Keep old apps running

Some older products won’t work, so here are two ways to keep them around

Some hardware and software doesn’t work in High Sierra. One solution is to keep Sierra or earlier running in a virtual machine (VM). You can install it in VirtualBox 5 or Parallels Desktop 13, but we’ll show the process in VMware Fusion 10.

You’ll need a copy of the installer for your older version of macOS or OS X (Lion or later). An obstacle here is if your current Mac shipped with a newer version; the Mac App Store will refuse to download the older installer; there’s no override for this. Search your Time Machine backups, or redownload on an older Mac, if available.

1 Add the installer

If this is your first virtual machine, starting VMware Fusion displays this window, into which you drop your copy of the Install macOS Sierra app. If you already have a virtual machine, choose File > New to display this window.

2 Continue installing

Once the virtual machine has been set up, Fusion will proceed with the lengthy macOS installation process. At times it may appear to restart the machine in Recovery mode. When it does, select Install macOS and click Continue.

3 Set the destination

macOS is installed into the Macintosh HD virtual drive within the machine. Provide your Apple ID if you want to connect to the Mac App Store for updates and apps. That’ll require the usual authentication, as if this were a new Mac.

4 Install VMware Tools

To install VMware Tools so you can move files between Sierra and High Sierra, choose Virtual Machine > Install VMware Tools. A disk image will mount; run the installer that’s in it. Sierra will restart with the tools running. 5 Add a shared folder Click on the spanner in the toolbar, select Sharing, turn on this feature and then click the + button to add a shared folder. This provides the best way to share and transfer files between the two versions of macOS.

6 Update and install apps

Download Sierra’s 10.12.6 Combo Update (bit.ly/126co) in the VM if it’s using High Sierra’s internet access, or in High Sierra and transfer via the shared folder. Install it, then your apps. You can run Sierra in a window or full screen.