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Unable to install Mac OS X on MacBook 2015

My MacBook 2015 (came with El Capitan), originally initially I had a kernel panic and kept restarting after I put my password in, I tried few things to solve the issue but it didn’t work (NVRAM, reset SMC .. etc) finally I had to erase the disk on the recovery mode, but every time I try to install an OSX (El-Capitan through the recovery screen), or using USB bootable with Mojave or Catalina, even through internet recovery, it always restarts in the middle of the install and I get a Kernel error (fatal error). Searched the net and I found an article to modify the Mac date through terminal from the recovery mode to two or three years back, even this didn’t work.

I have a feeling that there is more to just erasing one disk through the disk utility, To do a fresh install. Any ideas?

MacBook

Posted on Apr 18, 2020 4:21 AM

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14 replies

Apr 18, 2020 5:05 AM in response to Kaiser501

First up is if you are trying to install from Apples Recovery Servers you really need to have your Mac connected to your router using a cabled connection, WiFi is too unreliable, and has the habit of resetting the date back to today.

As you have a MacBook you will need to use either a Thunderbolt to Ethernet cable or a USB to Ethernet cable.

If you can do that you may want to try resetting the date back again and trying to download.


If you want to try again read this.


Boot to your Recovery HD, click on Utilities in the menubar select Terminal.


Make sure WiFi is switched off, it can reset the date back to today.


Enter a new date, for example or just copy and paste


sudo date -u 011421002016


press Return

enter your password

press Return


If Terminal returns an error saying sudo : command not found, then try again without sudo.


Now try downloading the OS.

If this works then when the OS is installed and booted up you can Open System Preferences> Date & Time

and reset the time back to today.


OR:

If you have or can borrow another mac that you know can run or has run El Capitan at one time you

can try the following method.


How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan – Apple Support


Go to Section 4 and click on Download OS X El Capitan.

This downloads InstallMacOSX.dmg to your Downloads folder.

When downloaded open to InstallMacOSX.pkg, double-click on

that and an installation window will open, this does not install El Capitan

but converts the .pkg to the Install OS X El Capitan.app which you will find in 

your Applications folder, it should be 6.2GBs in size.


Now that you have the Install OS X El Capitan.app in the Applications folder you can create a

bootable USB installer using the createinstallmedia command in the Terminal app.

Read the instructions here,

How to create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support


Having created the bootable USB installer plug it in to your mac.

Restart the mac whilst pressing and holding down the option/ alt key,

in a minute or two you should see the Startup Manager, this shows the bootable

volumes attached to your mac, select the USB installer and press Return.

The mac will now boot to the USB installer, when booted up you will see a Utilities panel

select Install OS X and click Continue. The installer screens should open, follow the prompts

at some point you will be asked to choose which disk you want to install El Capitan on

make sure you choose your macs internal disk, probably called Macintosh HD.

Apr 18, 2020 8:52 AM in response to Kaiser501

Update - I managed to create an El Capitan OS X bootable disk using the MacBook Air. I took these steps:

  1. started using the USB
  2. erased the disk (but only through the partition)
  3. disabled wifi
  4. adjusted the date
  5. started the install
  6. stuck on “About 13 minutes remaining” for the last half an hour, the mouse pointer doesn’t move either.

anything I’m doing wrong or not doing please?


thanks you

Apr 18, 2020 5:26 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thank you for your reply, here is where I am now:

  1. I have a MacBook which has only a USB-C port for power and/or other connections (with converters), I don’t have a thunderbolt cable or a USB to Ethernet converter, with the current lockdown situation this option may be not valid for me anymore.
  2. There is a second MacBook Pro which I used to create the Mojave and Catalina USB bootable disks, however I failed to create the El Capitan one, and I believe it is because of what you mentioned that the Mac should have had or be compatible with this version of OS, the one in question is a 2019 MacBook version.


so in summary, unless I get an El Capitan USB bootable image or a USB Ethernet converter, I’m running out of options?


if you have any other ideas I would be grateful.


thanks


Apr 18, 2020 8:07 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thank you. Yes I formatted it the way you described. As in the beginning when the first problem occurred I couldn’t even see the disk until I completely formatted and erased the disk.


