Can I downgrade from OS X Mavericks back to Mountain Lion?

Hi there,
I'm trying to dual boot my Macbook Pro (2010) with Windows 7 to run some software that is not Mac compatible. I have encountered one problem after the next, but most recently, my disc drive has stopped reading discs. I had originally gone from Mountain Lion to Mavericks as an upgrade, and my disc drive worked fine - but due to an issue with the Windows 7 installation, I had to completely wipe my computer and start fresh - booting Mavericks from the Cloud directly. This appears to have knocked out my disc drive and try as I might, my computer will not only refuse to read external optical drives, but it will accept discs, not read them, and repeatedly spit them out a few seconds later.
I was looking for a solution - and I'm not sure exactly which route to take. I could downgrade to Mountain Lion and hopefully restore the functionality of my disc drive to install Windows 7 and upgrade my OS after the fact OR I could find a way to repair my disc drive. The issue is most definitely software and not hardware.
Ideally, I'll walk away from this with a partitioned MacBook Pro with both Windows 7 and Mavericks installed. I don't even necessarily need my disc drive to work once Windows 7 is installed.
Advice?

It might be easier to find digital installers for Windows 7.
You could create a small 20 GB partition and install Mountain Lion to do your Windows install.
How to revert OS X back from Mavericks
Crossover might run the windows app. http://www.codeweavers.com/products/crossover-mac/

Similar Messages

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    how do i change from OS-X mavericks back to mountain lion i dont like maverick and i want to go back to snow lion BUT I want all my stuff (pictures, docs, ect.) im running bootcamp with windows 8 also, and dont even work or load, it just keeps looping or restarting windows updates

    Here's a reference: How to revert OS X back from Mavericks: Apple Support Communities

  • Can a downgrade from os x mavericks 9.1?

    Hi, been using mavericks for a few months and but am slowly getting dissapointed and frustrated with how slow it is.
    I have a imac i7 with 12gb of ram and a good graphics card but nearly all my software runs too slow. It is difficult to enjoy my time on the desktop.
    My question is can i downgrade from mavericks and install Lion or something? Seriously my G4 was faster!

    Use the backup you made before you chose to upgdade and follow here
    OS X Mavericks: Revert to a previous OS X version
    although you really should troubleshoot your Mac as there is something wrong with it.All our Macs are absolutely flying under Mavericks.
    But your choice.
    Good Luck
    Pete

  • Guys I need help, I want to Downgrade From Mavericks Back To Mountain Lion. How is it possible?

    So On the New Mavericks I can not play Technic Laucher and I miss Mavericks, and I just want a Mountain Lion back how is it possible to downgradi back to Mountain Lion?

    OS X Mavericks: Revert to a previous OS X version
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH14176
    Also see >  https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6161

  • Switching From Mavericks Back To Mountain Lion (Without an Optical Drive)

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    Many thanks

    Another option too for those (kind of like me) who never did the time machine.
    I just restored my computer back to Mountain Lion, and she's working perfect again, as I knew she would. E-mail popping into mailbox instantly as it should and did before the update, printer working fast as it was before update, no more freezing or glitches of any kind thankfully and finally. Here is the link that is through the Apple site to direct you on how to put your system back and get rid of Maverick's, that is assuming that is what you would like to do and also includes link for those wanting to try fixing the issue if that is your preference (most of this info is for those with mountain lion and some with the previousverisoin of OS X lion).
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    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6161
    If you just want to totally get rid of it and put back what you had before, this is the short version of how to do so:
    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3353
    NOTE: This particular link has a lot of info on what to do for different situations, it is a bit lengthy, yet still very helpful.
    OS X Mountain Lion: Reinstall OS X (direct from Apple support site, not someone else):
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10763?viewlocale=en_US
    OS X: About OS X Recovery (also from apple support directly and includes some instructions just the same as previous links above):
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718
    Just in case you aren't sure what it will all look like as you are doing things, this is a link to show you a few pics of what you will see  as you as you are going through the process, it can be helpful for those who aren't sure what they are doing or how to do things at all:
    http://www.apple.com/osx/recovery/
    This is a way to download the Mountain Lion disk info from the server
    http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1433
    I hope this helps someone, it was amazing for me and my system is working perfect again like it was, battery life is way better went from like 3 hours to like 5 (not on full charge by the way, after it sat for a while doing the online update which took a while so that's saying something alone, huge improvement). I plan to wait a while before attempting to reinstall Maverick's, long enough for them to fix the bugs.

