If you want to use your USB stick with an Apple Mac, you will need to restart or power-on the Mac with the USB stick inserted while the Option/alt (⌥) key is pressed. This will launch Apple’s ‘Startup Manager’ which shows bootable devices connected to the machine. If you are using Mac OS X and want to run Windows applications, the most popular option is to install Windows OS using Bootcamp, or run Windows in a virtual machine. Linux users will know that you can use Wine to install and run Windows applications natively. The good news is that Mac users can run Wine to install Windows applications as well. I'm not sure You can. You can run the USB is macosx recovery, unibeast automatically makes your USB into a recovery macosx USB. However I have never tried to install. Autostarting applications is impossible under Mac OS X. The next-best thing, opening the CD folder and showing the installer icon, can be done by using ( AutoOpen version 1.0 ) to make a.dmg which can then be burnt to a CD.

• Install Mac Os From Bootable Usb
• Run Apps From Usb Mac Osx Mac

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.

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

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:

There is a simple solution to the mentioned SS video problem:
- startup with extension off;
- after OS9 has finished starting up, select your preferred video resolution using the Monitor control panel;
- reboot.
From now on, SS will boot the emulated Mac without video problems.

Thanks. Also, the new binary of SheepSaver (version 2.3-0.20060514.1) works 'out of the box'.

I am just curious how fast this emulation is on dual core Intel Macs--- I imagine it could be wicked fast, running old PPC apps faster than G4s ever did. Yes? No? Maybe?

No, unfortunately. Unlike the transition from 68k to PowerPC, the new architecture is not Wicked Fast™. Most of the performance increases seen in the new machines have little to do with the main processor, but rather with the FSB, DDR2 RAM, PCI Express, SATA, &c.
Perhaps when Conroe, Morem, &c. come out the difference will be more significant.
JP
---
Pell

Is there a way to use 9.2.2 with Sheepsaver? That's the only install disc I have (that came with my PowerMac).

Sorry for the busted links to ROM-grabber and TomeView. Here are a couple that work:
http://homepage3.nifty.com/toshi3/data/Rom-grabber.sit
http://virtual.haru.gs/tomeview.hqx

I'm curious what essential Classic apps folks are still running.

Essential apps:
Oxford English Dictionary (set up to run from a CD image instead of the original CD)
Lexis-Nexis (much faster than the web interface)
WordPerfect (sometimes)
And most important and productivity-ruining of all -
The old AfterDark Stained Glass module, using the MacDim AD launcher (see my hint about this somewhere else on the site).
It's the last one that I'm really going to miss on an Intel Mac...

Install Mac Os From Bootable Usb

Lots of custom software is needed to configure or operate older hardware. The devices may still be in use but the control computer has failed. In my case, I don't want to carry around an old laptop to occasionally configure an older device.
Does anyone know if a classic app running in these emulators can use a USB-serial adaptor?
Thanks

Lots of old Ambrosia software games!
Maelstrom, Escape Velocity, Mars Rising, Apeiron
I can't cope with all this Doom stuff!

Indeed. I'm still occasionally playing Fool's Errand and the original Myst. Except for that, I can't remember the last time I used Classic to actually accomplish anything.

Yeah, games are about all I ever run in Classic, too!

I still run Civilization 2 (sue me, that's the version I like!), and I just get a hankerin' to run Future Cop sometimes, which was a kick-butt game that never got the marketing it deserved. It even came out for the Mac before the PC (in 1998!).

Neither of these games, AFAIK, will ever be updated to OS X. As long as I can play these games, I will, 'cause they're great games, so why all the hate about those of us who still keep a copy of Classic around?

SimTower. :-D
JP
---
Pell

quarkxpress 4.0 along with a ton of custom developed software for it. the expense and time to re-develop the code for use with the current version of quark would be out of proportion with the benefit gained. xpress 4.0 runs perfectly for what i use it for.
i'll be following and researching how to run classic apps on the intel chips very closely before i can purchase any for the shop.
---
if it aint broke, break it!

Virtual TimeClock 2.5. I know that there are dozens of Time-recording applications available for OS X, but they all require entry of clients, projects, tasks, or other endless information for which I have no need. Virtual TimeClock does one thing, simply--it works like a regular punchclock, allowing me to clock-in/clock-out for the day and for breaks, and totals my time entries and overtime. There is a Pro version for OS X, but it costs $129--the one I have cost me $29 years ago. Until someone comes up with a replacement, I'll keep using this one.

Oops! That's $195 for Virtual TimeClock Pro.

