Q: Downloading el Capitan without installing it

Yes. That automatically happens.

(134320)

Actually, it doesn't automatically happen. I clicked "Download" in the App Store thinking that I would be able to install it later from a place that has a much slower internet connection. When it was done downloading and the installer dialogue comes up, I quit it. Now I'm going to do the installation and it's re-downloading the whole thing. So no, it's not automatically happening.

I searched the same topic because I'm interested in figuring out how to install it without re-downloading it on the three additional computers where I did the same thing - downloaded and then quit the updater after the download was complete.

How did you choose to initiate the installation? OS X is an installer app located in the Applications folder. It's called Install OS X. If you chose to terminate the installation after the initial download, to restart the installation process, you simply double click the installer app in the Apps folder.

If you wish to install OS X on other Macs without redownloading the installer app, before running the installation make a copy of the installer and then copy that to the other Macs when you are ready to upgrade. You must make a copy before you run the installer app as it self-deletes after successfully upgrading your Mac.

As per the last sentence in my comment.

I found it too. There is a new item in your Applications folder called "Install OS X El Capitan". This is the full installer all downloaded.

Not at all where I would have thought to look.

The Mac App store launches that installer for you. Otherwise, there is no indication or instructions that that's where you go to re-launch the installation. I went back to the Mac App store expecting to find "Install" instead of "Download", but Download was the only option. Since I had already downloaded it, I was disappointed.

Now that I've found the item in the Applications folder, it's much better, but it was not at all apparent.

And yet everything that is downloaded by the Mac App Store is placed in the Apps folder.

The only time that is different is with an update to an existing version of OS X when applied through the Update facility

This is an old question, but so many of the replies were either misinterpreting or snarky that I really couldn't tell what they were trying to respond to.  Coffee(...Man) wanted to download but not install El Capitan.  This is pretty common for people who want to create an install drive, but he wanted to because he wanted to save it for later.

OS X downloads from the App Store are treated like an upgrade, so if you want to wait to install it, you have to go to the App Store preferences and deselect "install app updates."  Otherwise, it may pause after download and wait for direction and after a bit install it in the most logical place, but most upgrades just install without the pause.

This is why a few folks were arguing about whether it installed automatically or not.  It might, depending on whether you have that pref set.

Once that file is downloaded, it should be in the apps folder as described by others.  There are some nice little tutorials like the one on "OS X Daily" called "How to Create an OS X El Capitan Boot installer USB Flash Drive."

Take care, all. 

I tried to make sure to deselect "install app updates" in the App Store preferences, but couldn't find that option.

I'm trying to get El Capitan, but not install it, before the new Sierra is released and it is no longer available in the App Store. I'm still using Mavericks because I'm not sure I'm ready to lose iPhoto. I just will have to hold my nose and make the jump sometime soon I guess, because I don't want to get too far behind in operating systems.

Darn.  All I can see now is El Capitan, which has this app store pref panel like this:

but a prior version had only the "install app updates" button.  Would any one know where this is in Mavericks or Yosemite?  Which OS X version are you running, mizcandy?

I'm running OS X 10.9.5.

I am running 10.11.5 but we have an older mac air that can't run El Capitan and it has 10.9.5.  I checked, and it has that option, so could you check that System Preferences panel again.  Two ways to get there: 

     - from within App Store application, go to Apple menu in upper left, and select "System Preferences..."  That will open to the App Store system preferences window. 

     - from the System Preferences utility/application, the App Store preference is in the fourth row of System Preferences. 

So if that "install app updates" check box is there, uncheck it!  I hope it is!