I have a 'new' laptop loaded with Catalina. No additional data loaded. I need to downgrade to Mojave to accommodate some legacy software. Catalina throws an error saying the Mohave loader is too old to run.
What's to try next?
MacBook Pro 15″, macOS 10.15
Any mac that comes brand new with macOS Catalina preinstalled cannot downgrade to macOS Mojave
or any other macOS.
When you say 'new' do you mean it is a second hand mac new to you and this mac could have come reinstalled with an older OS like macOS Mojave. If so you would need to download Mojave, create a bootable USB installer, boot to that , erase the Disk.
Then install Mojave.
Any mac that comes brand new with macOS Catalina preinstalled cannot downgrade to macOS Mojave
or any other macOS.
When you say 'new' do you mean it is a second hand mac new to you and this mac could have come reinstalled with an older OS like macOS Mojave. If so you would need to download Mojave, create a bootable USB installer, boot to that , erase the Disk.
Then install Mojave.
I thought putting 'new' in quotes would transmit the idea it isn't literally new.
Putting quotes around a word that is not actually a quote implies the word is not being used in the way it is meant. So, I asked.
Hoping someone could point me to the hiding place of the "previous version Installer".
We can, but if it would do you no good, then we had to ask what you really had in your possession. A new Mac could not run Mojave or earlier. A "new" Mac might be able to.
How to upgrade to macOS Mojave - Apple Support
And since you mentioned it,
How to upgrade to macOS High Sierra - Apple Support
However, you cannot download those while running Catalina. You would need to use Internet Recovery to erase the drive and install the OS that shipped on the Mac (when it was actually new).
Apple would certainly have a version of the installer that could install,
As if by magic, they do.
It's not that hard. On a lark, I installed Mountain Lion (oldest available) on an external drive on my 2012 Mini using Internet Recovery. I then upgraded individually all the way to Catalina. Took a morning to do all that. So, there really is nothing difficult about what you wanted to do.
contrawise wrote:
I have a 'new' laptop loaded with Catalina. No additional data loaded. I need to downgrade to Mojave to accommodate some legacy software. Catalina throws an error saying the Mohave loader is too old to run.
What's to try next?
Your Mac can not run a macOS older than what it shipped with originally.
Thanks for the reply! I thought putting 'new' in quotes would transmit the idea it isn't literally new. Wishful thinking on my part. It's a refurb. I asked that it come loaded with High Sierra, because legacy software. They said they would downgrade it for me, but when it arrived ... Catalina. I thought it would be faster to downgrade it myself, rather than send it back. Hoping someone could point me to the hiding place of the "previous version Installer".
I'm naive enough, I guess, to believe Apple would certainly have a version of the installer that could install, at least, the most recent previous version. Why wouldn't they? Compost happens. Someone discovers their new Mac won't run what, for them, is a critical piece of software. Or, worse yet, the new OS is buggy like crazy. So, give them an uncomplicated escape hatch. It's what I'd do if it was my company. Right?? Har! Shades of the rollout of Microsoft Vista. Given reported Catalina bugginess, I'm surprised someone isn't in the business of selling thumb drives with Mohave downgrade installers loaded.
I created a boot loader and got it running yesterday. Fortunately, I didn't need to be in a huge hurry.
you are doing it wrongly most likely from lack of knowledge. The error code is accurate. You'll need to BOOT the computer into a Mojave installer. There are multiple methods to get this completed.
You put new in scare quotes. Is it a new model Mac or just new to you? If it is over a year old, it might be able to run Mojave, but you'll have to erase the drive completely.
Thanks for your reply!
Refurb 2015 MacBook Pro. Not interested in anything newer.
Downgrade from Catalina to Mojave Fails