Those are some interesting replies. I'm just confused how someone can have the money to buy an intel machine, but no money to upgrade software. How about you upgrade that software first?
I do understand about needing old software to control even older hardware. But again, how about some hardware upgrades?
OS 9 has been dead for 4 years, lets all let it go.

Run Apps From Usb Mac Osx Mac

It is quite possible for software upgrades to total MORE than the cost of new hardware. Software can be VERY expensive. I got a font editor for less than a hundred bucks 20 years ago. Now it's several hundred, and doesn't even have all the features of the old software. I am planning to use vMac to run FONTastic Plus 2.0.2 and other System 6 software which to this day still have no OS X equivalent. Apple's killing of OS 9 does not magically make new and affordable software appear. Hey, I wish it did.

Over the last 20 years I have written literally hundreds of HyperCard apps that are indispensable to my research. Most of them use specialized externals that will not work with the various HC replacements that have come out since Apple dropped HC. I also need to use a genetic mapping program called ACeDB. There is a OS X version but it would require that I redo much of my data AND modify the HC scripts I use to generate the data file in the first place.

This is probably verboten, but how does one get a copy of 9.0.4? I have a CD of 9.2.2, but tossed any version of 9 before that ('Ha! Won't need THOSE anymore!'). It's frustrating since I have a valid license to use OS 9 (several, actually); I just want to use an older version.

eBay

If you have valid licenses, then LimeWire might be your friend. Be careful not to download anything you don't have a license for! ;-)
JP
---
Pell

Lew, I could afford a new machine every year, the cost is trivial compared to the number of hours invested in writing software. It is a matter of the number of hours invested in writing software. I have spent 20 years programming hypercard stacks for various psychology research projects. The time involved learning new programming languages and compilers then redoing much of this work would take me about 5 - 6 years if I worked on it non stop. I have more important things to do with my time. It is sad, I have gone from teaching in a university department buying about 30 macs a year to surrendering to use microsh**t platform for all but my individual research simply because the lack of backwards compatability and steves hubris in junking hypercard. The Gee wizz look what new macs can do focus has completely stuffed many in education and research. We do not have the time resources to cope with new platforms and are faced with a choice of hours wasted rewriting software or abandoning macs for windows because of the central support that is offered.

That is why those of you in the academic departments should push for Intel mac development because the systems themselves can be put together for around 500$ a piece keyboard, mouse, and monitor plus a p4 with HT, 1gb of DDR ram, 80gb HD, and DVD/RW- at that price that is the best deal there is. I am sorry to say also all of the enthusiasm for this new operating system has made it one of the most well documented ones in my opinion of fixing computers for the last 12 years. Unix outperforms Linux and Windows as a server OS- it always has and the mach kernel is a testament to that. The real problem is the government is forcing the university system to adopt 'active directory' as its networking standard. That alone has forced you into the situation that you are in. If there was some way for you to make agreements with the univeristy to allow you to use offsite computers in your research than the sky would be the limit as you would not be constrained to those requirements (or you can lie and say that you are following them). Who knows...I just think that in the future windows will be something that only children will use.

I've built a complete SheepShaver install, including _everything_ needed to run, as well as the last version of WordPerfect and several utilities. To download this 243mb image, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wordperfectmac, to the Links section, to the 'SheepShaver and Basilisk' folder, and click 'SheepShaver-WordPerfect Install'. It's about 20 minutes on a fast connection.
Enjoy,
John

John,
your downloadable disk image + installer guide are terrific.
it díd take less than 20 minutes to get a classic environment running on my intel MacBook. Very well done. Thank you.

Thank you.
I have downloaded and installed your wonderful little present.. now...
how do I get it to use classic apps - where do I put them to install them etc... PLEASE help me, I'm almost there.. after months of struggling.
I also get a message that says 'The result of a numeric operation was too large' should I worry about that?
and, thanks again.

John,
your downloadable disk image + installer guide are terrific.
it díd take less than 20 minutes to get a classic environment running on my intel MacBook. Very well done. Thank you.

I can run SimCity 200 & Pinballthrillride again, not to mention the software from the macintosh gardens? Yipee!

I'm going through all this trauma just to be able to run Claris Homepage and a wonderful little game called War of Flowers.

Unfortunately SheepSaver just doesn't work. You can't write to any drive, you can't read any of your drives, you can't read firewire drives. It's just... bad.

Let me just highlight the circular logic every single Sheep Saver instruction page seems more than happy to gloss over:
1) To install OS9 start up your already installed OS9 and extract your ROM.
2) FTW?