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Can a MacBookPro mid-2010 be downgraded from 10.9 to 10.8 or 10.7 ?

Have a used MacBookPro from 2010 (2.66 GHz i7, 8GB RAM) with many installed apps (such as CS5 Suite and Logic Pro X). This laptop was upgraded to 10.9 prior to my purchase. Some parts of Adobe CS5 and Logic programs are not working properly and/or updating properly. Maintenance programs have been run and there are still problems.


I'd like to reduce/downgrade the OS to less than 10.9. Will a "downgrade" from 10.9 to 10.7 or 10.8 be permitted and successful ?



Thank you.

Posted on Jul 11, 2014 9:47 AM

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13 replies

Jul 11, 2014 10:40 AM in response to MacPcConsultant

MacPcConsultant,


you can’t downgrade the installed OS, but you could erase the internal disk, reïnstall its original version of Mac OS X (either 10.6.3 or 10.6.4) from its grey Mac OS X Install DVD, reïnstall its iLife apps from its grey Applications Install DVD, run Software Update to get it to 10.6.8, and then optionally upgrade to 10.7 or 10.8 and run Software Update again to get to 10.7.5 or 10.8.5 respectively.


You should have received two grey Apple installation DVDs when you’d purchased your MacBook Pro. If you didn’t receive them, contact Apple directly to purchase a replacement pair. (They’re not available in the Apple stores.) The Applications Install DVD also has your MacBook Pro’s Apple Hardware Test.

Jul 11, 2014 5:39 PM in response to MacPcConsultant

It checks the installed version, and won't do a "downgrade" as long as there is evidence that it was running a later version. To do what you want to accomplish, you will need a BLANK drive. Remember that the Mac will boot from any attached drive, internal or external. USB, FireWire, whatever.


If you have an Installer on a [USB] Stick or an Installer on a Dual-Layer DVD --- that device can be used as a stand-alone Booter/Installer. And the MacBook Pro model you are talking about MAY boot from a "Full Retail" 10.6.3 Installer/Utilities DVD (which in itself gives you an alternate "place to stand" while you perform this operation. If it will Boot the "Full Retail" 10.6.3 DVD, it will Install.

Jul 11, 2014 7:02 PM in response to MacPcConsultant

MacPcConsultant,


So you are referring to using the recovery partition to reinstall the original OS ?


no, I’m not. I did not refer to using the recovery partition at all, because your model MacBook Pro originally came with a version of Mac OS X which didn’t support recovery partitions. You will need to erase your internal disk and use your MacBook Pro’s grey Mac OS X Install DVD to reïnstall its original version of Mac OS X.

Jul 11, 2014 8:48 PM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

The various versions of Recovery_HD are tagged with Mac OS X version numbers as well. If you are using Recovery_HD on the Internal drive, it will not downgrade, because it sees its own version and will not install lower.


You really do need a BLANK Drive, and that means you need to boot to another source of software to have a place to stand while you do the Install. OR, Install on a different drive.

Jul 12, 2014 8:23 AM in response to MacPcConsultant

MacPcConsultant wrote:


Some parts of Adobe CS5 and Logic programs are not working properly and/or updating properly. I'd like to reduce/downgrade the OS to less than 10.9. Will a "downgrade" from 10.9 to 10.7 or 10.8 be permitted and successful ?

Adobe CS5 and Logic Pro X should both work without problem under Mavericks. In fact, Logic Pro X needs 10.8.4 or better to run. So your problem is not due to the OS and downgrading may not improve matters.

Do you still have the installer Disks for Creative Suite? You might want to reinstall it. You can also download Logic Pro X from the Mac App Store again.


Of course, your problem may be because of some other software you've installed.

Jul 12, 2014 7:39 PM in response to MacPcConsultant

MacPcConsultant,


This 2010 laptop has a Toshiba 2010 500 GB internal hard drive which has a Mavericks recovery partition.


if you would like to downgrade from Mavericks, you’ll need to completely erase your MacBook Pro’s internal hard drive, including its Mavericks recovery partition. Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6), your MacBook Pro’s factory installed operating system, does not have recovery partitions, but Lion (Mac OS X 10.7) and Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) do; if you upgrade from Snow Leopard to either Lion or Mountain Lion, your internal hard drive will receive the appropriate recovery partition.

Can a MacBookPro mid-2010 be downgraded from 10.9 to 10.8 or 10.7 ?

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