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User profile for user: cadcoffee
cadcoffee Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

OS Big Sur

Hi, I have a 2017 MacBook Air. I have been using High Sierra and have been reluctant to upgrade because I knew several programs wouldn't work. Programs like Microsoft package (Word, etc.) won't work which I don't use much and the expensive one is QuarkXpress 9.5 which I don't really use anymore, but sometimes I want to open an old file and I don't want to pay over $800 a year to open a file occasionally.... So my question is can I keep a copy of High Sierra either on my hard drive or on an external drive and switch to it If I need to open an old file and If I can how.... Thanks

a lot for any Info.

Posted on Oct 14, 2021 12:26 PM

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User profile for user: ku4hx
ku4hx
User level: Level 7
23,592 points

Posted on Oct 15, 2021 2:21 PM

Certainly you can download older versions, at least some anyway: How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support


Create a bootable installer and at installation choose where you want the OS to be installed. I've never installed MacOS to an external drive like that but I don't know why it won't work. You're going to get far better boot times if you install it on a good portable quality SSD.

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User profile for user: ku4hx
ku4hx
User level: Level 7
23,592 points

Oct 15, 2021 2:21 PM in response to cadcoffee

Certainly you can download older versions, at least some anyway: How to get old versions of macOS - Apple Support


Create a bootable installer and at installation choose where you want the OS to be installed. I've never installed MacOS to an external drive like that but I don't know why it won't work. You're going to get far better boot times if you install it on a good portable quality SSD.

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User profile for user: ku4hx
ku4hx
User level: Level 7
23,592 points

Oct 15, 2021 7:16 AM in response to cadcoffee

What I did was clone an external SSD with the existing old MacOS on the internal drive. Once I confirmed the SSD was actually bootable, I upgraded to Big Sur. I haven't used the SSD yet, but it worked before and I expect it to work in the future as an external boot drive of the old OS.


Actually, being slightly paranoid, I did the same with an old external HDD I had sitting around so I'd have dual coverage of the old OS.

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OS Big Sur

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