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(You can see which version of macOS the backup was made in.)
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Pick the last one you made prior to updating to the newer version of the Mac operating system. The next screen shows all your backups over time. Select the disc holding your Time Machine backup.Ħ.
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When you see “Restore from Time Machine Backup,” click Continue again.ĥ. Once the Recovery Mode loads, choose “Restore from Time Machine Backup” and click Continue.Ĥ. Hold down Command + R until the Apple logo appears.ģ. Connect the Time Machine disk to your Mac.Ģ. The below instructions show how to use Time Machine to recover an earlier version of macOS.ġ. Hence, any work you’ve done or music or photos you’ve downloaded after you made the initial backup will be deleted, so make sure you back up everything you want to keep.
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Remember that even though you’ll be restoring your Mac from a Time Machine backup, your startup disk will be completely wiped. If you already have a Time Machine backup from an earlier macOS version that you’ll be downgrading to, it’ll come in handy, since restoring your Mac from a Time Machine backup is much simpler than formatting your hard drive and reinstalling macOS. How to Downgrade macOS Using Time Machine Do not that if you use Time Machine to create a backup and recover from that same backup later, you’ll also inadvertently recover the original macOS you used to create the backup. Alternatively, you can use either Time Machine or a free backup app. To back up your files, you can go down the traditional route and copy them to an external disk drive. This is especially important in this case, since you’ll be formatting your hard drive and wiping all the data. The first step before any software upgrade/downgrade is to back up your Mac. These steps will help you downgrade from an later version of macOS, such as Big Sur, to an earlier macOS version. Fortunately, it’s possible to downgrade your system to an earlier version of macOS, such as the OS version that was shipped with your device. Besides the usual bugs with fresh software releases, you may also run into problems like unresponsive systems. While the latest version of macOS is one of the year’s most anticipated events, a small number of users face issues with their installations.
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