is it possible to return to old macOs without time machine backup?

mninkoom wrote:

is it possible to return to old macOs without time machine backup?

I am looking to return to Mojvae OS but keep getting stuck on the step where I need to click Time machine backup. is there a way to skip this step ? and why is it not working for me? or do I just have to wait?

the new Os is incompatible with my work files

Yes, You can revert—

Revert your Mac to a previous macOS version - Apple Support

however to restore your user data you would need a backup to restore from.

mninkoom wrote:

This is the page I’m currently stuck on so my assumption is I may have nothing to restore from.

the new Os is incompatible with my work files

Updating third party software is the preferred method of working with files that are incompatible in an attempt to move forward, not backwards.

How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

If you value your User data then having a robust backup plan is mandatory .

Many do not get this backup religion until it is too late—after a catastrophic failure, hardware failure, software failure, incompatibility update, etc.

All drives will fail in due time, independent of a software upgrade that goes sideways or proves incompatible.

With the release of macOS 10.15 Catalina, applications will have to be 64-bit. App developers will issue updated apps if they want their apps to work on this newest macOS upgrade

32-bit app compatibility with macOS ... - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208436

Suggestion:

3-2-1 Backup Strategy: three copies of your data, two different methods, and one offsite.

—Boot clone https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-10081

—How to use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201250

—Use DiskUtility Restore feature  https://support.apple.com/guide/disk-utility/restore-a-disk-dskutl14062/mac

         note: >System Preferences>Security & Privacy >Privacy>Full Disk Access

                  unlock the  padlock,  press the + button and add Disk Utility 

mninkoom wrote:

thanks this is helpful. I did use the link you sent above. I think the major thing would be to back up now. any ideas on how to effectively do a backup and then get the older OS?

That's somewhat the wrong way. You can only go back to the older operating system if you already have a backup of your system when you were running it.

You certainly can erase your hard drive and reinstall the old system as fresh. You would have to reinstall all of your software. You would also have to copy all of your current data back into the system. So in this case, you would need a backup of your current system so that you would be able to restore your data.

However, any data you have used with any Apple app will probably not work on the old system. Apple apps are like any other. If you upgrade to a new version, then your new data will not work with the old version. If you are using iCloud for all of your Apple apps, then you should be OK. It will be painful, but it should work.