Jul 25, 2012  Question: Q: Cannot burn Mountain Lion to DVD!!! I tried burning the InstallESD.dmg file to a DVD so that I may do a clean install like I did with Lion. But Disk Utility says the mountain lion image is too big to burn!! HTF am I going to do a clean install now?!!!! DMG files are very common on the MacOS X platform, used for Disk Images.With Disk Images we mean a full “copy” image of for example a CD, DVD or Harddisk. DMG‘s are typically used to distribute applications. Some times however you’d prefer a ISO or a CDR image instead, for example for users on different platforms, or for offering other ways to burn an image to CD or DVD (if applicable).

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

Lion Dmg Too Large Dvd Cover

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

Lion Dmg Too Large Dvd Download

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.

These might also interest you:

Lion Dmg Too Large Dvd Release

How can I burn a DMG to a DVD in Windows 7? I want to use that DVD afterwards in an Apple PowerBook.

Lion Dmg Too Large Dvd Release

1. There is a simple command line utility called DMG to ISO. Search Google to get download link.

2. Is there software called 'disk utility' that i can use in windows 7?
   I thougt it just was on Mac? And I can't use my Mac at this moment, cause het needs to be programmed again.

   Thanks for your support!

   • hello, i forgot windows 7 point. my mistake, and i did not get notification of your comment.
     sorry.

     First make sure that you have the iso of an original mac tiger os then try to do it.osx86 hackintosh will not work.

     isorecorder is the alternative to disk uitily for windows. which i told you about in the first comment.
     http://lifehacker.com/175027/download-of-the-day-iso-recorder?tag=softwarecds

     if it does not work, try nero or try utility disc form a mac.

3. I just used POWERISO. I burned the DVD, but the Powerbook doesn't accept the dvd. The player is turning some rounds and then it's pushing the DVD back out. Her under you see a picture of what I am burning.

   thanks

   • I couldn't send a picture.

     So I give you the maps:
     trashes, vol, applications, bin, dev, install MAC OS X, Japanese, library, optional installs.mpkg, private, read before you install.app, sbin, system, usr, volumes, welcome tot tigar.app,
     And the others:
     . Install Mac OS X
     DS Store
     etc
     mach
     mach_kernel
     tmp
     var

     • try disk utikity,

       Step 1. Launch Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).

       Step 2. Click Burn on the Disk Utility toolbar (upper left).

       Step 3. Navigate to where you saved the DVD image created in the previous section.

       steo 4. Click on the image file, then click the Burn button. Do not drag and drop the image file into Disk Utility during this step.

       Step5. Insert a DVD when prompted and proceed to Burn it. (use good quality media)

       • But as you can see from the discussion she needs soemthing for Windows.
         Aibek

       • yes, that's why I told her to use iso recorder as alternative
         //www.makeuseof.com/answers/burn-dmg-dvd-windows-7/#comment-361812571

         actually I said it in the very first comment.

         alternative to disk utility:

         lifehacker :http://lifehacker.com/175027/download-of-the-day-iso-recorder?tag=softwarecds

         download from softonic :http://iso-recorder.en.softonic.com

4. Thank you very much, but I don't succeed. The Powerbook G4 doesn't accept the DVD's I burned. What is going wrong?

   • Hello, how did you end up burning the disk? Do you get any error when trying to install? You can visit following links for possible answers:

   • Did you follow the steps in the link ?
     'Do not drag and drop the image file into Disk Utility during this step.'

5. I want to burn tiger 10.4.6

   I have an iso, but I too have a folder with files (I expand it with 7zip).

6. Thank you both very much.

   Tell me, what if I want to make an installation disk? Which programm can I use?

   • can you explain which installation disc do you want to make ?
     generally writing required setup files on a disc will work, whether it is a folder or files like iso.

   • dmg stands for Apple Disk Images. If you have a dmg image is like having an ISO file in Windows, difference is that dmg images are meant to be mounted. They can be put on dvd, cd, flashdrive, for the purpose of moving them to another computer. To have a better understanding about .dmg images, read the following:

     What kind of installation disk do you want to make? If the .dmg file you have is already bootable, you just have to burn it to dvd/cd and it will boot. If you have the .dmg image and a mac, you can use the disk utility. Open disk utility, drag your .dmg into the list of volumes, highlight it, and then select the Burn icon in the toolbar.

7. Select the dmg file, and the disc you want to write on.

   use this guide for the steps:
   http://lifehacker.com/251758/mac-tip--how-to-burn-an-iso-or-dmg-file-to-disc

   download iso recorder [BROKEN LINK REMOVED]
   to burn dmg files.

8. Hello, the only thing you need to do is get a burning software that is capable of burning .dmg images. You can use software like the following:
   http://www.poweriso.com/tutorials/burn-dmg-file.htm
   [BROKEN LINKS REMOVED]
   You could also try burning the DVD as Data disk. Open a burning software like Nero, ImgBurn, etc, select the .dmg image you have and then burn the disk. Once disk is burned you can view it in Mac. Now, if it is an installation disk, that would not work.