A high level of file management can be reached with the updated version of Commander One v3.0. The app is now fully compatible with macOS Big Sur, offers more efficiency, stability, and improved functionality. Commander One is a free file manager created in Swift, has a dual-pane interface that helps you handle your files in the most efficient way. Every Mac OS X system comes with a free window manager, appropriately named Split View. Using the native window manager application is fine for most people, but things get trickier for those who needs deal with multiple windows frequently on Mac. They have higher requirements on window manager and really want to find the best window manager for. Install older OS X onto an external drive. The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks. Start your Mac holding down Command + R. Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage). Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X. Select external drive as a source. Enter your Apple ID. Folx GO is the free version, but it includes all the major features required for a good download manager. If you want the pro features, it will cost $4.99 but it will allow you to schedule your downloads when there is less load on your network, automatically add downloaded songs to iTunes, and other features that let you download quicker and optimize the download speed to. MuCommander is a free cross-platform file manager. Download Documentation Twitter GitHub. OS/2 and other OS with Java support MD5.

Manager

So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.

A list of all Mac OS X versions

We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0Puma 10.1Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.3Tiger 10.4Leopard 10.5
Snow Leopard 10.6Lion 10.7Mountain Lion 10.8
Mavericks 10.9Yosemite 10.10El Capitan 10.11
Sierra 10.12High Sierra 10.13Mojave 10.14
Catalina 10.15

STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.

Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:

  • Uninstall large unused apps
  • Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
  • Locate the biggest files on your computer:

Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)

STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download

Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.

How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store


If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top menu.
  3. Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
  4. Click Download.

This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.

Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer

If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8

The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:

1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.

“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”

If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.

STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive

The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
  4. Select external drive as a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.

Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra

Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version

If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.

Every Mac OS X system comes with a free window manager, appropriately named Split View. Using the native window manager application is fine for most people, but things get trickier for those who needs deal with multiple windows frequently on Mac. They have higher requirements on window manager and really want to find the best window manager for their Mac. So, how to choose the best one and what is the best window manager for Mac. Here we will give you a satisfied answer.

Basic Knowledge You Need Know about Window Manager

What is window manager?

A window manager is a software utility found in most GUI-based software and applications that manages the overall alignment and layout of graphical windows. Window manager defines and controls the appearance and positioning of application interface windows.

Mac Os X File Manager Free

What’s the difference between window manager and desktop environment?

The window manager manages your windows. It puts the window decoration around the contents including the buttons to minimize or close. It permits resizing and moving the windows around, decides which window is on top.

A desktop environment gives you an overall user experience. It has the panels, the system menus, the starters, the status applets. It needs a window manager, of course, to manage the windows. It might offer a default file explorer and viewer. To streamline, desktop environment might even contain default editor, terminal program, or even e-mailer, all made to look alike and work together. Gnome, XFCE and KDE are the best known at the moment.

Mac

Tips on How to Choose the Best Window Manager for Mac

Selecting the best window manager for your Mac is not easy, you should spend a little time searching in internet for resource. Meanwhile, you have to download the free trials to try out them. Finally, that make a comparison to the software and get the best one is imperative. To save your time, we summarize some tips on how to choose the best window manager for Mac below.

1. Look for essential functions

Window manager plays an important role on increasing productivity with the function of helping manipulate application windows. A good window manager for Mac will allow you to move, resize and rearrange windows rapidly. It will also allow customizing how windows are handled, provide keyboard shortcuts for performing window manipulations quickly and let you snap windows to various locations on the desktop with the mouse.

2. Ensure that the window manager is compatible with your Mac

You must affirm whether the window manager can be used in your Mac or not, for some of them can only be used in Windows system. Further, although it is compatible with Mac, you still need check out the version. You see, Split View merely allows access to EL Capitan or later.

3. When in doubt, consult customer service

Generally, formal software is researched and developed by regular company. If you have any questions with the window manager, you can find the customer service and e-mail with he or she.

4. Read the reviews!

The Internet is a wonderful place to look for information. With the right keywords, you will be able to find reviews from owners on how the window manager actually works on a Mac. Even you can know reviews from their official websites or App Store.

What is the Best Window Manager and How to use it to Manage Windows on Mac?

I have tried a number of window managers for Mac before, as a reliable author, I believe Cisdem WindowManager is your best bet. Not only can it split screen into various sizes and positions on Mac, but also resize your window with the innovative grid system. Some customizable features will make you work with it easily. Then, how to use Cisdem WidowManager on Mac? Please keep moving on.

Step 1. Set all attributes of WindowManager

Before using the program, you should set general preferences. For example, if you want to 'Start this app when you launch your Mac', then mark this option. For other default options, you can click to remove it.

Step 2. Manage your windows in 3 ways

1. Manage windows with 7 pre-defined 'hot zones'

WindowManager supports 7 pre-defined 'hot zones', you can define the right, left and top edges of your screen as you expected. If you have installed WindowManager and drag a window to the edge of the screen, the window will automatically resize to fill a specific area of the screen. You are able to make it expand vertically, occupy the entire screen, or appear side-by-side with another windows according to where you drag a window.

2. Manage windows with keyboard shortcuts.

If you are not accustomed to operating this app with mouse, WindowManager offers you customizable and easy to remember keyboard shortcuts. With these shortcuts, you can directly split screen to a specific area with keyboard shortcut or the menu bar shortcut.

3. Using grid system to arrange and split screen.

Best File Manager For Mac

Some Mac users may want to get a few standard screen splitting locations, in this case, you can efficiently and promptly divide your screen into accurate portions with grid system. Everything you need to do is clicking and dragging within the display grid interface to select the area that you hope your windows to take up. Next, your windows will be moved and resized to that corresponding position on your screen. If you think it's too cumbersome for you, then you can create shortcuts instead as we said before to voluntarily resize and move your windows.

Other Terrific Window Managers for Mac Provided to You As a Reference

In this article 'Organize Your Window Better: TOP 7 Popular Window Organizers for Mac', I have recommended 7 window managers for Mac users, here we will not mention them repeatedly. Actually, except these 7 apps, still having other window managers for Mac which can not be ignored. Now, I'll introduce you the other two briefly.

#1. Divvy

Mac Os X Free File Manager

Divvy is designed to be quick, simple and elegant. We want it to stay out of your way as much as possible while providing the most powerful window management available today.

Best Free File Manager Macos

#2. HyperDock

Mac Os X File Manager Free Version

HyperDock adds long awaited features to your Dock: select individual application windows just by moving the mouse on a dock item, use mouse clicks to quickly open new windows and many more. If you are interesting in HyperDock, then search it on Google there to the right to get a better idea of what we're talking about.