This is a guide of how to install unsupported macOS and OS X versions on your Unsupported Mac. This information is also available in the #faq channel in the Unsupported Macs Discord Server.
- macOS Versions
- 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)
- Big Sur (11.0)
- Monterey (12.0)
- FAQ
- Discord Servers for Support
- Forking
- License & Copyright
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| MacBook Pro | 13″ from Mid 2009 or later, 15″ from Late 2007 and newer, 17″ from Late 2007 and newer |
| MacBook Air | Late 2008 and newer |
| iMac | Models from Mid 2007 and newer |
| MacBook | 13″ aluminum from 2008, 13″ from 2009 and newer |
| Mac Mini | Early 2009 and newer |
| Mac Pro | Early 2008 models and newer |
| XServe | early 2009 models and newer |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| iMac | 4,1* 4,2 (CPU upgraded) |
| iMac | 5,1* 5,2 6,1 |
| MacBook | 2,1 3,1 4,1 |
| MacBookAir | 1,1 |
| MacBookPro | 2,1* 2,2* |
| Macmini | 1,1 (CPU upgraded) |
| Macmini | 2,1 |
| MacPro | 1,1* 2,1* |
| Xserve | 1,1* 2,1* |
NexPostFacto (32 bit)
If your Mac is equipped with ONLY an ATI X1300/1600/1900 GPU, it is highly recommended to use the fully 64-bit version. You can tell by seeing if your model has a *. This patcher has been discontinued by the developer. Use at your own risk.
NexPostFacto (64 bit) (ATI GPU ONLY) This patcher has been discontinued by the developer. Use at your own risk.
I do not recommend using this operating system in the current year. Mountain Lion is aging. If you need to use a Mac with this version of macOS, I would suggest using Linux instead.
This version of macOS is affected by the certificate issue. See here to fix it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| iMac | Mid-2007 to Mid-2014 |
| MacBook | 13" Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009 to Mid-2010 |
| MacBook Pro | 13" Mid-2009 to Mid-2014 |
| MacBook Pro | 15" Mid/Late 2007 to Mid-2014 |
| MacBook Pro | 17" Late 2007 to Late 2011 |
| MacBook Air | Late 2008 to Early 2014 |
| Mac mini | Early 2009 to Late 2012 |
| Mac Pro | Early 2008 to Late 2013 |
| Xserve | Early 2009 |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| Macbook | 2,1 3,1 4,1 |
| MacBookAir | 1,1 |
| iMac | 4,1*(if CPU upgraded to Core 2 Duo) 4,2 5,1* 5,2 |
| Macmini | 1,1 2,1 |
| MacBookPro | 2,1* 2,2* |
| MacPro | 1,1* 2,1 2,2* (with X1900 XT) |
| Xserve | 1,1* 2,1* |
NexPostFacto (64 bit) (ATI GPU ONLY)
If your mac is equipped with ONLY an ATI X1300/1600/1900 GPU, you can run this patcher. You can tell by seeing if your model has a *. This patcher has been discontinued by the developer. Use at your own risk.
I do not recommend this macOS version for the same reasons as Mountain Lion. Mavericks is aging, and there is no software support anymore. Even Firefox ESR was discontinued from Mavericks a while ago. I would highly suggest installing a version of Linux or a newer version of macOS instead.
This version of macOS is affected by the certificate issue. See here to fix it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| iMac | Mid-2007 or later |
| MacBook | 13" Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009 or later |
| MacBook Pro | 13" Mid-2009 or later |
| MacBook Pro | 15" Mid/Late 2007 or later |
| MacBook Pro | 17" Late 2007 or later |
| MacBook Air | Late 2008 or later |
| Mac mini | Early 2009 or later |
| Mac Pro | Early 2008 or later |
| Xserve | Early 2009 |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| MacBook | 2,1 3,1 4,1 |
| MacBookAir | 1,1 |
| MacBookPro | 2,1 2,2 |
| iMac | 4,1 4,2 5,1 5,2 |
| Macmini | 1,1 2,1 |
| MacPro | 1,1 2,1 |
| Xserve | 1,1 2,1 |
JulianFairFax's OS X Patcher You will not have graphics acceleration with this patcher if you have a Macbook4,1. Support is not guaranteed with this patcher. Use at your own risk.
I do not recommend this macOS version. While Yosemite can be used to do certain tasks, there is not enough software support. I would highly suggest to anyone wanting this version of macOS to try Linux or a newer version of macOS.
