Cannot install OS X from bootable USB. Stops at the screen with prohibited icon

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Level 1

8 points

Cannot install OS X from bootable USB. Stops at the screen with prohibited icon

Hi! I am trying to wipe and freshly install El Capitan on this ancient 2009 Macbook Pro.

This MBP model is too old for web recovery.
The HDD seems fine, formatted as OS X Extended (Journaled) Disk Utility>First Aid passes multiple times.
Bootable USB seems fine in Disk Utility and boot screen (I don't know how to check it better though).
I've changed the date via Terminal - it seems to cause some errors sometimes, no luck.
I've done NVRAM and SMC resets, no luck also.

When trying to reinstall OS X from the boot screen I get the message: An error occurred while preparing the installation. Try running this application again.

When trying install OS X from the bootable USB, after the first step I get a screen Prohibited icon 🚫 instead of apple logo. After googling I've it seems some kind of trouble with my HDD. But I haven't replaced it, it seems formatted and functioning well.

Any thoughts? I have been googling, but cannot seem to find any solution :/

Cheers.

Any thoughts?

MacBook Pro

Posted on Dec 8, 2020 5:11 AM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,554 points

Dec 8, 2020 1:14 PM in response to mantassam

No you can't use your 2019 mac to create the Install OS X El Capitan.app.

Your 2109 MBP would have come preinstalled with a newer OS than El Capitan.

You need to use a mac that is capable of running El Capitan.

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Answer 2

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,554 points

Dec 8, 2020 11:18 AM in response to mantassam

First thing to know Transmac does not work.

Only create a bootable USB drive on a mac.

If you have access to a mac that you know is capable f running Mac OS X El Capitan

download the revised Mac OS X El Capitan installer from here,

How to get old versions of macOS – Apple Support

Go to Download macOS and click on OS X El Capitan 10.11

this downloads InstallMacOSX.dmg to your Downloads folder.

The next section can only be done on a mac that is capable of running El Capitan,

a mac that came preinstalled with an OS later than El Capitan will refuse to do the next bit.

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

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

(If the installation window asks which disk you want to install to, you must pick

the disk that you are booted to at the time. Not any internal or external disk that

you want to eventually install El Capitan on, that is for later.)

Create a bootable USB installer disk using the Install OS X El Capitan.app in the Applications folder and the createinstallmedia command in the Terminal app.

Read the instructions here,

How to create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support

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Answer 3

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,554 points

Dec 8, 2020 5:51 AM in response to mantassam

You should not have to change the date on your mac to install from a bootable USB,

unless the bootable USB was made prior to October 2019.

When did you make it, did you make the bootable USB with the version of Mac OS X El Capitan

which was released after October 2019.

What method did you use to make the bootable USB stick.

If you have created the bootable USB correctly and with the revised copy of the Install OS X El Capitan.app

then boot to the USB.

Click on Disk Utility, press Continue.

Highlight the Disk not any indented Volume and click Erase.

Give the Disk a name.

Format: Mac OS Extended (Journaled)

Scheme: GUID Partition Map.

Click Erase.

When Done quit Disk Utility.

Click on Install OS X,

the installation procedure should start up, follow the prompts.

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Answer 4

mantassam Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 8, 2020 11:05 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thanks, but it seems I have tried all mentioned options.

I have tried installing OS X without changing the date, then with changing it. <- that's how I managed to install El Capitan on this Mac a few years ago.

I am using TransMac to create bootable USB on Windows.

I have formatted the Volume the same way.

Sadly I cannot go further neither with "Install OS X" from recovery or from Bootable USB.

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Answer 5

mantassam Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 8, 2020 11:40 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Thanks, I will try it also.

It is weird that I've found so many success stories with TransMac... I assumed this is the software to go when using Windows PC.

So if I have Macbook Pro 16" 2019 this way of creating Install OS X El Capitan.app will not going to work?

Eau Rouge wrote:

The next section can only be done on a mac that is capable of running El Capitan,

a mac that came preinstalled with an OS later than El Capitan will refuse to do the next bit.

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

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

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Answer 6

mantassam Author

Level 1

8 points

Dec 15, 2020 11:08 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Yes, I just finished installing OS X El Capitan!

I've found who has older Mac and creating a bootable USB was easy :)

BTW: It was MBP 2015 - the last model still capable of running El Capitan.

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Cannot install OS X from bootable USB. Stops at the screen with prohibited icon

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