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- How can I download an older version of OS X/macOS? 2 answers
I have recently been having issues with my mac and want to do a clean install. I still have Yosemite and thought it’s a good time to upgrade the OS. However, I am wary of jumping directly to Sierra when it’s so fresh.
My specific circumstances:
El Capitan ISO Download: ISO is also a disk image which is used to carry MacOSs. This is in fact, an entire copy of everything stored on a physical disc like Blue-ray disc, CD or DVD. This is in fact, an entire copy of everything stored on a physical disc like Blue-ray disc, CD or DVD. Download a macOS installer, such as macOS Mojave or macOS High Sierra. To download macOS Mojave or High Sierra for this purpose, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Creating a bootable El Capitan ISO image written on Mon 12 October 2015 It's very easy to create a bootable ISO image of El Capitan, if you have a working El Capitan system installed on your machine. Download the OS X 10.11 ISO/DMG files. Convert the DMG files to ISO files. Now burn the ISO files in bootable DVD. Now you have the boot disk. Now go to the boot menu and install the Mac OS X El Capitan ISO on your PC. If there occurs any problem then you can also refer to the demo video provided below.
- Sierra could run on my computer (early 2015 Macbook Pro), but I would prefer to install El Capitan
- I have not previously downloaded the El Capitan installer
I realize apple provided a link to install El Capitan from Snow Leopard. However, when I follow the links to the app store to get the install file, I am met with this message:
Lady gaga joanne album download free. This version of OS X 10.11 cannot be installed on this computer.
Is there a way to download the El Capitan installer now that Sierra is out, for more modern computer? Searching El Capitan on the app store yields no results for the installer.
Delyle
DelyleDelyle
marked as duplicate by nohillside♦ macosDec 24 '17 at 13:13
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
8 Answers
It depends on your circumstances. It can be difficult to find old OS downloads.
If you purchased it previously it will be in the App Store under the
Purchased
tab. If your mac came with it pre-installed you may have to go the internet recovery or Recovery HD route, but that would entail wiping your hard drive in order to do the install. You could then migrate your user data from a Time Machine backup or similar.
Alternatively, if you have a bootable backup of your El Cap system (assuming you had it installed) you could reinstall that.
More specific answers will require more specific information from you (it's generally a good idea/helpful to provide more information so that answers can be geared towards your situation and others in the same situation can benefit).
Whatever you do, make sure you have a full working backup (which you have tested) so that you can revert should something fail.
PwdrPwdr
The following link, opened in Safari, should trigger the App Store to show the El Capitan download even if it is not already in the purchases list.
I tried the link a few times but my App Store did not open. Maybe it was a server issue on Apples side or maybe it helped already having opened the App Store. Anyway today the link lead me correctly to the El Capitan download in the App Store.
Update: After that I tried the link a few more times by directly clicking or by copy paste it into the URL-bar. Sometimes it worked but sometimes not. So it seems a matter of retrying until success. Just reloading the page with Cmd+R did not have the same success rate as clicking into the URL-bar and resubmit the request by hitting Return.
Source of the link is the link of the OP
where it is provided under the words 'get El Capitan from the App Store'
Update2: Here is what someone says on upgrading from Yosemite to El Capitan in an Apple discussion thread:
If you Mac is compatible with Sierra, then you cannot install El Capitan unless you had previously downloaded it. The version you tried to install is for those with Macs that cannot run Sierra or still have Snow Leopard installed. Since your Mac cannot run Snow Leopard either, there isn't a way for you to get El Capitan.
.. too sad.
So one idea left would be to get an older Mac of a friend. Log in the App Store with your account. Download El Capitan. And finally have access to it via your purchases tab in your account from your newer Mac.
techraf2,79577 gold badges1515 silver badges3232 bronze badges
PetePete
Since MacOS images are digitally signed by Apple, you can safely download El Capitan using eg. BitTorrent (link), as long as you
- Don't run the
Install OS X El Capitan.app
file, but only write the OS image it contains (Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
) to a USB stick (because, as far as I can gather, only the install image is signed) - Verify the digital signature over
Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
, inside the downloadedInstall OS X El Capitan.app
, as per this answer: https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/262914/93129
Community♦
runeksruneks
FYI, for those having trouble downloading the El Capitan installer from the Mac App Store..
El Capitan will not come up in a keyword search. You need to switch to the Purchased tab and then manually scroll down the list and find it that way. In my case, I had installers in there going back to Lion.
