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Downgrade Mac from Catalina to High Sierra and keeps Programs and data

I wish to downgrade a Mac from Catalina to High Sierra so older Adobe products will open.

Since Catalina was installed, which will not run 32 bit Apps, my Adobe Lightroom 6 and Protoshop essentials 14 apps stopped opening because they are 32 bit applications, and Catalina won't tolerate them. So I want to downgrade the mac to they will open.

I have read that the process involves restarting from a usb with the install High Sierra app with a destructive install, but I need to ensure that the apps will reinstall. So I need a process/method to reinstall the apps. Can I use time machine made in Catalina to reinstall apps into High Sierra?

If not, what process should i follow to accomplish this?

Thanks for your insights and suggestions.

David Favor

Better to do this.

1) Don't downgrade.

2) Install https://www.virtualbox.org

3) Install High Sierra or any other OSX version in VirtualBox instances.

Another approach is to install High Sierra onto a disk you can attach with a disk dock, then reboot holding down the option key to allow selecting the other disk on boot.

Either approach allows you to only run High Sierra when you're using CS4 or CS5 Adobe tools.

Mark Litin

ASKER

Thanks.

This isn't for me but for a client, so I cannot give them back a VM. Also, since the OS boot is a destructive install, and I need to restore the apps and data, I need a process to satisfies both of those requirements. I just haven't found a process yet that allows me do this.

thanks again.

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Mark Litin

ASKER

Thanks. I do have a time machine backup taken from within Catalina. If that is compatible to restore to within High Sierra or Majave, that's the way I'll go.

Thanks again for the clarity on the options.