kevin M70

Q: Im trying to find OS  X Yosemite in the App store!!

Hi

Im trying to go back from El Capitan to OS Yosemite but i can find it in the app store, and ideas where I can get a copy

Im new to mac's and this one came with ElCapitan installed

thanks

Kevin

Mac mini, OS X El Capitan (10.11.1)

Posted on Oct 23, 2015 12:19 PM

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Q: Im trying to find OS  X Yosemite in the App store!!

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  • by bigschwabbel,

    bigschwabbel bigschwabbel Oct 23, 2015 12:35 PM in response to kevin M70
    Level 3 (808 points)
    Oct 23, 2015 12:35 PM in response to kevin M70

    If this is a new Mac you most probably won't be able to install any version of OS X that is older then the one that came with the Mac. But there are exceptions. Look up the "Model Identifier" of your device. You can find it in the Apple Menu -> About this Mac -> System Report. Then look for your model on www.everymac.com. It will tell you the minimum version of OS X that can be installed.

     

    Regarding Yosemite: You can only download it from the App Store, and only if you bought it before El Capitan was released.

  • by greg sahli,

    greg sahli greg sahli Oct 23, 2015 12:40 PM in response to kevin M70
    Level 7 (25,395 points)
    Oct 23, 2015 12:40 PM in response to kevin M70

    Yosemite isn't available any more.

    If that's a "new" Mac, it's quite likely the motherboard requires some driver that's only available in El Cap. (depends on how new, I guess)

  • by kevin M70,

    kevin M70 kevin M70 Oct 23, 2015 12:41 PM in response to bigschwabbel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 23, 2015 12:41 PM in response to bigschwabbel

    thanks for replying

    there are lots of articles on the web about how to go backwards but they all start with down loading OS X Yosemite from the app store, I can't find it at all !!

    some of my hardware will not work with El Capitan and I need to go back wards

    regards

    Kevin

    Ps got the machine second hand but they had updated to El Capitan

  • by bigschwabbel,

    bigschwabbel bigschwabbel Oct 23, 2015 12:49 PM in response to kevin M70
    Level 3 (808 points)
    Oct 23, 2015 12:49 PM in response to kevin M70

    If it's a recent model it should support a feature called Internet Recovery. But that would require erasing the hard drive. The procedure would be as follows:

     

    1. back up all your important data to an external drive (USB hard drive or flash drive)

    2. reboot the Mac with the keys CMD+ALT+R pressed, you should see a spinning globe, some time later you will be presented with the Recovery System

    3. within that Recovery System start Disk Utility, choose your internal drive and erase it

    4. close Disk Utility and you will once more be presented with the OS X Installer

    5. the Installer will now download the version of OS X that has been factory-shipped with this Mac

     

    To find out which OS X version came with your Mac check www.everymac.com.

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Oct 23, 2015 12:58 PM in response to kevin M70
    Level 6 (14,434 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 23, 2015 12:58 PM in response to kevin M70

    You should be able to re-install Yosemite if that OS version had shipped with your Mac.

     

    However there are specific details in the OS X Recovery situation that may not allow you

    to go back, and certainly as stated in another reply, the hard drive partition where current

    OS X lives would likely need to be erased. Never erase anything or upgrade, unless or

    until you backup (include clone on external drive; also download the installer for the OS X

    for offline safekeeping so you can re-install once the item goes missing from App Store)

    since simple TimeMachine backups won't restore an older OS X that created it, once gone.

     

    If you have sufficient block of free-space in your computer's internal HDD it may be

    partitioned to allow use of another OS X. A problem may exist where each OS X

    may require additional partitions for its own use beyond these main sections. If so,

    further research is recommended so you don't break what had been working.

     

    Multiple booting OS X versions should be possible, so long as they are supported by the

    build model year; yet at some point, EFI or other firmware upgrade may affect this concept.

    To restore from offline local archives can be an extremely great first option; given the lack

    of long term availability of the system files from online servers; or your own ISP access.

     

    Good luck in any event...!

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Oct 23, 2015 1:28 PM in response to kevin M70
    Level 6 (14,434 points)
    Desktops
    Oct 23, 2015 1:28 PM in response to kevin M70

    Unable to add to my earlier post - timed-out - this came to mind later:

     

    PS: A previous purchase of software by an 'original owner' may not be available

    even if the unit shipped with the software; so that matter could be a gray-area.

     

    The Apple ID of the former owner ties those update/upgrades to their ID.

    You may have to reinstall the OS X (or El Capitan) if you don't have

    access due to this matter. Backup anything off-computer you need to keep.

     

    There may be a work-around but perhaps one is no longer available.

    Good luck in any event!

  • by greg sahli,

    greg sahli greg sahli Oct 24, 2015 5:12 AM in response to kevin M70
    Level 7 (25,395 points)
    Oct 24, 2015 5:12 AM in response to kevin M70

    Did you previously download Yosemite on a different Mac - using your own AppleID?

    If so, you can probably find Yosemite in the App Store "previous purchases" area. To do this, you will need to deauthorize your newer Mac (because it has been setup with someone else's AppleID), then re-signin to App Store with your AppleID.

    http://www.mac-fusion.com/authorize-and-deauthorize-computers-linked-to-your-app le-id/

    Deauthorize your computer using iTunes - Apple Support