This version of macOS is affected by the certificate issue. See here to fix it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| iMac | Mid-2007 or newer |
| MacBook | Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009 or newer |
| MacBook Air | Late 2008 or newer |
| MacBook Pro | Mid/Late 2007 or newer |
| Mac mini | Early 2009 or newer |
| Mac Pro | Early 2008 or newer |
| Xserve | Early 2009 |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| MacBook | 2,1 3,1 4,1 |
| MacBookAir | 1,1 |
| MacBookPro | 2,1 2,2 |
| iMac | 4,1 4,2 5,1 5,2 |
| Macmini | 1,1 2,1 |
| MacPro | 1,1 2,1 |
| Xserve | 1,1 2,1 |
JulianFairFax's OS X Patcher You will not have graphics acceleration with this patcher if you have a Macbook4,1. Support is not guaranteed with this patcher. Use at your own risk.
For a basic user looking to do general web browsing and potentially a few light, older games, this macOS version will work fine. Software support for El Capitan, as of the time of writing, is still pretty decent. Chromium-based browsers are still getting updates, making it great for web browsing. If you do anything more than that, I would suggest using Linux or a newer version of macOS.
This version of macOS is affected by the certificate issue. See here to fix it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| iMac | Late 2009 or later |
| MacBook | Late 2009 or later |
| MacBook Air | Late 2010 or later |
| MacBook Pro | Mid-2010 or later |
| Mac mini | Mid-2010 or later |
| Mac Pro | Mid-2010 or later |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| Macbook | 4,1 5,1* 5,2* |
| MacBookAir | 2,1* |
| MacBookPro | 4,1* 5,1* 5,2* 5,3* 5,4* 5,5* |
| iMac | 7,1 8,1* 9,1* |
| Macmini | 3,1* |
| MacPro | 3,1* 4,1* |
| Xserve | 2,1* 3,1* |
dosdude1's macOS Sierra Patch Tool
If you see a * next to your model, you are recommended to use this patcher.
Similar to El Capitan, a basic web browsing user can get by with this macOS version. It is also the latest macOS version that I recommend to people still using a Hard Drive instead of Solid State Drives. For anything newer than Sierra, an SSD is a necessity. If you are a Firefox user, this macOS version is the oldest to support the latest version at time of writing.
This version of macOS is affected by the certificate issue. See here to fix it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| iMac | Late 2009 or later |
| MacBook | Late 2009 or later |
| MacBook Air | Late 2010 or later |
| MacBook Pro | Mid-2010 or later |
| Mac mini | Mid-2010 or later |
| Mac Pro | Mid-2010 or later |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| MacBook | 4,1 5,1 5,2* |
| MacBookAir | 2,1* |
| MacBookPro | 4,1* 5,1* 5,2* 5,3* 5,4* 5,5* |
| iMac | 7,1 8,1* 9,1* |
| Macmini | 3,1* |
| MacPro | 3,1* 4,1* |
| XServe | 2,1* 3,1* |
dosdude1's macOS High Sierra Patch Tool
If you see a * next to your model, you are recommended to use this patcher.
This macOS version is fairly well supported by most software. Similar to Sierra and El Capitan, you can get by if all you do is browse the web and use basic applications like a word processor. You can also do some advanced tasks as well, but I would not advise using this macOS version as a daily driver.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| MacBook | Early 2015 or later |
| MacBook Air | Mid-2012 or later |
| MacBook Pro | Mid-2012 or later |
| iMac Pro | 2017 or later |
| iMac | Late 2012 or later |
| Mac mini | Late 2012 or later |
| Mac Pro | Mid-2010 or later (only with a compatible Metal card) |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| Macbook | 4,1 5,1* 5,2* 6,1* 7,1* |
| MacBookAir | 2,1* 3,1* 3,2* 4,1* 4,2* |
| MacBookPro | 4,1* 5,1* 5,2* 5,3* 5,4* 5,5* 6,1* 6,2* 7,1* 8,1* 8,2* 8,3* |
| iMac | 7,1 8,1* 9,1* 10,1* 10,2* 11,1*^ 11,2*^ 11,3*^ 12,1*^ 12,2*^ |
| Macmini | 3,1* 4,1* 5,1* 5,2* 5,3* |
| MacPro | 3,1* 4,1* |
| Xserve | 2,1* 3,1* |
If there is a ^ next to your mac model, and you have a AMD Radeon HD 5xxx or 6xxx GPU, Mojave will be almost unusable.
dosdude1's macOS Mojave Patcher Tool
If you see a * next to your model, you are recommended to use this patcher.
OpenCore Legacy Patcher
This patcher provides beta GPU acceleration for models with a ^. Support for this is only meant for developers or enthusiasts. Do not expect support with this patcher.
