Q: I would like to upgrade to Yosemite prior to going to El Capitein.  Where can I find OS X 10.10.5 to download?

You think that you're contributing, but you're just whining.

Wouldn't it be nice to get helpful people on this forum, instead of bored people with nothing better to do....

This has been gone over countless times in the Mavericks forums when Yosemite was released, and now in this forum when El Capitan was released. If you read any or all them them, the answer is the same; we don't know why Apple is pulling previous free OS downloads when the next major version comes out, and they aren't saying.

Just like everyone else, you had a year to download it when it was available. No one here, or Apple is responsible for your procrastination. After seeing Mavericks disappear upon Yosemite's release, it should have no surprise to anyone that Yosemite disappeared when El Capitan came out.

You wouldn't even have needed to actually install Yosemite. Just quit the installer as soon as the download completes and it starts the installation. Then save the full installer to an external drive and delete it from the Applications folder. Or, don't save it at all. Once purchased, it stays in your list of App Store purchases and you can retrieve it any time in the future. So do that with El Capitan now so you aren't stuck in the same situation when the next major release of OS X comes out and you then want El Capitan.

.."You wouldn't even have needed to actually install Yosemite. Just quit the installer as soon as the download completes and it starts the installation. Then save the full installer to an external drive and delete it from the Applications folder. Or, don't save it at all. Once purchased, it stays in your list of App Store purchases and you can retrieve it any time in the future. So do that with El Capitan now so you aren't stuck in the same situation when the next major release of OS X comes out and you then want El Capitan."

Well if nothing else, this experience has taught me what I've quoted above... I was unaware of this...Thanks.

Marcus, what bothers me is when people start pointing at you as though you are the one to blame because you didn't upgrade within a year.
Most people are finding out the HARD way that you only have a year to download the upgrade and then you lose the installer. I think that is absolutely ridiculous. And don't ask apple because they won't tell?
Up until recently we had a nice handy installer disk to use so that if we had any problems, especially with our older macs- we weren't forced to shuck out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a computer that could run the next update, instead... or go back a version.

It's nice to think that a company would have our best interests in mind when they remind us daily that there is a new update available that we have read nothing but sour reviews on because it BREAKS OUR STUFF and makes our lives miserable and we JUST DONT WANT TO DO IT. So if we try it, it's a done deal.

What if my computer came with an OS that corrupt and I want to replace it back like Lion? I couldn't if I never downloaded that OS in the first place, now. What if I tried upgrading to the current version from Lion but it doesn't work well yet, and now I need to go back to the most current version that does work well post-Lion?
I can't if I didn't download it.

This drives me nuts. Steve Jobs is rolling over in his grave with the way the Apple had gone. We've been using them since the early 90's and for the first time in my life, macs have lost their common sense management.
Sorry just had to add that. Don't blame yourself because, "Hey man, you had a year to download.."
Who cares. You should be able to run back a version if the current version doesn't work.

Gah.

/endrant

For what it's worth, I and many others agree with you. It makes no sense to me to pull the previous versions. If the argument is that means there's fewer OS versions to keep security updates going for, it doesn't work. Millions of users are running Yosemite, Mavericks, and other older OS versions now, so what difference does it make if a few thousand or more download Yosemite or Mavericks? They still sell Mountain Lion. Why isn't that one gone? Any Mac that can run Mountain Lion can run El Capitan, so it make no sense to hold onto that one and pull the two after it. Lion makes sense for Macs older than a certain year since that's the last OS they can run (like our older iMac we use as a server).

Pretty much.
I just wanted to acknowledge and give you credit towards your issue and frustration. Even though I don't have a solution, either.

Yes, sir, you have just summed up my frustration very well indeed. Who really cares if I choose to still be running on Lion or Mountain Lion, because I just happen to be very content with the software I'm running, and that's all there is to it! Or should be! Thanks for your encouragement, have a great day! (I think we're countrymen...)

Thank you Kurt, precisely the point I was making to JynMeyer... I WANT to run an older OS, so why can't I..? Thanks to you for your input as well. Its encouraging to get some common sense and logic on this forum. Have a great day!