Also note that once you you've downloaded it, you may still be unable to run it, since Apple doesn't let you revert directly to an older OS. You will need to create a bootable installer USB using Terminal:
WalterWalter
the correct methods to obtain El Capitan are outlined in the above answers, via the Purchased tab. if however they are not working, you could find a public source, such as torrent and verify the Sha1 of the InstallESD.dmg against the link.
shasum /Applications/Install OS X *.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg
for 10.11.6 El Capitan (15G31) it should return
7739e3f62080000da5d28efa689c53976112a262
jakethedogjakethedog
I just installed Mac OS X 10.11 El Capitan on a Mac with Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite, despite the app store offering me only macOS 10.12 Sierra. My method was a variation on Pete's answer as edited from 1 Jan 2017.
- From the app store, I downloaded macOS 10.12 Sierra. This finished up as an application,
/Applications/Install macOS Sierra.app
. And, I had macOS Sierra in my app store purchase history. - I dug out and booted up my old computer, which runs Mac OS X 10.6.8 Snow Leopard. The Snow Leopard wanted to update my App Store, so I did this.
- On the Snow Leopard computer, the App Store offered only macOS Sierra, not El Capitan. The Software Update feature had no El Capitan either.
- I ran iTunes, confirmed that I was logged out there. (OK, this is a simplification. The first time through I didn't do this, but didn't have the OS install in my purchase history. I went through these steps a second time. The App Store refused to let me download again. I logged out of iTunes, which was logged in as a different user, and then the App Store let me download.)
- On the Snow Leopard computer, I used Safari to visit the URL from Pete's answer, https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12 . The App Store appeared. It offered OS X El Capitan, release Sep 20, 2016, version 10.11.6. The description says, 'this version of OS X El Capitan is for users running OS X Snow Leopard who would like to upgrade to macOS Sierra.'
- I clicked the download button. This finished up as an application,
/Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app
. However, I did not have OS X El Capitan in my app store purchase history. (Clarification: after the second download started, I did have an 'OS X El Capitan' entry in my purchase history on the Snow Leopard computer.) - Copied the macOS Sierra and El Capitan installers to my file server.
- On my current Mac, copied
Install OS X El Capitan.app
to my/Applications
directory. - Ran the
Install OS X El Capitan
app. It ran as expected, and I had Mac OS X 10.11 on my current Mac. So far (6 hours) it appears to be doing well.
Community♦
Jim DeLaHuntJim DeLaHunt
Contrary to what is said here (and above about past OS releases where the N-1 installer is removed soon after version N launches) Apple now has an article with links to the store and detailed requirements for getting and installing OS X El Capitan that works. (And yes, even after Sierra and High Sierra are out – and apparently now independent from previous 'purchases' of that operating system. It is also not appearing in the purchased tab whether or not it was purchased or not.).
Apple says on https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886 - How to download OS X El Capitan:
OS X El Capitan remains available for Mac computers that can't upgrade to macOS High Sierra, or that need to upgrade to El Capitan first.
If you still need OS X El Capitan, use this App Store link: Get El Capitan. To download it, your Mac must be using macOS High Sierra or earlier.
Current advice here on this site seems to use the help article HT206886 to check for an updated link if the Mac App Store one fails you.
Given the information in the question, the information Apple provides means currently that on Sierra and High Sierra accessing the link given will provide you the opportunity to download the El Capitan installer from the App Store.
The fact that this currently gives the error 'not possible because your current system is newer' can only mean three things: 1. that there is a bug in recent versions of the App Store on Sierra or High Sierra, 2. that this policy has changed recently but the KB article doesn't reflect that change 3. that Apple simply lies on the above page which is quoted accurately here.
As memory tempts me to remember that I did download El Capitan from a newer system, it seems options 1+2 are more likely.
However, this does not apply to the conditions listed in the question by OP above.
LangLangCLangLangC5,19544 gold badges1919 silver badges6464 bronze badges
I am not allowed to comment yet, I cannot even up-vote, so I will reiteratePwdr's first solution - 'If you purchased it previously it will be in the App Store under the Purchased tab.' Consider this an up-vote.
I also needed the El Capitan installer, and based on Pwdr's answer, I went to my App Store Purchased tab and found the installers for El Capitan, Mavericks, and Mountain Lion. I am downloading all of them.
This issue is a sore spot with me because I wanted to upgrade from Leopard to Lion years ago, but I had to first upgrade to Snow Leopard. The Apple store did not have Snow Leopard anymore, just Lion, and referred me instead to one of their 'partners'. Why does Apple expect a partner, like B.Buy, to provide better service than themselves? I ended up paying a premium at a Mac store for Snow Leopard ($50) that I used long enough to upgrade to Lion, and then to Mountain Lion.
user3481644user3481644
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OS X El Capitan, released during the Summer of 2015 and was available from the Mac App Store as a free download. Like previous versions of OS X, El Capitan has the annoying habit of automatically starting the installation process once the download is complete.
