I can't install the operating system on my Macbook. It keep stopping just as it begins to download.

To get the more recent (these were updated a few months ago) Installer.

The link below assumes your Mac has an existing system, perhaps Yosemite.

OR has an original DVD installer, such as Snow Leopard 10.6.3+

Installer from link below is used to help download El Cap system from online

Apple servers; you would need to use instructions with detailed methods:

• How to upgrade to OS X El Capitan - Apple Support

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

And it takes a fair bit of time; may even appear to stall-out for an hour, etc.

So if one is impatient or does not pay critical attention to detail, it may fail.

• How to reinstall macOS from macOS Recovery - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

The hard drive was "erased". Was it totally wiped, to remove all formatting?

• How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

[These instructions ^ (above) could be necessary without any content in

your Mac's hard drive, and without Recovery partition (or vintage DVD)

to make an installer with the El Capitan on it. Though not easy, essential]

Should be 'HFS+ journaled' and that can be done using macOS Utilities..

From macOS Recovery. If totally wiped, would need to go online for that.

See 2nd link, to learn how to access and prepare hard drive for installers.

To start into macOS Recovery to use disk utilty online, would be likely. After

basics have begun to take shape, the file you'd need can be downloaded.

[When you need OS X El Capitan, use this link: Download OS X El Capitan.

This gets file named "InstallMacOSX.dmg" that will download to your Mac.]

With some kind of luck, the recovery partition may still exist in that Mac

and be useful to help get and install the Installer, for El Capitan 10.11.6.

Good luck & happy trails!🌻🐝

Sure, Zelie2020, I'll give it a try....

You may wish to try a reset smc/pmu and zap pram first. I don't know what model and year of production of MacBook you have, so can't say if you have the T2 chip in it or not. Apple does have a support page on Notebooks which tells you how to do the first thing, both with and without a T2 chip, removeable battery or not. the second is more universal, works on all Macs, regardless of whichever kind they are. After you have done the first thing, shut your MacBook down, and then restart it, holding down the Apple, Option, P and R keys for 3 chimes (or if you have the T2 chip, you won't get a chime, but the apple logo will appear and disappear on the screen a few times) .....after you have done that, make sure you are plugged into an ethernet network. You can download El Capitan over wifi but it will be slower and not quite as reliable.

You can get El Capitan from here. You'll also need to be signed into the App store to get it. It won't show up under software updates. Oh, and if you had a later version of the OS already installed, El Capitan won't install over it. You can find out which version of the OS you had installed by going to the big Apple logo at the top left of your screen, and then going to 'About this Mac".

In that case, your son would have to re-install the OS from the Recovery Partition. To get to that, shut down your MacBook, wait a bit, and then re-start it with the power button, then hold down Apple+R keys together on startup. you should see a bunch of language choices, pick one and continue. The only other way he could try to reinstall el Capitan would be to make a bootable El Capitan Installer on a USB driver, and restart, holding down either the Option key (to get to the Startup manager) or the Shift Key (to get into safe mode, which is slower, but very reliable) .

hope this helps a little bit

there are instructions out there on how to make a bootable USB stick Installer for your MacBook, but you're better off looking that up yourself, or your son can do that. It's too long an article for me to type out here...

good luck to you

John b