How can I get an older version of Mac OS and install it on an external drive?

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Glowzinski Author

Level 1

6 points

How can I get an older version of Mac OS and install it on an external drive?

For some reason, I am two OSs back from the newest version of Mac OS.

Upon looking, it says Microsoft Word will not work, Steam, HPDVR Capture and a few other things.

Oddly, after using another program, Go64, it says those things WILL work.

Now, I have stuff back up on blu-ray. Lots and lots of them.

I have the newest Mac Pro. Thus, the biggest drive I could get, was 1tb. I have, say 700 gigs used.

I saw that Mac. has a program that lets you back the entire drive up. I would first need an external drive. But, thinking of that, I wondered if I could run an older OS from an external drive? I looked and found I could.

So, I would guess, the thing to do, would be back everything up on an external drive. Then, get a second external drive to install the older OS.

My question is this. How, can I get an older version of Mac OS? Right now, I am running High Sierra. How can I get that and put it on an external drive?

Can I some how, download that OS, since it is still installed on my Mac and install it on the external?

If I back the entire drive up, I would still have to install the old OS on another drive, is that correct?

I have never done anything like that, to it seems to be, as if being able to run the OS and use programs from it, is different from having the drive backed up.

While I have had my Mac Pro, since, I believe, December 2013, I am 34 now. haha Back when I was a teen, I used Windows and learned how to do a bunch of stuff on that OS. I have never really done anything on my Mac. I mean, I can't really change anything internally. haha Which, is why I am going to save and get the new Pro.

Thank you for the help.

Actually, that being asked, I guess, after I installed the older OS to the external drive, I would have to then install the programs on that drive.

I love working problems out. It is why I love welding. You know? You just see metal and have to figure out what you want to make. Same thing with writing, music and cooking. Three of my other favorite things to do.

Mac Pro

Posted on Nov 5, 2019 10:15 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Grant Bennet-Alder

Level 10

133,921 points

Nov 6, 2019 8:31 AM in response to DonH49

Smokerz has posted a list of upgrade OPTIONS, not requirements, along with the list of links to get specific versions of MacOS..

The Mac has always supported lots of external drives. when it was SCSI drives, I had a Mac that had so many external drives it ran out of drive numbers, so I could not add any more. Do not limit your thinking to only ONE drive.

Many Mac Pro users keep MacOS on the boot drive, then move their photos or music or Videos for whatever they have that is BIG to an external drive, and essentially run both drives at once.

You can boot from any drive, Internal or external -- the internal drive is fast, bit not magical. You can install your current MacOS (or older, or newer) on an external drive and boot from it routinely. This in not unusual, and not a special case. When you have a working MacOS in place, downloading and getting ready to install on another drive is easy.

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Answer 2

Glowzinski Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 9, 2019 6:24 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Thank you.

I dig stories like that.

Man, I wish I had a bunch of friends who were Mac. nerds. haha I mean, the one I have now, is rather hard to mod. But, the next gen. Mac Pro seems totally mod worthy.

I will get myself some external drives.

I love figuring things out.

Thank you again.

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Answer 3

Nov 9, 2019 7:11 PM in response to Glowzinski

The version right before -- the Silver Tower Mac Pro (e.g, 2010, 2012) has four internal drive bays and four PCI-e slots (one taken by the graphics card). Gigabit Ethernet, Firewire, USB... but it can't run Mojave without an expensive graphics card upgrade, and can't officially run Catalina at all.

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Answer 4

Glowzinski Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 16, 2019 9:03 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Man, that is the one I wanted. But, as soon as I decided to switch from Windows to Mac, they stopped making that version.

I want the new Mac Pro. But, I don't like just spending money. I hate getting a big amount out all at once. So, I save a set amount each month. Seeing how much the new one could cost, who knows what the total will be? haha

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Answer 5

Glowzinski Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 16, 2019 9:07 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

Ok, I have been looking at old version of OS. I found some, way back. Even the first OS. haha Can I install ALL of those on external drives?

You may ask why. But, I would respond with the question of, why not?

I dig vintage stuff.

I would have to get a floppy disc drive to install the original OS. But, I wonder if I could just burn it to a disc?

I will install every version of Mac. OS that I can.

Now, I would take a guess, that the ones that say, Powerbook, would not be able to be used as a standard OS? Perhaps I am mistaken.

I am very excited about doing this. I am a simple dude. haha I get kicks out of the little things.

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Answer 6

DonH49

Level 6

16,710 points

Nov 6, 2019 6:10 AM in response to Glowzinski

internally:

increase memory

change SSD to NVME drive

change the processor, if you don't want to do that yourself then go to macsales.com

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Answer 7

Glowzinski Author

Level 1

6 points

Nov 9, 2019 6:26 PM in response to DonH49

haha The new Mac. Pro is hard to so that with. Which, is why they are not making this version anymore. If I could, man, I would rock this thing out.

Thank you for the links.

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How can I get an older version of Mac OS and install it on an external drive?

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