If you need to revert to an older version of Safari, you can always do so in a few simple steps

Jun 14, 2010 09:28 GMT  ·  By

Going by a number of recent Apple Discussions forum posts, Mac users should steer clear of Safari 5.0, the latest iteration of Apple’s powerful web browser. Both Leopard and Snow Leopard users are reporting various issues with the new browser, while some are desperately looking for a way to revert back to Safari 4, which, for most people, seemed to work just fine.

Until someone is able to put their finger on the actual issues causing the hangs, freezing, and crashes these customers are reporting, Softpedia is happy to provide a simple, step-by-step downgrade guide for those relying on the good functionality of Safari. The following steps are for Mac users only, and they apply for both Mac OS X 10.5.8 Leopard, and Mac OS X 10.6.2 and newer versions of Snow Leopard.

Note: This guide does not take into account user settings, installed add-ons, bookmarks, etc. In other words, this is a clean re-installation of Safari on your Mac.

1. Quit Safari 5 and uninstall the app by dragging it from your Applications folder into the Trash.

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2. Empty the Trash bin to ensure that your system does not detect a newer version of Safari as you attempt to install the older Safari 4, otherwise the installation will fail.

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3. Download Safari 4.0.5 for Leopard / Snow Leopard from Softpedia.

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4. Head over to your download location and double-click the resulted DMG file, then double-click the Safari 4.0.5 installer package (.pkg file). Follow the steps provided by the Installer, and restart your computer, as shown in the sreenshots below. Since this step requires a system reboot, be sure to save any work in progress before finishing the process of installing Safari 4.0.5.

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5. Following the system restart, Safari 4 should now be available in your Applications folder. Drag the app’s icon into the Dock and click it to launch the browser.

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You should now be able to use Safari 4 without a hiccup.

We hope this guide was helpful for those experiencing problems with Apple’s new Safari 5. Readers are encouraged to share their thoughts in the comments.

Update: reader James Ford makes a good point in the comments by saying that...

"There are always a number of users that have problems with any new software release. The problem may have nothing to do with the new software but my be with their systems or some other cause not directly related to the new software. There is no way a vendor can test against all permutations of installations that will be encountered."

This comment falls in line with our rather objective take on the matter. Indeed, there is no way to know for sure just how Safari 5 will behave on any given system. However, Apple's Discussions forums, as well as our own commenters, clearly suggest there are a few issues left unattended with the browser.