Installing Older OS on iMac desktop

[Better Brad]

I'm semi-retired Graphic Designer who primarily uses PhotoShop for my projects. I have 2 iMac desktops. The older one is a 20" mid-2009, 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4 GB Memory with OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan installed. The newer iMac is a 21.5” iMac late-2012, 2.9 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 with OS X 10.15.7 Catalina installed. I plan to acquire PhotoShop CS 6 software that from my research works best with an older OS, OS X 10.7.5 Lion and install it on the older 20”. Previously, I used PhotoShop CS4 successfully for years on another 20" desktop with OS X 10.6.8. I downloaded the free Lion software from Apple then installed. After being notified that the installation was successfully completed, I search for it, but was unable to locate it anywhere on the computer. My question is should I uninstall the current OS X 10.11.6 first then install Lion again? Also, I’ve attempted this installation at least 3 times before, so does that imply those previous installations are hidden where I can’t find them?

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

iMac (20-inch, Mid 2009) - supports Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard to Mac OS X 10.11.6 El Capitan
iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) - supports Mac OS X 10.8.2 Mountain Lion to Mac OS X 10.15.7 Catalina
Adobe Creative Suite CS6 - supported in Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard to Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, although Photoshop CS6 compatible with Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion on Intel-based Macs

It sounds like you attempted to install Mac OS X Lion on a Mac already running Mac OS X El Capitan? You would actually have to create a USB bootable installer on a flash drive or external hard drive, erase the iMac, then install Lion.

Do you already have a copy of Photoshop CS6?

C

 

[Better Brad]

April 30


Thanks for your response. I wasn’t sure anyone on the Mac-Help Forum was going to answer. So, your recommendation is what I thought I should do; save everything on an external hard drive, then uninstall OS X 10.11.6, then install OS X 10.7.5. When you say erase the iMac, you mean just the OS X 10.11.6, not everything else?

No, I haven’t acquired PS CS6 yet. I figured I’d resolve the OS issue first. I originally made a mistake and got burned by purchasing PS Elements 6 that I discovered, after the fact, is only compatible with OS X 10.4 to OS X 10.5.2 which the seller failed to mention prior to my purchase, plus there’s no list of what OSs are compatible on either the outside of the box nor on his seller info page. Once I’d removed the shrink-wrap, opened the box, then discovered how obsolete the PS Elements 6 software was, he refused to refund my purchase. Fool Me Once, Shame On Him; Fool Me Twice, well you know how that goes!

P.S. I tried to locate the OS X 10.11.6 software in order to delete/uninstall but have been unable to find it anywhere on my iMac. I was unsuccessful using FINDER and I looked in my Applications folder but no luck there either unless it goes by a different name, etc.