The much anticipated new macOS update has arrived. It’s called Mojave (after the Mojave Desert) and it’s a major one, which means lots of new features to get excited about including Dark Mode, which transforms the desktop with a darkened color scheme, Stacks, for organizing even the most cluttered of desktops, and an overhauled Mac App Store. It’s an update worth having, that’s for sure.

• Mac App Store Mojave Link
• Download Macos Mojave Apple Store
• Download Macos Mojave App Store

On September 25, the long-awaited macOS update, Mojave 10.14, has finally arrived and is now available for free. In this article, we’ll tell you how to prepare your Mac for the clean install of the updated version.

MacOS Mojave Release Timeline

Nov 03, 2018. Mac App Store: Downloads just don't start (Mojave) Ask Question Asked 1 year, 8 months ago. Active 8 months ago. Viewed 34k times 11. I want to download apps in the Mac App Store and the apps won't start to download. As you can see in the pictures below, the spinner starts spinning but nothing gets downloaded, the download simply doesn't. If you don’t already have the Install macOS Mojave application, download it via the Mac App Store. I am using macOS Mojave which features a major redesign of the Mac App Store app. When installing app(s) from the new Mac App Store, how do I check the status of download(s) in progress? It is possible to check the progress of downloads in the Purchases tab in the previous design of the Mac App Store, but that appears to be no longer available.

Tapping into the history, there have been three releases of MacOS Mojave:

• Developer Preview — Available since early June
• Public Beta — Available since late June
• Official version — Available for everyone to download since September 25.

The fall release brought the whole bunch of new opportunities for Mac users. Previously, the members of Apple Development Program with an Apple ID could get a feel of macOS Mojave by using the developer preview. This was followed by a more stable Public Beta version. Yet both versions weren’t disposed of errors.

Stabilized and polished, the latest version of Mojave should help Mac users enjoy life without showstopper bugs and instability issues.

How to upgrade your Mac to macOS Mojave 10.14

You can clean install the new, shiny version of macOS Mojave 10.14 (this way entails one important fact: all your files and data will be deleted during the process.) Or you can simply upgrade your Mac.

Upgrading to macOS Mojave is seamlessly simple, taking up little time and almost no effort. And with the upgrade guide we’ve prepared, you’re going to be running new OS in no time.

An upgrade install also offers at least two benefits over a standard install:

• it's a simple process
• it retains almost all of your settings, files, and apps from the version of macOS that you're currently using.

How to download Mojave and install it safety

Apple's new Mac software, macOS Mojave, is available now. However, as the operating system is still so new, there may be some macOS 10.14 Mojave problems that are still present. If you're worried, it may be worth waiting a few weeks so that all the issues are fixed.

If you're going to perform an install Mojave, you need to check is your Mac ready for Mojave, backup your important data, and, finally, run installer. So, let's preparing Mac for the upgrade to macOS Mojave.

MacOS Mojave compatibility

Before you download macOS Mojave you’ll need to make sure that your system can run it. Apple says that the OS will be available for Macs introduced in mid-2012 or later, plus 2010 and 2012 Mac Pro models with recommended Metal-capable graphics cards.

To see how much space is available on your Mac, choose Apple () menu > About This Mac, then click Storage.:

• iMac Pro (2017)
• iMac (late 2012 or newer)
• Mac Pro (late 2013, plus mid-2010 and mid-2012 models with Metal-capable graphics cards)
• MacBook (2015 or newer)
• MacBook Air (mid-2012 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (mid-2012 or newer)
• Mac mini (late 2012 or newer)

Hardware requirements haven’t changed much since last time:

• Required memory: 4GB or more (macOS tends to run best with more memory)
• Required disk storage: 4.8GB free space

Сan your Mac run Mojave? To see you Mac's model and how much space is available on your Mac, click on the Apple () logo in the menu bar and select About This Mac

In the Overview tab, you’ll see the Mac model and year

In the Storage tab, you'll check your storage space

Backup your Mac before installing the new macOS

No matter which version of macOS Mojave you’re installing, you should backup your Mac first. You can do this via the Time Machine or with an app like Get Backup Pro (it’s more powerful than Apple’s Time Machine.)

Note: You need a backup of every important file that you'll want to reinstall on your new macOS. But there's no point in running a straight clone of your previous files: you'll just end up with the same junk floating around your new operating system.

So, before backup clean up your hard drive from junk data, old and useless data, and duplicates. An easy way to go about this is to get a Mac cleaning app like CleanMyMac. It will save to hours of manual file cleanup before the backup. Junk removal with CleanMyMac takes only a few minutes and absolutely safe for your Mac. The duplicate files finder like Gemini helps you to detect duplicate files on any folder, preview duplicate pictures, videos, music, archives, documents, and all other specific extensions, and get rid of useless versions.

You don't need to dig through Internet to search and and download each apps mentioned in this guide, all of them available on Setapp.

How to backup a Mac with Time Machine

Backing up your system with Mac’s built-in Time Machine feature couldn’t be easier.

1. Go to System Preferences > Time Machine and check that it’s turned on.
2. Under Select Backup Disk choose a hard drive to backup your system.

Time Machine will then perform automatic backups of your system and store them on your chosen hard drive for easy retrieval.

How to backup important data only with Get Backup Pro

Get Backup Pro offers a more comprehensive way to backup your Mac, allowing you to make copies of your system files in four different ways: simple copy, clone, incremental, and versioned. It’s a great app to use alongside Time Machine and lets you recover files to any computer — handy if anything goes seriously wrong with Mojave.

The slick user interface of Get Backup Pro makes it easy to use.

1. Click the + button at the bottom of the project list, then name the project.
2. Choose a backup destination and select whether you want to store original files and folders, or inside a disk image.
3. Drag and drop files and/or folders to the list in the main window, then click Start.

Get Backup Pro is available now from the Setapp collection where you can download it for free with a 7-day trial.

Mac App Store Mojave Link

That's all. Now let's start the installation.

How to install the new macOS

If your Mac is Mojave-compatible and you’ve backed up your system in case something goes drastically wrong, you’re ready for the installation.

There is also an option to create a partition so that it runs separately to your current OS, which was particularly relevant with the previous versions. Here’s how to create a partition:

1. Launch Disk Utility, then select the disk you’d like to partition from the list and click Partition.
2. Click the + button, then choose a size for the partition using the pie chart (you’ll need at least 4.8GB for Mojave).
3. Name the partition, then click Apply.

When you purchase macOS Mojave from the Mac App Store, the installer will be downloaded to your Mac and placed in the Applications folder. Once completed, the Mojave installer will open, and you can follow the onscreen instructions to install macOS Mojave on your Mac.

The macOS update can be performed just in four steps:

1. Go to the Apple menu in the top left corner.
2. Tap the App Store.
3. Click Updates.
4. Choose Mojave and click Download. Once macOS Mojave has downloaded, an Apple terms and conditions window will open.
5. Click the button to install, and when a window appears, click 'Continue' to begin the process and choose the option to install Mojave.

MacOS Mojave promises to be the best Mac operating system yet and we can’t blame you for wanting to get your hands on it as soon as possible. Remember, though: the early versions of the OS are works in progress — there are bugs and errors that will affect system performance. Make sure you backup your Mac before installing. That warning aside, enjoy Mojave — we think you’ll love it.

Meantime, prepare for all the awesome things you can do with Setapp.

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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

Download Macos Mojave Apple Store

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.

Download Macos Mojave App Store

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