This would be fine if all you wanted to do was quickly install El Capitan as an upgrade install over your existing version of OS X. But even if this is your goal, it's not too likely that you're actually ready to start the install process. After all, there's quite a bit of housekeeping to be done before you commit to installing OS X El Capitan: that includes having a recent backup of your data and making a bootable OS X El Capitan installer on a USB flash drive.
Having a bootable installer for OS X El Capitan is a good idea, even if your plan is just to perform an upgrade install, which technically doesn’t need to be done from a separate boot device. But having your own copy of El Capitan on a separate device ensures that you'll always be able to install or reinstall it, or perform basic Mac troubleshooting tasks, even if you have no connection to the Internet or access to the Mac App Store, should you need to re-download El Capitan.
of 02
Create a Bootable OS X El Capitan Installer on a USB Flash Drive
There are two methods of creating the bootable installer; one involves using Disk Utility, the Finder, hidden files, and a great deal of effort and time. If you wish to use this method, you can follow our guide on how to make a bootable copy USB flash drive of the OS X Yosemite Installer, and no, that's not a typo. The older process outlined in the Yosemite document will work for El Capitan; you need only be aware of file name changes, such as El Capitan instead of Yosemite in the instructions.
There's also a second method, and it's the method we prefer because it's less involved, has fewer places where things can go wrong, and only involves using a single app: Terminal.
El Capitan Iso Download For Bootable Usb
What You Need
First, you'll need a copy of the OS X El Capitan installer. Originally, this guide was written to include instructions for the public beta of El Capitan that was released during the summer of 2015. Since the official release of El Capitan, this guide has been updated to work with the official release and no longer references any of the beta versions of the OS.
Next, download the installer from the Mac App Store. Once the download is complete, the installer will start automatically. When it does, be sure to quit the installer. If you allow the installer to actually perform an installation, the installer will delete itself at the end of the process. We need the installer program to help us create a bootable installer, so don’t let the installer run.
If you have already installed OS X El Capitan, and wish to now create a bootable installer, you can force the Mac App Store to re-download the installer.
- The El Capitan installer is downloaded to the /Applications folder, with the file name Install OS X El Capitan.
- A 16 GB or larger USB flash drive. These instructions will also work for other suitable bootable devices. I’m going to assume that you're using a USB flash drive, but any bootable device will work, including an external drive or internal drive.
- A Mac that meets the OS X El Capitan minimum requirements.
Bootable El Capitan Installer
of 02
Use Terminal to Create a Bootable OS X El Capitan Installer
The process of creating the bootable OS X El Capitan installer causes the USB flash drive you're using as the destination for the installer to be erased. So, before you proceed, make sure you either have a backup of the flash drive's contents (if any) or that you don’t care that they'll be erased.
The Secret createinstallmedia Command
It's not much of a secret, especially since we have used this method in the past to create bootable installers for previous versions of OS X. But since it involves using Terminal, and entering a long command with quite a few arguments that need to be provided, it remains mostly unused, if not completely ignored, by many day-to-day Mac users. Still, it's the easiest way to create the bootable installer, so let's get started.
You need the OS X El Capitan installer you downloaded from the Mac App Store; make sure it's present in the /Applications folder. If it isn't, flip back to Page 1 of this guide for details about re-downloading the app from the store.
Create the OS X El Capitan Bootable USB Installer
- Connect the USB flash drive to your Mac.
- Give the flash drive an appropriate name. You can do this by double-clicking the device’s name on the desktop and then type in a new name. We suggest calling the drive elcapitaninstaller. You can use any name you wish, but it shouldn't have any spaces or special characters. If you do select a different name, you'll need to modify the Terminal command we outline below with the flash drive name you selected.
- Launch Terminal, located in /Applications/Utilities.
- Warning: The following command will completely erase the flash drive named elcapitaninstaller.
- In the Terminal window that opens, enter the following command. The command is a single line of text, though your web browser may show it displayed over several lines. If you used the drive name suggested above, you can triple-click on one of the words in the command to select the entire line of text.
- Copy (command+C keys) the command, and then paste it (command+V keys) into Terminal. Press return or enter.
- You'll be asked to provide an administrator password. Enter the password, and press return or enter.
- The terminal will execute the createinstallmedia command and display the status as the process unfolds. Erasing and copying the files from the OS X El Capitan installer can take a bit of time, depending on how fast the USB flash drive is. You may want to consider taking a break and stretching your legs.
- Once Terminal completes the command, it will display the line Done, and then show the Terminal prompt waiting for a new command to be entered.
- You can now quit Terminal.
The bootable OS X El Capitan installer has been created. You can use this bootable installer to perform any of the supported installation types, including an upgrade install or a clean install. You can also use it as a bootable troubleshooting tool that includes an assortment of apps, including Disk Utility and Terminal.
If you would like to create a bootable installer of other versions of the Mac OS you can find instructions in our guide: How to Make a Bootable Flash Installer of OS X or macOS.