Q: How do I install Yosemite when I only have the option of El Capitan but it hasn't been released

Does Yosemite appear in the purchased list of the App Store?

Your El Capitan query should be posted in the appropriate developers forum.

Ciao.

you can reinstall Yosemite with a working internet connection

reboot and hold down CMD+OPTION+R before any boot icon shows.

that's nuts!

El Cap should not be an option until September 30 when it's officially released.

Can you screen shot with a camera?

It's not nuts if his friend was a tester for El Capitan. However, his friend didn't properly prepare his MacBook for use/sale to others.

I just erased my friend's macbook and went to reinstall OS X, as prompted.

And why did you do this? Did you buy your friend's MacBook?

possummagic wrote:

 

Thanks for the link, but this is the method I was attempting to use to install and I was only given the option of El Capitan.

Did you actually get into Internet Recovery (spinning Earth instead of Apple)?

How old is it? Can it actually boot into Internet Recovery?

These Macs need a firmware update to use it, Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery - Apple Support, and earlier Macs cannot boot into Internet Recovery.

I just learned from Lanny if you have the beta installed it's becomes the only option to restore from.

The other option would be to do a clean full install of Yosemite from a USB flash-drive but it will require some other computer that allows you to download Yosemite to begin with. and a USB flash drive that fits the full install, not the standalone update, which I think this is the link, it's 1.2GB compressed, the flash drive needs to be at least 16GB if memory serves.

if no 2nd mac is available I've included a link to do this from Windows but I have never tried it and can not say what the results would be.

OS X Yosemite 10.10.5 Update

http://www.macworld.com/article/2367748/how-to-make-a-bootable-os-x-10-10-yosemi te-install-drive.html

http://pureinfotech.com/2014/12/05/make-bootable-usb-mac-os-x-windows/

September 30, 2015 is the El Capitan release date.

Using Diskmaker X 4b5, Yosemite will leave 527MB free on an 8GB bootable flash drive. The full Yosemite installer is a 5.73GB download.