artmat55

Q: Restore from Yosemite to El Capitan

Hello,

I would like to restore from my MAC MINI running Yosemite to a new MAC PRO running El Capitan.  Can I do this?

 

I am not worried about user data on the new MAC PRO, since all my data is on external drives.

 

Can I use TIME MACHINE taken from the MAC MINI and restore to the MAC PRO using COMMAND R?

 

THanks

Art

Mac mini (Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4), THUNDERBOLT DISPLAY

Posted on Mar 6, 2016 1:35 PM

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Q: Restore from Yosemite to El Capitan

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  • Helpful answers

  • by my ginger,

    my ginger my ginger Mar 6, 2016 1:50 PM in response to artmat55
    Level 4 (2,472 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 1:50 PM in response to artmat55

    Is you computer a Macbook Pro or a Mac Pro? One is a laptop the other a desktop.  If the Mac Pro came with El Capitan. I am not sure if it is back-word compatible  to Yosemite. If you use the restore to install the time machine backup It may try to go to Yosemite. On the other hand you can with the time machine backup or the Mac Mini use Migration assistant to transfer to the new computer.  https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

  • by artmat55,

    artmat55 artmat55 Mar 6, 2016 3:36 PM in response to my ginger
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 3:36 PM in response to my ginger

    Hi, Yes it is a MAC PRO - cylinder desktop - Late 2013.  I got it from my friend, and he bought it with Maverick and upgraded to El Capitan.

     

    I tried Internet Recovery, but it wouldn't let me down load maverick to the hard drive, had to pick a remote and then I can only boot from the remote with Maverick. I want to put Yosemite on the MAC HD of the MAC PRO and not use EL CAPITAN until ADOBE and NIKON are fixed.

     

    I will try to restore from the MAC MINI's TIMEMACHINE, I only want to get Yosemite back on the boot drive of the MAC PRO.  Migrate assistant - will it transfer the OS?

     

    Thanks
    Art

  • by OGELTHORPE,

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE Mar 6, 2016 3:48 PM in response to artmat55
    Level 9 (52,521 points)
    Mac OS X
    Mar 6, 2016 3:48 PM in response to artmat55
  • by artmat55,

    artmat55 artmat55 Mar 6, 2016 3:55 PM in response to OGELTHORPE
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 3:55 PM in response to OGELTHORPE

    Thanks - I will try it next weekend, when I get back from a Biz Trip.

  • by my ginger,

    my ginger my ginger Mar 6, 2016 4:05 PM in response to artmat55
    Level 4 (2,472 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 4:05 PM in response to artmat55

    Any update is tied to your friends Apple ID. I'm guessing because you say it wouldn't let you. Also without a complete erase of the hard drive, you cannot install maverick over El Capitan.  And maverick is not a stand alone download anymore. If it came with the computer and you needed to install to a fresh drive , it can be done. 

  • by artmat55,

    artmat55 artmat55 Mar 6, 2016 4:09 PM in response to my ginger
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 4:09 PM in response to my ginger

    Hi

    So, I am thinking I will need to reformat and reinstall Maverick - and start from scratch as if this MAC PRO was brand new. Then Follow the instructions OGELTHORPE sent me to us SETUP Assistant from the TIME MACHINE back up of the MAC MINI Hard Drive with Yosemite.  Does this sound like it will work.  ?

     

    My friend reformatted the MAC PRO - so it's not with his USER ID.   He loaded El Capitan when he gave it to me - and it started as a brand new MAC PRO with EL CAP.

  • by my ginger,

    my ginger my ginger Mar 6, 2016 4:26 PM in response to artmat55
    Level 4 (2,472 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 4:26 PM in response to artmat55

    I know that with time machine you can go from a newer operating system back to the previous one. But I am not sure if you can use time machine to go from an older operating system to a newer one.  OGELTHROPE may be able to answer that better than I.  But. If you have on any machine downloaded and installed Yosemite. Then with your apple ID in purchases you could download it again to install.  The one thing I think you should do in this case. Is to make a bootable usb installer for it. With that you can wipe the drive and install yosemite and then put your time machine backup on it. As far as your friends apple ID. When they downloaded El Capitan it would be tied to there apple ID. But since it is still free. It can be downloaded by you. To make a bootable usb installer.   https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

  • by artmat55,

    artmat55 artmat55 Mar 6, 2016 4:31 PM in response to my ginger
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 6, 2016 4:31 PM in response to my ginger

    Hi

    Thanks !!  I just found that same link and am trying it now....

     

    If I get it done before I need to leave for my trip, I will update - otherwise next weekend.

     

    Thanks

    Art

  • by artmat55,

    artmat55 artmat55 Mar 7, 2016 4:15 AM in response to artmat55
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 7, 2016 4:15 AM in response to artmat55

    Hi, Update:

    I created a USB with INSTALL YOSEMITE as per the instructions above.  When I Rebooted the MAC PRO with EL CAP using the OPTION key, I was able to boot off the INSTALL YOSEMITE USB. When I started to install the OS onto the MAC PRO it wouldn't because of an higher level of OS was on it. So I used the DISK UTILITY to ERASE the MAC HD on the MAC PRO.

     

    I am now in the process of installing Yosemite onto the HD of the MAC PRO. 

     

     

    More to come...

  • by artmat55,Solvedanswer

    artmat55 artmat55 Mar 7, 2016 5:01 AM in response to artmat55
    Level 1 (1 points)
    Mar 7, 2016 5:01 AM in response to artmat55

    Hi All ,

    Success! I was able to install Yosemite after using Disk Utility to erase the Macintosh HD. I will now migrate my data over to the new MAC PRO ...

     

    Thanks for all your help.

    Art