El Capitan will not install or Update on Early 2008 Mac Pro tower

Question

El Capitan will not install or Update on Early 2008 Mac Pro tower

So I’m at my wits end. I have tried every which way to get this update done.

First I got like the last update 10.11.6 from the App Store before it was pulled. Every time I ran it it would start the update and then give an error about “not finding any packages for this mac. Then I went the USB installer route. Same error After it started update upgraded recovery volume and rebooted to complete install. No Package error. Then found old copies of 10.11.4 & .5 that I downloaded years ago. I often download and hold these updates for future. I have to be very careful in a production environment and we update very slowly.

So same thing basically with USB installers for both. The USB starts up, English, upgrade is an option, continue agree TOS, starts install, auto reboot, begins to finish install and bam “no package found”.

Now some might say your not connected to the internet well I Tried it BOTH way connected and not connected Ethernet.

The Mac Pro Early 2008 IS qualified and the 10.11.x recovery volume works.

one other note EVERY time I do one of these installs the Startup volume is Trashed and no longer bootable. Mostly because files have already been shifted around and the update fails in the middle. I have a clone of my 10.10.5 which I was successful in getting to from 10.9.5. I also had a clone of that. I have to restore after every fail which is also just BS. Never had so many problems with a Mac OS update.

All USB Installs created with Terminal createinstallmedia command.

Only thing that just popped in my head was a Firmware update I may have missed years ago that was need for El Capitan compatibility. Yosemite 10.10.5 worked but I really need to complete my final updates for these old units to 10.11 for software compatibility we use.

Any HELP much appreciated.

other notes, 20-100GB available on HD but I have an SSD MacSales drive setup. I had this problem on an iMac also listed as compatible with normal SATA drive. Otherwise the Mac Pro is stock with 16GB Ram and Quad Xeon

Mac Pro

Posted on Dec 15, 2019 2:38 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,596 points

Dec 15, 2019 3:12 AM in response to Michael Ojaste

At the end of October this year the certificates for a Yosemite El Capitan and macOS Sierra expired, that is why you are getting the

error message about missing components. One way of getting round it is to change the Date and Time in your System Preferences> Date & Time, make sure that Set the Date & Time automatically is switched off. Set the date to about a year ago.

Now try your previous installers of El Capitan they should now install.

Apple did update Yosemite, El Capitan and Sierra full installers with updated certificates.

For El Capitan go here, How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan – Apple Support

Go to Section 4 and click on Download OS X El Capitan. Read the instructions in Sections 4 to 7

as the download process is slightly different.

Firstly you will download Install MacOSX.dmg.

When downloaded double-click to get InstallMacOSX.pkg.

An installation window will open, this does not install El Capitan

but converts InstallMacOSX.pkg to the Install OS X El Capitan.app which

will be in your Applications folder, use that and the createinstallmedia command

to create a bootable USB installer. How to create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support

This will install El Capitan version 10.11.6.

Reply

Answer 2

Dec 15, 2019 3:13 AM in response to Michael Ojaste

Ok now I can firmly say it’s the upgrade installers.

We also bought some used iMac recently that Max out with 10.11 and shipped with a clean install of El Capitan. I had a clone of it and my Mac Pro Boots with it. The problem is finding all the original installer DVD/CD or DMGs for all the software we bought and use. Baring the few upgrades we just got that require 10.11. This really stinks I can get the Upgrade option to work!

Reply

Answer 3

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,596 points

Dec 15, 2019 3:20 AM in response to Michael Ojaste

Just do what I described, the only full El Capitan installer available is version 10.14.6 as Apple pulls

the previous version download from its servers.

I am using a MacPro 2008 and have no issues with installing the updated version of El Capitan.

Reply

Answer 4

Dec 15, 2019 4:01 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Eau Rouge I think you have a typo, ought to be 10.11.6 not 10.14.6. I have an early 2008 iMac, no problem installing Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite + El Capitan. In fact I always have El Capitan if I require it in my Purchases in the App Store. Even with my "Vintage" iMac LOL, each OS install went without a hitch, in fact, El Capitan makes my iMac run the fastest + most reliable of all the OS's. For me, the Early 2008 iMac + El Capitan is the perfect combo. The build of the iMac has no equal, that's why I have it as my desktop but I have no interest in being in the Apple Ecosystem, so my phone is an Android Motorola G5, my Tablet is a Microsoft Surface 2, that way I can enjoy the benefits of the Apple, Google + Microsoft ecosystems.

Reply

Answer 5

Dec 17, 2019 12:57 AM in response to Eau Rouge

All Good, Thank you Eau. Just have a few Utils and System add-ons that need updates now but working good so far. Speed seems nice. Just a note to older Mac owner; an SSD drive plus Max out your RAM for your model makes your mac new again.

I still have several more Macs to update to 10.11 El Capitan. I'll post back with any further insights if needed.

Reply