This version of OS X 10.11 cannot be installed on this computer.

Hold down the Option key and select System Profiler from the Apple Menu. ( it may be named System Information--can't remember when it changed).

The Hardware section should be selected, so just look in the info pane for the model identifier.

It needs to be MacBookPro3,1 or greater.

Barney.

I have a similar problem. This is what pops up when I try to upgrade to El Capitan. I checked the Model Identifier. It says Macbook4.1. Does it need to say MacBookPro4.1?

Thank You!

This includes a list of eligible Macs

OS X El Capitan - Technical Specifications

The Late 2008 MacBook must be the aluminum one. Your Early 2008 and the white late 2008 MacBook are not capable.

Vanekro wrote:

Thank you Eau.

I checked this, and it has all the general and hardware requirements. But still it doesn't let me update it.

Tthe "general" requirements don't cut it. There is a specific cutoff for Macs that are compatible, and that is by year and type. It doesn't matter if you have a Core 2 Duo, or 2GB of RAM, or a 3.2 GHz processor, or whatever else. It only matters when it was produced.

Thanks for the info. So my iMac is too old for this version. What could I upgrade to if not El Capitan?

Thanks!

I'm having the same problem with a late 2013 iMac. It should be compatible according to the compatible systems list but I can't figure out how to install. Sierra won't install either but I don't want to due to some software incompatibility. Clicking the "learn more" button doesn't do anything.

If your computer can run Sierra, which yours should be able to, you can install El Capitan.

smdart wrote:

I'm having the same problem with a late 2013 iMac.

You cannot install El Capitan on that Mac unless you had previously installed El Capitan on that Mac. Since it is compatible with Sierra, Apple will not allow you to install El Capitan. Once Apple releases a new OS, that is the only one available for you to download.

El Capitan still exists for those who have Macs that either cannot run Sierra or still have Snow Leopard installed. Those are the only Macs that can download that version of El Capitan on the App Store.

If you don't have another Mac that could install that version of El Capitan, your only option is to install Sierra. What problems did you have when you tried to install that?

When I try to install Sierra I get the message "El Capitan is currently the only supported version of Mac OS." El Capitan does not show up in the app store. I was able to upgrade to Yosemite through the "Purchased" tab of an account which had already downloaded it. But if Sierra doesn't install and El Capitan and Yosemite don't appear in the App store, how does Apple expect someone to update?

I should note that I do not want to upgrade to Sierra. Some plugins I use with Adobe Illustrator only support OS 10.10 and 10.11.

You can try to download it at the link below. If it won't let you, then your only options are to upgrade to Sierra or find an older computer where you can download it.

El Capitan

Hello,

I'm having the same problem with TWO different iMac's, both are defiantly on the available list to be upgraded (per web article and Apple care)

1) Mid 2009 - 12GB ram, 88GB disk space

2) Late 2013 - 16GB ram, 450GB disk space

I am on Yosemite. I CANNOT goto Sierra due to 3rd party which is a showstopper for me not having drivers yet. El Cap is still supported. Btw I'm upgrading because El Cap is the minimum OS I need to purchase Final Cut Pro.

I have stumped Apple care (not hard to do). They captured data to send to their engineering team, but many days later no word from them yet.

Apple gave me the same link as above to make it show up in the app store. What's odd is while El Cap does show up in the app store now, instead of the button saying "buy" or "download" like most mine says "get" which when I click, I get a popup:

"We could not complete your purchase

This version of OS X 10.11 cannot be installed on this computer"

Since Apple is being less than helpful, can anyone out there offer any solution as to how to upgrade to El Cap. I prefer to stick to Apple downloads only and not bittorents or other non Apple sites (this is for my production mac and can't afford issues down the road.

Thanks

Since Apple is being less than helpful, can anyone out there offer any solution as to how to upgrade to El Cap.

Erase the Macs and use the Snow Leopard install DVD that came with it to install Snow Leopard. Then, upgrade to El Capitan using the El Capitan download you previously tried.

Once the "free" upgrades started, Apple has never left a previous OS available to download after releasing the new one. You must have "purchased" the old OS in order to have access to it after the release of the new OS.

If your Mac is capable of running Sierra, that is the only OS you can install via the Mac App Store unless you have previously purchased one of the others and they appear in your Purchased page. I imagine the script readers at the first level of AppleCare support don't know that it is not possible to do what they were telling you.

Barney

While most appreciated - that is totally unfeasible for me.

I'm not erasing two macs putting on an old os then doing updates. ALOT of work for both macs.

Again much appreciated.

Let me see what Apple comes back with.

The good news is that the drivers I need to update to Sierra might be out within a month or so.

Btw i'm way past the front line script readers at Apple Care. They are almost always useless. I always go to a "sr advisor" for what thats worth 🙂

Btw why go all the way back to snow leopard (which I believe I have the disks for). I also may have the Mtn Lion and Mavericks install disks. Wait a second key word Disks. Production mac doesn't have DVD player nor do I have an external. The old one does, supposed i could do this on the old one just to get the El Cap download and port it over to production mac??