comments section.