  • How do I go about downgrading from Mavericks back to Mountain Lion? I do not have an installer as ML shipped with my Macbook.

    I would like to re-install ML as I have a few issues with Mavericks that really annoy me when I am using my Mac now. I just need to know how I can downgrade back into ML without having the installer file. I cannot reach it in the appstore or on my purchased list because I never actually had to buy it since it shippd with my Mac. Thanks for the help!!

    Install Mavericks, Lion/Mountain Lion Using Internet Recovery
    Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
    Boot to the Internet Recovery HD:
    Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND-OPTION- R keys until a globe appears on the screen. Wait patiently - 15-20 minutes - until the Recovery main menu appears.
    Partition and Format the hard drive:
    1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
    2. After DU loads select your newly installed hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed. Quit DU and return to the main menu.
    Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion. Mavericks: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion, Mavericks and click on the Install button. Be sure to select the correct drive to use if you have more than one.
    Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet
                if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.
    This should restore the version of OS X originally pre-installed on the computer.

  • Going from Mavericks back to Mountain Lion, how do I download the correct software versions from app store for apps like iPhoto etc.

    I have a somewhat older iMac and after installing Mavericks the computer slowed down and the harddrive died. I just got a new harddrive installed and they had trouble getting mavericks to work on it also so they installed Mountain Lion which I am pleased with. I have purchased apps from the app store such as iPhoto and Pages, etc. so I thought I would easily be able to download them for mountain lion. When I look for the apps to download on the app store it lists the versions I had with Mavericks. iPhoto for example says I can download it for free but in the compatibility sections it says it requires OS 10.9 or later. Where can I find and install versions of my software such as iPhoto and iLife that will work again with Mountain Lion?

    Try downloading an app. There are those here who believe that the MAS will determine that you have OS X Mt Lion and actually download the app that your kit needs.

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    Hey guys! Well I am in the position of needing to buy a new Mac, but I need it to be on Mavericks due to programs that I run and stability issues. I would love to get one of the new mac minis, but am aware that they ship with OS X Yosemite. Is it true that I can downgrade to Mavericks by restoring the new mac mini from a Time Machine backup that was done on Mavericks? I have heard that this will work but wanted to make sure before I move forward.
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    There should be a hidden Recovery HD on your Time Machine backup drive. Boot using OPTION booting:
    Boot Using OPTION key:
      1. Restart the computer.
      2. Immediately after the chime press and hold down the
          "OPTION" key.
      3. Release the key when the boot manager appears.
      4. Select the icon labeled Recovery HD 10.10.
      5. Click on the arrow button below the icon.
    Then do this:
    Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
    After DU loads select the volume you wish to erase from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
    Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
    Quit Disk Utility and return to the Main Menu.
    Select Restore from a Time Machine backup and click on the Continue button.

  • Can I restore from backup of time machine of Mountain Lion on a fresh install Older Snow Lepord

    Currently I have OS X 10.8.5 on my macbook pro.
    I have done much of the recovery tricks stated on variour threads. SO as apple support suggested I even tried the internet restore of the OS.
    After a long wait the installable started and I selected the option to reinstall the OS. But it prompted back that that the version which I have installed on the the macbook pro was the latest and hence can't be replaced. So the option to restore from my time machine and I was able to work on the mac for sometime. I thought the issue was resolved, but it doesn;t seems so.
    So will it be wise to completely wipe out the OS and reinstall from scratch. I have snow lepord OS DVD which originally came with the mac.
    So if I install from scratch snow lepord, will I be able to restore files which were backed up on OS X Lion (current OS) ? Kindly advice.

    I got a discussion thread here which suggests I can't
    https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3214393?start=0&tstart=0
    Please help ...

  • Reverting back to Mountain Lion from Mavericks via Time Machine?

