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After Step 3, open the Disk Utility app.Ģ. If the above is true for you, you’ll need to wipe your hard drive by changing its file format before downgrading macOS. If you’re reverting from recent version of macOS, like Catalina or Mojave to macOS High Sierra or earlier, you may face an issue while downgrading, as Apple changed the file system from HFS+ to AFPS in macOS High Sierra. You can now restore all your data and continue working as you normally would. Once done, you should have a working copy of an older version of macOS. (You’ll require an Internet connection for the downgrade, since macOS needs to connect to the Internet for installation.)ĥ. Follow the on-screen instructions to reinstall macOS from your bootable installer. In Recovery mode, select “Reinstall macOS” from Utilities. When it’s booting, hold down Command + R to activate Recovery mode.Ĥ. Once downloaded, don’t click on Install! You’ll need to create a bootable installer for macOS first, which can be done on any external disk (such as a USB thumb stick.)ģ. We’ve covered the download links and methods here.Ģ. Download the installer for the macOS version you want to install. This method will wipe the data from your hard drive, so make sure you’ve backed up all your data somewhere safe.ġ.
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If you don’t have a Time Machine backup, you’ll have to downgrade macOS the old-fashioned way: by resetting your hard drive. How to Downgrade macOS without Time Machine Once you’ve completed the steps above, your Mac should be ready to go with a downgraded version of macOS.
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(You can see which version of macOS the backup was made in.) Pick the last one you made prior to updating to the newer version of the Mac operating system.
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The next screen shows all your backups over time. Select the disc holding your Time Machine backup.Ħ.
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