El Capitan install is stuck or extremely slow - old 2007 MBP

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El Capitan install is stuck or extremely slow - old 2007 MBP

I’ve created a USB installer that boots and was used to install to a 2009 MBP just fine (few problems with the date), but this 2007 MBP is more difficult. It rebooted after the preparation step in the installation process, but it just hangs, runs hot, fans full blast, it’s been hours… This has happened a few times. I’ve had to force shutdown and remake the USB since it seems to screw it up or it tries to finish the installation from the USB and doesn’t quite work. I’m hoping to make this old computer run again for some old software and such just for fun. It can’t be that it’s just the computer itself. I’d adjusted the date so it was around the time El Capitan released, which seems to have taken away the errors that can cause (can’t be verified, failed to install, etc). Does anyone have any other tricks that can help get this computer going? I was having trouble using internet recovery - I guess it won’t let me download the OS using my Apple ID, just says “temporarily unavailable.”

Earlier Mac models

Posted on May 7, 2023 6:17 PM

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Answer 1

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neuropathy Author

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15 points

May 7, 2023 10:16 PM in response to TheLittles

I got it working. Just needed to try a bunch of times. If anyone reading this needs actually help, make sure you set the date somewhere around when the OS released. Also, you might need to keep forcing it to shutdown if it fails, boot from USB again, wipe HDD, keep wifi off, and just hope that it’ll work after 8 times or whatever, but I’m glad it finally took. This has nothing to do with an Apple ID. That’s irrelevant. You might need to reset PRAM between each attempt as well. It’s a mess and really not fun when this happens. Maybe it has to do with an older failing HDD but I didn’t hear this one making any noise. Maybe it’s failing motherboard capacitors, who knows. Good luck. Keep trying until it works. Sometimes you’ll do the same thing again and again and it’ll just eventually work.

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Answer 2

TheLittles

Level 10

195,359 points

May 7, 2023 6:32 PM in response to neuropathy

neuropathy Said:

"El Capitan install is stuck or extremely slow - old 2007 MBP: [...] It rebooted after the preparation step in the installation process, but it just hangs, runs hot, fans full blast, it’s been hours…[...]"

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Installing macOS El Captain:

Try...

A. Restore your Mac From a Backup:

Be certain to create a backup of your Mac prior to all of this. That way, you can have something to restore from the Mac from, should anything go wrong with the reinstall. Once reinstalled, try this once mor

or...

B. Internet Recovery Mode: Boot Holding Down: [Option + Command + R]

It will install off of Apple's Servers. If you cannot use WiFi, use Ethernet. If Ethernet is of no option, then add the Wi-Fi connection SSID on the top-right corner of Recovery Mode

or...

Using a different Mac....

C. Create a USB Bootable Installer:

1. Go Here: How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

2. Use: this Command in Terminal:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app

3. Use: the Bootable Installer

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Answer 3

TheLittles

Level 10

195,359 points

May 7, 2023 7:15 PM in response to neuropathy

neuropathy Said:

"That’s what I’ve been doing. It won’t let me download the installer using internet recovery (I guess) since I’m not using the Apple ID that was originally used or mine never downloaded that OS."

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Is this a Used Device?:

You can instal the macOS. But, you might not be able to use it 100%. So, if this is a used device, then you will never be able to get it associated to your Apple ID. This is the site the person currently logged in should have used, prior to handing it over: What to do Before you Sell, Give Away, or Trade In your Mac - Apple Support

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Answer 4

neuropathy Author

Level 1

15 points

May 7, 2023 6:55 PM in response to TheLittles

That’s what I’ve been doing. It won’t let me download the installer using internet recovery (I guess) since I’m not using the Apple ID that was originally used or mine never downloaded that OS. I’m using the USB method exactly as mentioned. It’s not working properly. It boots, it prepared once (failed a few other times), then rebooted, got an grey screen of death, then it automatically rebooted and got stuck with the grey Apple loading (installing?) screen.

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Answer 5

BDAqua

Level 10

245,165 points

May 9, 2023 7:58 AM in response to neuropathy

Good work, thanks for the report! :) 👍

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El Capitan install is stuck or extremely slow - old 2007 MBP

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