Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, released on October 26, 2007, was the biggest change to Mac OS X since Apple first released OS X 10.0 in March 2001. For the first time, a version of OS X was certified as Unix, and the new unified appearance makes Leopard friendlier and less confusing for users.
Mac OS Leopard 10.5 is the sixth release by Mac OS for Apple’s desktop and server operating system for Macintosh computers. It is available in two editions: for desktop or personal computers and server version (Mac OS X Server). Apple OS X 10.5 (Leopard): Print From Font Book Graphic designers will appreciate a well-hidden new feature that prints out usefully-formatted samples of typefaces installed on a Mac.
Leopard itself was also a unified operating system. Where Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger had come in separate versions for PowerPC and Intel Macs, the Leopard installer could run on both platforms, and the version of Mac OS X installed could boot either type of hardware. New features included Time Machine automated backup, Stacks, and Cover Flow.
But with every big step forward in features and performance, the Mac OS leaves some older Macs behind. The number of Macs that had been supported by Tiger and left behind by Leoaprd was the biggest for any release of OS X to date: No G3 models were supported, and the installer would not run G4 Macs slower than 867 MHz, although a few workarounds were discovered to address that.
Download Mac OS X Leopard (10.5) iso dmg directly for free. Mac OS X Leopard launched on October 26, 2007, replacing Tiger (version 10.4). Contains over 300 Leopard changes and enhancements to its predecessor, Mac OS X Tiger, which covers key components of the operating system, integrated applications and development tools. The latest version of Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard is 10.6 on Mac Informer. It is a perfect match for the System Tools category. The app is developed by Apple and its user rating is 3.5 out of 5. Q: How can I upgrade my Mac OS X 10.5 8 to Snow Leopard for free? A: macOS 10.5.8 Snow Leopard is such a famous and classic operating system that Apple donated it the Internet Archive, from which you can download it for free.
Leopard is immune to the “goto fail” bug identified in early 2014.
After 22 months as the current version of OS X (only Tiger lasted longer, at 30 months), Leopard was succeeded by 10.6 Snow Leopard on August 28, 2009, the first version of OS X to leave all PowerPC Macs behind.
- Leopard Forum, our online group for OS X 10.5 users.
- Leopard List, our email group for Mac OS X 10.5 users.
- Unsupported Leopard Installation, 2007.10.31. How to install Mac OS X 10.5 on unsupported hardware – plus field reports.
- Faking Out the Leopard Installer with Open Firmware, Dylan McDermond, 2007.12.06. You don’t have to hack the installer to make the Mac OS X 10.5 installer run on sub-867 MHz G4 Macs by using this simple Open Firmware trick.
Last Compatible Software
These are the last versions of software compatible with OS X 10.5 Leopard.
From Apple
From Other Vendors
- Adobe Flash Player
- PowerPC: 10.1.102.64
- Intel: 10.3.183.1
Leopard Links
- Why Spaces Is My Favorite Leopard (and Snow Leopard) Feature, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2009.11.23. Spaces, a feature introduced with OS X 10.5, is like having several monitors on your Mac without the cost and space of using multiple displays.
- The Leopard Experience at 867 MHz, Simon Royal, Tech Spectrum, 2008.12.02. Mac OS X 10.5 requires an 867 MHz G4 with 512 MB of memory, but is performance really acceptable on a minimum spec system?
- Does Constant Time Machine Activity Compromise Disk Longevity?, Charles W Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 2008.09.15. Time Machine is a marquee feature of Mac OS X 10.5, but isn’t all of that disk activity likely to wear our your drive prematurely?
- SheepShaver Brings Classic Mac OS to Intel Macs and Leopard, Alan Zisman, Mac2Windows, 2008.05.20. Mac OS X 10.5 doesn’t support Classic Mode. Neither does Leopard. But SheepShaver lets you emulate a PowerPC Mac and run the Classic Mac OS.
- Restoring a Crashed Mac with an Install Disc and Time Machine, Alan Zisman, Zis Mac, 2008.02.06. Thanks to Leopard’s Time Machine backup feature, it’s easy to restore your Mac to an earlier setup if you’ve inadvertently deleted essential files.
- Leopard different, a bit buggy, but worth the upgrade, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 2007.11.02. Leopard on a Power Mac G4 and a MacBook Pro: It runs well on both computers, but each has some odd bugs, and some of the changes are a step backwards.
Downloadable Updates
Standalone Updates let you update to a newer version of Mac OS X from your hard drive instead of using Software Update, which requires an Internet connection. Download the one(s) you need and install them after mounting the disk image and launching the Installer program.
There are two types of Standalone Updates: Individual (or Delta) and Combo.
- Individual Updates update one version of Mac OS X to the next version. For example, the Mac OS X 10.5.4 Update updates Mac OS X 10.5.3 to version 10.5.4. Individual Updates are also known as Delta Updates.
- Combo Updates update the base version of a Mac OS X release to the version specified in the Combo Update, including all intermediate updates. For example, the Mac OS X 10.5.4 Combo Update updates any earlier version of Mac OS X 10.5 to Mac OS X 10.5.4 using a single installer, as opposed to installing the individual Mac OS X 10.5.1, 10.5.2, 10.5.3, and 10.5.4 updates.
Standalone Updates are generally available 24 to 48 hours after the Update is available through Software Update.
If you burn a Standalone Update to CD, its disk image must be copied to your desktop or another location on your Mac OS X startup disk in order to be installed.
Mac Leopard 10.5 Free Download
This page will be updated as new Standalone Updates become available.
Mac OS X 10.5.1
Mac OS X 10.5.2
Mac OS X 10.5.3
Mac OS X 10.5.4
Mac OS X 10.5.5
Mac OS X 10.5.6
Mac OS X 10.5.7
Mac OS X 10.5.8
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So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | 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 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
Apple Mac Os X 10.5 Leopard Free Downloadd
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.