Do you know where I can download a copy of 10.1.14? I lost a hard drive and I found that my Backblaze backup doesn’t include applications. My movie projects were created in 10.1.14 and it won’t let me open them in anything earlier, not even 10.1.12.
Have you tried just visiting the App Store? You should be able to download the latest version compatible with your macOS.
The latest version listed there is 10.4.3, and says it is compatible with macOS 14.6 (“Sonoma”) or later. But if your macOS is older, it should offer to let you install the most recent version that is compatible. At least that’s how it’s worked for me in the past.
If you need 10.1.14, specifically and nothing newer, then that may be a bigger problem. I don’t know if they’re available from Apple and I wouldn’t trust a package from a third-party server.
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Yes, I tried the App Store. The feature of showing the latest compatible version was apparently removed in Mojave and beyond. I contacted Apple support and they could not provide a source to download it from. I’m hoping someone has a copy available online.
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There used to be pretty extensive listings at an Apple page. This 2018 article in OSX Daily provides the link, which redirects to something similar and less extensive, which doesn’t appear to include the sought iMovie version.
Further links in the article might be useful. I don’t recall if that version of iMovie was issued on a CD/DVD but if you have an original disk, maybe it would be there.
If the App Store queries the connecting Mac in question to determine what software downloads to display, maybe you or someone you know has an older Mac that can still connect to App Store and see/download it.
Last I can think of now is trying the Wayback Machine at archive.org for the Apple url above. My experience with that was unsuccessful for a fair bit of Mac software I sought but I did find archived sites for other products from >10 years ago that still had the software downloads.
It will show you the latest version. Did you search for iMovie? If you don’t get any results, it may be because it’s not on your backup but it should still be on record somewhere in Purchases.
EDIT: I see the issue you mentioned as the App Store is telling me I need OS 14.6 or later to download iMovie on a Catalina installation so as you said, it’s not letting you download an older version.
No, that function does not work any more, as of Mojave. It no longer offers the latest compatible version. It now only shows the current version, even if you can’t run it.
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Ratz. It used to always show the latest version, but clicking on the “Get” button from an incompatible version of macOS used to result in a dialog saying something like “this version isn’t compatible with your Mac, but you can install version x.y.z”, along with “OK” and “cancel” buttons. Clicking OK would download the older version.
It’s shameful that they got rid of that incredibly useful feature.
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If I was facing a similar situation, I would:
- See if this version (I’m amazed Apple updated that page in 2024!) is able to export the projects to a non-iMovie format.
- Try exporting the projects with the iOS version of iMovie.
- Download the trial version of Final Cut Pro and attempt to export the projects.
- Find a local Macintosh User Group (MUG) or computer collectors club and see if anybody has a vintage Mac running iMovie (also, I have a family member who lives in a “senior community”. A lot of their fellow residents use old hardware and software).
- Contact a service that converts film and analog video to digital formats to see if it can help.
- Ask around the film/video/art departments at nearby high schools, colleges, and universities.
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Thanks for the suggestions. I’m hoping that someone with an old Mac will have a copy they’re willing to share. None of the older versions will open the projects, not even 10.1.12.
Randy Kaempen
Hi Randy,
I think (hope!) I know the relevant trick here.
On your Mac, in App Store.app, sign in, and navigate to your list of purchases. Find iMovie in that list, and try downloading it from there.
I’ve just tested this on macOS 10.15.7. Here, I see “The current version requires macOS 14.6 or later, but you can download the last compatible version. [Cancel] [Download]”, and if I then press Download, iMovie 10.2.5 is installed. Hopefully this should be able to read your 10.1.14 projects.
(If instead, I search for iMovie in the App Store and try to download it from there, I see “iMovie can’t be installed… because macOS version 14.6 or later is required.”, and the “download the last compatible version” option is not given. I believe the need to download from the purchase history list is Apple’s buried & opaque implementation of an “You can only download old versions of apps you’ve previously owned” policy.)
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That’s not surprising, unfortunately. Are 10.1.14 projects readable by later versions of iMovie or is there some idiosyncracy that limits compatibility?
If your situation is caused by owning old Mac hardware, not by unreadable files, I’d say an easier and safer route than obtaining software from strangers would be to put copies of the projects on a thumb drive or optical disc and use a Mac running the current iMovie to update or export the projects (if the projects are valuable enough, this could even include using Apple’s 90-day trial period for new Macs to buy and return a current machine).
It’s interesting as yesterday I tried that and it didn’t work but today it does but I stopped the download as I don’t need the last compatible version. I was booted from a backup at the time so maybe that had something to do with it but it seems strange.
I need the old hardware to use an old FireWire camera that is not supported on later Macs.
Yesterday I tried to test this in Mojave and it would only show the most current version – not the highest version compatible with Mojave. Today, I can not even log into the App store.
Something wrong with Apple servers perhaps…
It could be a server issue I suppose. I was using a Catalina backup the first time. Today, I was using my main Catalina volume but there shouldn’t be any difference. I haven’t booted my Mojave volume for some time but I wouldn’t think it should matter as far as the app store.
The other day, I was trying to update my M1 Air to the Tahoe update 26.0.1 or whatever it’s called and the first time, it said there was no updates so I tried it again and then it magically appeared so there could be server issues in general.
Today I was able to sign in to my App Store account using Mojave. Clicking on my account id icon at the bottom of the sidebar takes me to my Account/Purchases page. I scrolled to iMovie and there was an Update button. I clicked and got a pop up:
Download an older version of iMovie?
The current version requires macOS 14.6 or later, but
you can download the last compatible version.
CANCEL DOWNLOAD
Selecting download “started” but after a few seconds would generate the same popup as before. Cancel works.
That option wasn’t working. It was giving server error messages. I kept trying and eventually I got it to work and downloaded version 10.1.14. Thanks to everyone who responded.
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