Run an older OS in a Virtual Machine
Keep using older apps when you’ve upgraded to Catalina or Big Sur
REQUIRES macOS 10.14 or later, Parallels Desktop 16
YOU WILL LEARN To install a virtual older version of macOS
IT WILL TAKE 1.5–2 hours
MACOS CATALINA AND Big Sur can’t run some older software. The best way to retain access to old apps that can print sticky labels, work with now–unsupported QuickTime formats, or which haven’t made it to 64–bit, is to run them in a Virtual Machine (VM).
Provided yours is an Intel Mac, even if it can’t itself run that older version of macOS it can when installed in a VM in Parallels Desktop, VMware Fusion, or another virtualization app. Running in a VM is often less trouble than trying to dual–boot between two different versions of macOS: the older may have problems with the newer macOS file system and other features. Dual–booting also only lets you run one macOS at a time, whereas with virtualization you can copy and paste between apps in the old macOS and those running in the new.