    Hi all
    I'm wondering if anybody has successfully downgraded from Mavericks back to Mountain Lion. I am fed up with all the bugs with Mavericks...I should never have upgraded. However, I did make a system backup via Time Machine before upgrading. I'm not sure if it is possible to go back, though. Has anyone successfully done it via Time Machine? I'm also having trouble getting to the restore menu - I have a PC keyboard (which works fine for the Mac), but it doesn't do anything when I hit Command (well, the PC equivalent) + R or Option when I restart. The only thing that seems to work is Command+Option+R, which takes me to the Internet recovery, though I'm not sure if I can go back to my old system via Time Machine on that. Anyway, would appreciate any thoughts on this.

    Boot OS X Recovery by holding ⌘ r (two fingers) while you start your Mac. OS X Internet Recovery, which you were able to invoke with your non-Apple keyboard, will work just as well.
    Once the Mac OS X Utilities screen appears, select Restore from Time Machine Backup.
    Select the TM backup of your Mountain Lion system prior to upgrading - their backup dates and OS X versions will appear, so you will be looking for the most recent backup of your system when it was running OS X version 10.8.5.
    When it completes, your Mac will restart and your previous system state will have been restored. After that, uninstall any third party software and system modifications incompatible with Mavericks before contemplating an upgrade.

  • How can i downgrade from os x 10.9 to 10.7 without time machine

    can i downgrade from os x 10.9 dirrectly to 10.7?

    You should start a new topic thread, so as to get more exposure
    to your question; this is suggested due to the status of where you
    posted your item (now answered) will see fewer people with any
    answer; mostly those seeking answers like their own question.
    If your MacBook Pro shipped with a system later than the
    DVD version OS X 10.6 you have, the disc would not work.
    However, if the DVD you have is the Original OS X version
    the MacBook Pro came with, you could use it in much the
    same way as it worked before installing Mavericks 10.9.x
    By 'reverting' to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 you will essentially lose all
    of the content on the hard disk drive. I am not certain if you could
    even import anything from a 'time machine' device that had been
    created under the newer Mavericks 10.9 system. Since you have
    to boot the computer with the install DVD for 10.6, and erase the
    hard disk drive, reformat it to GUID and HFS+ (whatever default
    for Snow Leopard) and that would remove the Recovery partition
    on the computer's hard disk drive, and any other partitions.
    Insert the Snow Leopard DVD into the optical drive, and restart
    while holding the C key down, until the Installer disc is running
    the computer; this would be rather slow, as it reads from the DVD
    in order to build the Installer desktop, and access files to attempt
    an installation. It may also be testing the hard disk drive, etc.
    Once the computer is booted from the SL 10.6 install DVD, you
    can look into the Utilities menu (in top of screen, like in Finder
    desktop) to choose Disk Utility from the drop-down menu, and
    once you launch Disk Utility, note there are sections within it
    to choose from. You can choose Secure Erase (single pass) if
    you want to have the utility overwrite zeros on the entire HDD.
    This a bit longer then a basic erase & install. It wipes everything.
    If not, choose to erase all Partitions and be sure it does this.
    Afterward you would need to be sure it reformats the hard drive
    with a correct partition map & file type. GUID & HFS+ journaled.
    The tools are in the Disk Utilty that you run prior to the Installer
    itself, as there are options in the menu just like Finder desktop.
    Once the hard drive is erased, partition mapped, & reformatted,
    it should be easy to put an all-new system 10.6 on the hard drive.
    (That is, if the OS X DVD you have is a retail version, and if your
    computer shipped with a system older than the one on that DVD.)
    Should you choose to, an idea some suggest prior to upgrade
    and also prior to downgrade, is to make a full clone of the system
    that is running the computer on an externally enclosed hard disk
    drive (see carbon copy cloner, or superduper, clone utilities) so
    as to have a complete running system that can boot the Mac...
    If you had one of these prior to upgrading to Mavericks, it would
    be able to run your computer without re-installing. You could just
    use the clone utility, again, to clone it back to the wiped Mac HD.
    Or run Snow Leopard from the external, at a slightly slower rate
    given the USB 2.0/3.0 to an external is slower than bus speed.
    Not sure if this helps. However you may benefit from more
    exposure to your question in a new topic thread, and that
    could be in Snow Leopard, Mavericks, or this ASC section.
    There are advantages to posting in an OS X named topic
    since people with all kinds of supported Mac would see it.
    Hopefully you can revert, and also have some kind of a way
    to make a backup of any works you may need a copy of.
    The applications in Snow Leopard, older than Mavericks,
    may not like to handle files made with newer software.
    Though there is a cost to set up the ability to make and use
    full bootable system clones, the external drive, time, learning
    and testing the idea to see if you can master it before erasure,
    the results are worth the effort; since you then have a backup.
    A full backup, and it is a manual effort to make this kind, unlike
    the 'time machine' bits and pieces, this can bring back the Mac;
    if used with a time machine backup, too, could be opportune.
    Good luck & happy computing!

