Downgrading with New Time Machine Backup

Question

Downgrading with New Time Machine Backup

So I upgraded to High Sierra without ever backing up my macbook pro. I've since backed everything up using Time Machine. Several programs (i.e Logic Pro X) no longer work well and I would like to revert to OS X Yosemite.

My question is can I downgrade from High Sierra to OS X Yosemite using the new Time Machine backup from High Sierra and keep/open all files intact?

Specs:

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)

Storage: 256 GB

Processor: 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5

Memory: 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Graphics: Intel Iris 1536 MB

MacBook Pro, macOS High Sierra (10.13.2)

Posted on Jan 3, 2018 1:32 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Leanne_68

Community Specialist

Jan 4, 2018 2:07 PM in response to doritosdeluxe918

Hi doritosdeluxe918,

Thank you for contacting Apple Support Communities. Based on what you stated, it seems like you want to revert to a previous macOS version but you made a backup after you upgraded. If you have an older backup available from the previous macOS version, you can restore using that older backup.

Important: Reverting erases any changes you made to the files on your Mac since you installed the new version of macOS. To save new or revised files, copy them onto a different disk or back them up before you follow these instructions.

Print these instructions.

Click the Share button in the Help window, then choose Print.

Choose Apple menu > Restart. After your Mac restarts (some Mac computers play a startup sound), press and hold the Command and R keys until the Apple logo appears, then release the keys.

Select “Restore from a Time Machine Backup,” then click Continue.

Select your Time Machine backup disk.

Select the Time Machine backup you want to restore. To restore your computer to the state it was in before you installed the new version of macOS, choose the most recent backup that occurred before you installed the new version.

Follow the onscreen instructions.

macOS Sierra: Revert to a previous macOS version

Cheers.

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Answer 2

i_rina

Community Specialist

Jan 4, 2018 5:37 PM in response to doritosdeluxe918

Hey doritosdeluxe918,

The way reverting works is to reinstall an old backup as is on top of the newer version. Typically when a program needs to make changes to a file or library it will ask you to upgrade the library. If you have not made any changes like that or used them in a newer version of the same software they may still work in an older version. You would still want to make a backup of the individual files you wanted to keep.

The other option would be to erase the computer as if you were going to be selling it and reinstall the macOS version that came with your computer. You would then need to reinstall all software and all data you had backed up outside of Time Machine.

Command (⌘)-R Install the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac, without upgrading to a later version.*

Option-Command-R Upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.**

Shift-Option-Command-R
Requires macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later Install the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available.

* If you're selling or giving away a Mac that is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, use Command-R to make sure that the installation isn't associated with your Apple ID.
** If you haven't already updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later, Option-Command-R installs the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available.

How to reinstall macOS

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities. Have a good one.

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Answer 3

i_rina

Community Specialist

Jan 4, 2018 8:17 PM in response to doritosdeluxe918

Hey doritosdeluxe918,

If you try to restore using the backup you made with the newer version of macOS, it will install that version of macOS too. You will need to use the steps in the article describing how to reinstall the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available. After that is done, you would then recover your data from a manual backup. This article provides other ways you can backup your files.

How to back up your Mac

Take care.

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Answer 4

Jan 4, 2018 4:39 PM in response to Leanne_68

Hey Starr, thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately I never made a previous backup before the update, will the high sierra backup be compatible with the yosemite os? I never made any changes to the files after the update so I’m hoping they’ll run the way they did before the update.

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Answer 5

Jan 4, 2018 6:56 PM in response to i_rina

hey i_rina

since i dont have a backup of the older OS, will the new backup i made after the update will be compatible with the old OS?

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Answer 6

Jan 5, 2018 8:34 PM in response to i_rina

thanks for the info!

so the steps would be to manually move all files to my external, wipe hard drive/reinstall old os, move all files back manually, right?

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Answer 7

babowa

Level 9

78,562 points

Jan 4, 2018 9:04 PM in response to doritosdeluxe918

The only sure and safe way to revert to an earlier OS while leaving all files intact is to use a bootable backup of the particular OS version you want to revert to. And, with any method, you need to completely erase/wipe your hard drive.

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Command (⌘)-R	Install the latest macOS that was installed on your Mac, without upgrading to a later version.*
Option-Command-R	Upgrade to the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.**
Shift-Option-Command-R Requires macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later	Install the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available.
* If you're selling or giving away a Mac that is using OS X El Capitan or earlier, use Command-R to make sure that the installation isn't associated with your Apple ID. ** If you haven't already updated to macOS Sierra 10.12.4 or later, Option-Command-R installs the macOS that came with your Mac, or the version closest to it that is still available.