I highly recommend this macOS version to anyone looking for a version of macOS before Big Sur. It is the last macOS version to support 32-bit apps, and there is still plenty of software support.
Macs without a Metal-compatible graphics card can still run this macOS version. Although, Metal apps do not work. To work around this, download an older version of that application known to work with High Sierra. There is a link to Apple's applications in the FAQ section. I do not condone piracy. If you haven't bought it, don't download it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| MacBook | 2015 and later |
| MacBook Air | 2012 and later |
| MacBook Pro | 2012 and later |
| iMac Pro | 2017 and later |
| iMac | 2012 and later |
| Mac mini | 2012 and later |
| Mac Pro | 2013 and later |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| Macbook | 4,1 5,1* 5,2* 6,1* 7,1* |
| MacBookAir | 2,1* 3,1* 3,2* 4,1* 4,2* |
| MacBookPro | 4,1* 5,1* 5,2* 5,3* 5,4* 5,5* 6,1* 6,2* 7,1* 8,1* 8,2* 8,3* |
| iMac | 7,1 8,1* 9,1* 10,1* 10,2* 11,1*^ 11,2*^ 11,3*^ 12,1*^ 12,2*^ |
| Macmini | 3,1* 4,1* 5,1*^ 5,2*^ 5,3*^ |
| MacPro | 3,1* 4,1* |
| Xserve | 2,1* 3,1* |
If there is a ^ next to your mac model, and you have a AMD Radeon HD 5xxx or 6xxx GPU, Catalina will be almost unusable.
dosdude1's macOS Catalina Patcher If you see a * next to your model, you are recommended to use this patcher.
OpenCore Legacy Patcher
This patcher provides beta GPU acceleration for models with a ^. Support for this is only meant for developers or enthusiasts. Do not expect support with this patcher.
I do not recommend this macOS version to anyone. While Catalina is decent, it is significantly worse in performance and software compatibility. The only reason to use this, as of this writing, is security updates. Although, security updates are not worth it when it comes to the performance hit. I would strongly suggest Mojave if you are looking for a macOS version before Big Sur.
Macs without a Metal-compatible graphics card can still run this macOS version. Although, Metal apps do not work. To work around this, download an older version of that application known to work with High Sierra. There is a link to Apple's applications in the FAQ section. I do not condone piracy. If you haven't bought it, don't download it.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| MacBook | 2015 and later |
| MacBook Air | 2013 and later |
| MacBook Pro | Late 2013 and later |
| iMac Pro | 2017 and later |
| iMac | 2014 and later |
| Mac mini | 2014 and later |
| Mac Pro | 2013 and later |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| Macbook | 5,1^ 5,2^ 6,1^ 7,1^ |
| MacbookAir | 2,1^ 3,1^ 3,2^ 4,1^ 4,2^ 5,1 5,2 |
| MacbookPro | 4,1^ 5,1^ 5,2^ 5,3^ 5,4^ 5,5^ 6,1^ 6,2^ 7,1^ 8,1^ 8,2^ 8,3^ 9,1 9,2 10,1 10,2 |
| Macmini | 3,1^ 4,1^ 5,1^ 5,2^ 5,3^ 6,1 6,2 |
| iMac | 7,1*'^, 8,1'^ 9,1'^ 10,1^ 11,1^ 11,2^ 11,3^ 12,1^ 12,2^ 13,1 13,2 13,3 14,1 14,2 14,3 |
| MacPro | 3,1 4,1 5,1 |
| Xserve | 2,1 3,1 |
OpenCore Legacy Patcher
This is the most recommended patcher. This patcher provides beta GPU support for models with a ^.
BenSova's Patched Sur
This patcher only supports models without a ^. This patcher will be discontinued in 2022.
StarPlayrX's Big Mac Patcher If you are using a Mac Pro, this patcher is recommended.
ASentientHedgehog's Micropatcher Automator Recommended for non-technical users looking to use barrykn's patcher.
barrykn's Big Sur Micropatcher Not recommended for non-technical users.
I highly recommend this verison of macOS if you are looking for something stable and daily driver ready. Big Sur has great software support. It is still being given security updates at the time of writing.
Macs without a Metal-compatible graphics card can still run this macOS version. Although, Metal apps do not work. To work around this, download an older version of that application known to work with High Sierra. There is a link to Apple's applications in the FAQ section. I do not condone piracy. If you haven't bought it, don't download it.