  • So is it just me, or is Mavericks a bust?  My MBP runs way hotter now. I don't have time for trial and error solutions. Is Apple offering a way to downgrade back to Mountain lion? I want out of Mavericks ASAP.

    So is it just me, or is Mavericks a bust?  My MBP runs much hotter since the upgrade. Why do I need ot sit around watching Activity Monitor, manually controlling my fans, and deleting extensions that I enjoy using. Don't even get me started on the Quicktime/Mov issues. I had none of these issues on Mountian Lion. Searching these forums, I see it's not just me. Why would Apple release a new system w/o peoperly testing it on MBPs?
    I don't have time for trial and error solutions. I've tried the obvious ones. No help. Is Apple offering a way to downgrade back to Mountain lion?  Or better yet, a Mavericks update that adresses these problems? As of now, I want out of Mavericks ASAP.
    My processor is 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7.
    8 GB 1600 MHZ DDR3 memory.
    13inch MBP purchased ust over a year ago- 1-13.

    jonny a wrote:
    Nope, it'a not just me, see above. And yup- I'm backed up, But I don't own a Mountain lion install disc. That's why I was posting here in the first place. Thanks
    Nobody owns a ML install disc - ML was only ever distributed as a download from the Mac App Store.
    If you have a Time Machine backup, you can boot into recovery mode and restore from your Moutain Lion TM backup volume.  If you have a system clone, then you can boot from the clone, and just clone ML back onto your internal drive.
    Going back to your previous installation from a backup should be trivially simply if you have the backup in hand.

  • How to go back to Mountain lion os x 10.8 again from mavericks.?

    How to go back to Mountain lion os x 10.8 again from mavericks.?

    You can reinstall your system from a backup (Time Machine or "clone") or erase it completely and reinstall Mountain Lion.
    OS X Mountain Lion: Erase and reinstall OS X
    If your Mac shipped with Mountain Lion already installed, you can reinstall it. Otherwise, you can only reinstall Mountain Lion if you purchased it from the App Store.
    You may be better off describing the problems you're experiencing, so that they can be fixed. The vast majority of Mavericks complaints are due to outdated or poorly written software or similarly incompatible system modifications, and some simple troubleshooting may reveal the cause.

  • I installed Maverick It turns off for no reasons, makes Safari a miserable experience, and more.  How can I get back to Mountain Lion?

    Maverick is a mess, well up to MS at its best.  i installed it over Mountain Lion on a base Air that initially came with Lion.  The worst is when the screen suddenly goes blank.  After a few times, i found tha tsimpy pressing the power button brought up the welcome screen which - after the password - took me back to where I was with no loss, bu tthe first time was horrible.  Then WORD for MAC started behaving strangely, with normal operations simply not working - shading to copy or cut out, for instance.  Click again and again, no shading - then suddenly it workds!  Safari has similar issues.  So too with other software downladed earlier.  simply nothing works as well as all did under Mountain Lion.
    So, I want to deep six Maverick and get back to Mountain Lion.  I assume that if I use CONTROL R I will simply reload Maverick.  Can I download Mountain Lion from the App Store and then ???  All the copying and such - a half day lost.  Is there are easier way? 
    <Edited by Host>

    It's Command-R, not Control-R. You won't lose your files or settings if you reinstall 10.9 this way. Why don't you give that a go before reverting to 10.8.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/PH13871
    Enjoyed the Sarah Palin crack, btw.

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