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Can’t install OS X El Capitan


I have an early 2009 iMac running OS 10.7.5 and need to upgrade.

I tried OS X El Capitan and it says this OS X can not be installed on your computer.

so I have gone to disc by B utilities and erased the drive. Inserted my original OS X leopard and started up. Then upgraded to Snow leopard and then upgraded to Lion. After that I go into the App Store and under purchased I upgrade as I go through the list. I get to Yosimite and make sure everything is up to date as best as can be and then try El Capitain. It downloads from the App Store and then fails on the install. I then have to go back to disc utilities and erase the disc and start again at disc leopard.

any hints or tips

please?

thanks

iMac, OS X 10.10

Posted on Sep 26, 2021 12:23 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 26, 2021 12:58 AM

Do not try to install the version of El Capitan downloaded from the App Store Purchased page

it probably has outdated certificates.


There is no need for you to install all the OS X's to get to El Capitan you can install directly from

Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8. After you have installed Snow Leopard you need to update it to

version 10.6.8 from here,

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

And if the installation fails you should not have to erase the mac and reinstall Snow Leopard.


If you do have an operating system on your mac and it is functioning then you can download

El Capitan using this method.


Open your Safari browser and click on the link below,

How to get old versions of macOS – Apple Support

Go to Download OS 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.

This includes macs that have the potential to run El Capitan but have been upgraded to a newer OS.

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.)


To start the installation of El Capitan double click on the Install OS X El Capitan.app.


The copy of the install app self deletes after installing El Capitan, so make sure you keep a copy of the 

InstallMacOSX.dmg if you need it in future, or you could just make a copy of the Install OS X El Capitan.app 

prior to installing and moving it to an external drive for safe keeping. 

It is also possible to 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

Similar questions

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 26, 2021 12:58 AM in response to paulfromliverpool

Do not try to install the version of El Capitan downloaded from the App Store Purchased page

it probably has outdated certificates.


There is no need for you to install all the OS X's to get to El Capitan you can install directly from

Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8. After you have installed Snow Leopard you need to update it to

version 10.6.8 from here,

https://support.apple.com/kb/DL1399?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

And if the installation fails you should not have to erase the mac and reinstall Snow Leopard.


If you do have an operating system on your mac and it is functioning then you can download

El Capitan using this method.


Open your Safari browser and click on the link below,

How to get old versions of macOS – Apple Support

Go to Download OS 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.

This includes macs that have the potential to run El Capitan but have been upgraded to a newer OS.

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.)


To start the installation of El Capitan double click on the Install OS X El Capitan.app.


The copy of the install app self deletes after installing El Capitan, so make sure you keep a copy of the 

InstallMacOSX.dmg if you need it in future, or you could just make a copy of the Install OS X El Capitan.app 

prior to installing and moving it to an external drive for safe keeping. 

It is also possible to 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

Can’t install OS X El Capitan

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