I just managed to revive a 2013 MacBook Air which has Yosemite and will try to use it to create a bootable USB (hope it will work).

So if I I’d Westwood correctly when I manage to create the USB I will:

  1. disable the WiFi
  2. change the date back to let’s say 2016
  3. Reformat the disk
  4. start the installation

question: is it fine if I do install without the charger being connected?


thanks




Apr 19, 2020 12:54 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Hello.

to answer the questions:

I did check for errors and there were none.

i erased the disk when I click on the left side on the main disk and not the volume - is this how to format?


what I did since my last message, is that I reset the NVRAM and then erased the disk using the recovery mode from the USB, but when I start it now pressing the Alt (option) key I get this:

  1. it only shows the USB as a disk to boot from, so the HD is not shown anymore!
  2. when I try to install OS X I get this error: this copy of the install OS C El Capitan can’t be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading. So I did a fresh download and made another USB and I still get the same message.


i May have progressed or the other way around ;)

Apr 18, 2020 6:19 AM in response to Kaiser501

When booted up in Recovery mode have you ran Disk Utility> First Aid on the disk to check for errors, or tried to

reformat it.

To reformat click on the Disk in the left panel, so that would be the uppermost Disk not the indented Volume,

now click on Erase, give the Disk a name,

Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Scheme: GUID Partition Map

click Erase.


Yeah that is a pity you do not have the cables to hand, you could order them on Amazon, they're still delivering.

If you feel you can only use WiFi then move the mac as close to the router as possible, when trying to download

from the Recovery Servers make sure any other devices that share the same internet connection are not being used.


Yes the El Capitan download can only be converted on a mac that came preinstalled with El Capitan or earlier

so any mac that came with Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave or Catalina preinstalled will refuse the conversion of the

InstallOSX.pkg to Install OS X El Capitan.app.



Apr 18, 2020 8:53 AM in response to Kaiser501

If you manage to create the bootable USB stick with El Capitan on it, plug it in to your

sick mac.


Because you are going to install El Capitan from the USB stick it does not matter

if you have WiFi on or not, all the installer files are on the USB stick. You are not

downloading anything from Apples servers.


You do not need to change the date to 2016, the download you use to make the bootable USB

has the updated certificates, it is only the version on the Recovery Servers that have outdated

certificates.


If you had reformatted the disk earlier and Disk Utility First Aid said it was okay

then there is no need to reformat it. But it would do no harm if you formatted it again.


As long as it has enough battery charge it should be okay a clean install usually takes between 15-30 minutes

but if the charger is handy I would use it.

Apr 18, 2020 11:00 PM in response to Kaiser501

Have you ran Disk Utility First Aid on the Disk to check for errors?

Have you tried reformatting to see if that might help?


If it continues with getting stuck then you can only assume that either the disk is damaged

and needs replaced or there is some other hardware failure, after all you were reporting

kernel panics before you decided to wipe your mac.

Apr 19, 2020 1:40 AM in response to Kaiser501

Yes if you reformat you choose the uppermost Disk not the indented Volume.

Give it a name, format as Mac OS Extended(Journaled)

and Scheme GUID Partition Map.


Do not know why you are getting that error message.

Seems like thing have gone backwards.


I feel like inviting people to cough all over me and hoping i get the coronavirus,

it might be more fun than this.


So, so many people having problems reinstalling OS's on macs lately.



Apr 19, 2020 1:47 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Hahaha true..it seems COVID-19 is affecting Macs too ;)


update- I googled the error and the issue was with the date, I forgot to put it back to the normal date (no idea) why it worked before. But the good news is that the install went over the fiat part (the window on the recovery mode) completed, then it restarted and now stuck at a black screen with the Apple logo and progress bar (Installing: About 20 minutes remaining) it has been now over half an hour, but I’m in no hurry.

here is the picture.

what do you think?


Unable to install Mac OS X on MacBook 2015

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