I have a newer MacPro, and an older MacPro I use for music. Is there any way I can get a copy of GarageBand for Mac OS 10.14.6? When I go through the App Store, I get this error:
I can use the GarageBand on my newer MacPro, but it requires unplugging & reconnecting a bunch of cables every time.
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.14
I know this is definitely possible.
In 2019 I had access to a new Mac using the current macOS of the time. I "purchased" Pages, Numbers, Garageband. I had never had them previously. I then went to my old Mac running Mavericks. When I went to the App Store and looked under my purchases, I saw Pages, Numbers, etc. in my purchase history. I tried to redownload it but got the error message you got. However, it also said there was an older version I could download and did I want it? Yes, I did, and it was installed on my 8 year old computer. Incidentally, they then appeared as a possible downloads on all my old iOS devices too.
Four days ago I was given a computer with Big Sur. I went to the Mac App Store and found Pages etc. in my purchase history saying I had purchased it in 2019. I tried downloading it and got the same messages about the current version needing a newer macOS but did I want a Big Sur version? Again, I successfully got an older version on my computer.
The trick may be to do as léonie suggests and once you have successfully purchased it on a supported system, to then look at your purchase history on the old system.
I just tested it, to check, if it is still working. Off and on GarageBand does not offer the option to install a prevous version, depending on the system version.
To test this, I moved GarageBand to the Trash (but did not empty it), then restarted the App Store, and GarageBand has now shown a download arrow in the list of previous purchases, as it should be.
And when I clicked the download link, I got the offer to download a previous version.
THIS TOTALLY WORKED! How strange. This method allowed me to go all the way back to a 2015 version:
Is there a way to download the full sound library to a location other than my internal SSD? I'd love to get the full library, but it would push my internal SSD to almost 90% full. Does the library offer additional guitar and bass amp sounds? Or is it just drum loops, etc.?
If you can get access to your own account on a computer with the required minimum macOS version for the current version you can download the new version of the app to it. Now go to your old computer and search for the application in the Mac App Store application. Try downloading it. It may offer an older version if one is available. If this is an app that uses a service there is no guarantee the old version will actually work with the service but I have found some old versions are available and provide partial functionality.
Hmmm... I wonder if that's because Apple has increasingly adding is former stand-alone software to the System and it now has to be installed as part of the operating system? I run much older software and when I did my instructions 3 years ago I was able to get a whole bunch of Apple software for my older system. Even the stuff where you had to pay for it back then! That included Garageband, but again this was several years ago.
Was there a bunch of apps that used to have downloaded installers that they moved to the App Store? I had GarageBand on my old MacBook until I did a Factory Reset. I think at that time, my OS was at least one version too old, and I didn't have a 2nd Mac to do the trick you mentioned. The "trick" seems to go back one OS version but no further.
Where did you try to download GarageBand on the AppStore? Your screenshot is showing that you tried to purchase GarageBand. That will not work, you need to reinstall a purchased app.
Do not use the tab, where you purchase apps. You do not want to purchase an app, you want to reinstall it.
You have to reinstall it from your list of purchases - the fourth tab at the App Store (on Mojave), where it is showing the previous purchases.
When I look on my old Mojave Mac, I can see in my previous purchases my old GarageBand 6.0.5 (from iLife '11) as well as the more recent GarageBand 10.
Try again - close the AppStore on your mac with Mojave, open the AppStore again, then look at the fourth tab. If Garageband is not shown at all, check, if you have hidden purchases.
It used to be possible to move the sound library to an external drive and to replace it on your Mac by a symbolic link to the sound library on the external. But I have not tested this in the more recent system versions, so I cannot recommend to do this.
You could download the full library, save it to an external drive, then weed out the loops and sounds on the internal drive. If need be, you can restore missing sounds from your external drive.
Seems odd that you can get an old compatible version of garage band only if you "purchased" one in the past. "Purchased" for free presumably? My experience with garageband was that it always came free with the operating system. Upgrades came free. In any case, if older compatible versions are available to some, why is it not simple available to all. Apple, can't this door to finding a compatible version simply be open? Was there ever a time when one had to pay for garageband?
Apple now distributes all its "Free" apps via the app store, rather than installing all of them on the computer. Most people like this since it lets them choose what to have on their personal computers.
There was a time, waaaay back when you could buy iLife on a DVD:
Thanks. I have GarageBand on my new MacBook under my account. When I go to the App Store on the old MacBook (under my account) and try to download, it says:
How can I get Garage Band for OS 10.14?
