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Bootable install disk for El Capitan

I am trying to create a bootable install disk for El Capitan. When I try to download the file, it does not give me a choice to choose my flash drive, and starts downloading to my main HD. How do I get it to download to the flash drive?

iMac, OS X 10.11

Posted on Jul 20, 2019 10:53 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jul 20, 2019 1:25 PM

If the installer isn't in your Applications folder, try downloading El Capitan again. After the download completes and the installer opens, quit the installer. If it is in your Applications folder, you can make a bootable USB from that.


You can make a bootable USB stick to install using these free programs which will do all the work for you.


Bootable USB Flash Drive – Diskmaker X      Disk Creator   or use Apple’s method       Create a bootable installer for OS

6 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jul 20, 2019 1:25 PM in response to jraz10

If the installer isn't in your Applications folder, try downloading El Capitan again. After the download completes and the installer opens, quit the installer. If it is in your Applications folder, you can make a bootable USB from that.


You can make a bootable USB stick to install using these free programs which will do all the work for you.


Bootable USB Flash Drive – Diskmaker X      Disk Creator   or use Apple’s method       Create a bootable installer for OS

Jul 20, 2019 12:37 PM in response to macjack

Thank you for the quick response. I was able to get it to download to the flash drive, but when it completed it wanted to reboot my computer. I was afraid that it would try to install it on my main drive so I stopped the reboot. When I checked the flash drive it was still blank. Should I have let the computer reboot?

Bootable install disk for El Capitan

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