El Capitan. no packages were eligible for install.

Thanks for that tip. Also you have to make sure you will disable WIFI not to change date automatically.

To do that press option key on keyboard and click wifi with your left button.

Thank find your WIFI network name and just underneath it, there will be new line called 'Disconnect from (your name) network.

Click that and hit restart. Make sure when Mac will reboot WIFI is still dibbled in top right corner.

Thx to all the suggestions here. I followed the directions without needing USB. i changed my date to a 2017 date as suggested and kept internet offline to successfully install el capitan. I was upgrading a computer from snow leopard. my computer did not allow me to "erase" my HD to install but I was able to install anyway.

I also found another youtube video that was helpful:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5ANojBtn9w

Hey just wanted to say thanks - made that work today on an old mac from the old days - for anyone who didn't know - i put in "Date 0115124517" into terminal. just putting the numbers didn't work for me.

Can't thank you enough!!!

Mike

This is brilliant jmiers, this procedure helped a lot. I kept seeing that the problem had to do with the date change but had no context as to when to change it. To those who get to S6 and find still no joy at that point (as I did), try turning off the wifi again and checking the date in Terminal because the date reverted to current once wifi was turned back on (in my case). A slight variant and not sure what the connection, if any.

As many have stated here before, you need to disconnect your machine from the internet before you begin the routine.

Wi-fi off, ethernet cable disconnected, you're ready to go. I've upgraded 3 Mac Pros this way and they're all running like new.

Good luck to you!

Thanks for your help jmaiers, a lifesaver ! I had to do it a few times , being a Terminal rookie I literally only put the date not realising that it had to be followed by exit and return for the date to change. Finally I quit the set up assistant using command-q before shutting down which is useful for the new owner.

This was resolved. Bad hard drive!

Replaced the computer and resetting date to 2017 worked.

Thank you everyone for your help.

You can set any back dated date year 2007

Thanks for the message. I had been trying to upgrade a 2008 Macbook with an SSD drive but got stuck at that point

I used Terminal to change the date back to 2017 and it worked a treat! 👏

This works, EXCEPT, the Mac retains the Wi-Fi password and syncs the clock when you t

reboot. Turn off your home Wi-Fi or go out of range from the Wi-Fi network you used to download the install.

Setting the date to 2017 sorted the problem for me as well. Many thanks for your help

There are newer instructions and steps available in Apple installer page for use.

• How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan (10.11.6) - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886

There is a newer installer in the above; this also upgrades firmware.

newer installosxinstaller.pkg package within download site link

(this site content + link was recently updated 24 Oct 2019)

Go to disk utility and there go to terminal type date and press enter it will show you the current date of the system to change the date you type date space then type the date you want mmddhhmmyr in this format and press enter.

Thank you @golyapple & @jmaiers - mine still wouldn’t work as the wifi automatically connects to the Mac when restarting - so I switched it off at the wall before I hit restart & voila! Left it off - currently installing - fingers crossed!

Thank you all!

Thanks all for the very informative and helpful messages.

It was a challenging but ultimately fun and interesting experience bringing a mid-2009 Macbook Pro back from the dead.

For others who may be confronting the same issue, here is the syntax that I used in Terminal to change the date:

date -u 0929121211