At the time of writing, this is the latest macOS version.
| Model | Year |
|---|---|
| Macbook | Early 2016 and later |
| MacBook Air | Early 2015 and later |
| MacBook Pro | Early 2015 and later |
| iMac Pro | 2017 and later |
| iMac | Late 2015 and later |
| Mac mini | Late 2014 and later |
| Mac Pro | Late 2013 and later |
| Model | System Identifier |
|---|---|
| MacBook | 5,1' 5,2' 6,1' 7,1' 8,1 (and newer) |
| MacBookAir | 2,1' 3,1' 3,2' 4,1' 4,2' 5,1 5,2 6,1 (and newer) |
| MacBookPro | 4,1' 5,1' 5,2' 5,3' 5,4' 5,5' 6,1' 6,2' 7,1' 8,1' 8,2' 8,3' 9,1 9,2 10,1 10,2 (and newer) |
| Macmini | 3,1' 4,1' 5,1' 5,2' 5,3' 6,1 6,2 |
| iMac | 7,1*' 8,1' 9,1' 10,1* 11,1* 11,2* 11,3* 12,1* 12,2*, 13,1 13,2 13,3 14,1 14,2 14,3 (and newer) |
| MacPro | 3,1* 4,1* 5,1* (and newer) |
| Xserve | 2,1* 3,1* |
If you see a * next to your model, your Mac can run Monterey as long as you have upgraded components.
If you see a ' next to your model, Monterey is not recommended due to lack of GPU acceleration or other factors that may hinder your experience.
OpenCore Legacy Patcher This is the most recommended patcher.
StarPlayrX's Big Mac Patcher If you are using a Mac Pro, this patcher is recommended.
While this macOS version is the latest, I recommend you to stick to Big Sur. Monterey has had several issues related to stability. Some people have reported an increase in performance with Monterey. If you want the latest and greatest, then go ahead and use Monterey. I recommend everyone else to stick to Big Sur and not suffer from Shiny New Stuff Syndrome.
Macs without a Metal-compatible graphics card can still run this macOS version. Although, Metal apps do not work. To work around this, download an older version of that application known to work with High Sierra. There is a link to Apple's applications in the FAQ section. I do not condone piracy. If you haven't bought it, don't download it.
Q: Can I run macOS X on my Mac?
A: Check the list above of various macOS versions for the one that you want to use.
Q: I have a problem with X patcher on my mac!
A: Feel free to send your problem in the Unsupported Macs discord server.
Q: Can I get my patcher added to the list?
A: Please comment below to get your patcher added to the list, or even fork the gist!
Q: Should I make a backup before trying anything?
A: YES! Always have a backup of your important files before trying anything with these patchers. You never know when something might go wrong and your files are corrupted.
Q: How do I see my Mac's system identifer/model?
A: You need to open System Information. Here is an official Apple article covering the topic.
Q: I've installed macOS X and now my keyboard backlight doesn't work! How do I fix it?
A: Install this application, which will let you adjust the keyboard backlight.
Q: I'm trying to boot macOS X and I keep getting the prohibited symbol? How do I fix this?
A: Make sure to read the entire guide for the patcher you are using. If you are using a video, please use the written guide instead, as videos are very quickly outdated.
Q: I'm getting weird errors and glitches in X program. How do I fix this?
A: If you are using a machine that has a non-Metal compatible graphics card (not on this list), you need to use an older version of X program due to the newer version relying on the Metal API. You can find the Apple suite of applications on archive.org, or by clicking the link here. I do not condone piracy. If you don't own the product don't download it.
Unsupported Macs A general server for getting support for your Unsupported Mac.
Ursinia Projects This server provides support for Patched Sur.
OpenCore Patcher Paradise This server provides support for OpenCore Legacy Patcher.
1. I do not take any responsibility for you breaking your Mac with any of these patchers. Use at your own risk.
2. The patchers in the list below are not recommended by me or the Unsupported Macs discord community. Feel free to use them, but do so at your own risk.
MLPostFactor
MacPostFactor
macOS Extractor
JulianFairFax's OS X Patcher
JulianFairFax's macOS Patcher
parrotgeek1's NexPostFacto
Martin Lo's OpenCore
I support forking of this gist. Just make sure to adhere to the license below and state any changes made.
Unsupported Macs Guide by Wolfie is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 License.
Sorry for the late response. Apple has made anything above OS X Mavericks free to update and download. The only versions of OS X that are paid for are Mountain Lion and below.
In reference to what the FAQ is actually saying, I do not condone piracy of the applications (ex: Final Cut Pro, Logic, etc). The archive.org link contains copies of these applications, and I do not condone people pirating them if they have not legally purchased them.