White @pple

Q: Unable to download OS X El Capitan even after clean install

Hello

 

I have this issue with Mac App Store, I'm unable to download the OS X El Capitan full installer, the download button is greyed out in Purchased tab saying "DOWNLOADED" while I don't have the Installer in my Applications folder as seen in screenshot (I've tried many clean installs just to fix this issue!!!) and nothing I do seems to fix it! When I try to download it its own download page, it first asks me if I want to download the full installer, I click Continue and then the button get greyed out and nothing happens!

 

Screen Shot 2016-03-30 at 11.29.49 PM.png

 

Things I've tried:

1. Clean installations (using USB Install Media method and trying different usb sticks)

2. Resetting App Store data and cache

3. Resetiing NVRAM

4. Using different apple ID (after clicking on download on El Capitan page, nothing adds in Purchase tab or Launchpad)

iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11.4)

Posted on Mar 30, 2016 12:45 PM

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Q: Unable to download OS X El Capitan even after clean install

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  • Helpful answers

  • by theratter,Helpful

    theratter theratter Mar 31, 2016 10:44 AM in response to White @pple
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 31, 2016 10:44 AM in response to White @pple

    You cannot do a clean install of an already installed OS X version with the same version. The installer is automatically erased after you install OS X unless you have saved a copy. Here's what you have to do;

     

    Install OS X from Scratch

     

    1. Boot the computer from the Recovery HD by restarting. After the chime hold down the Command and R keys until the Utility Menu appears.
    2. Select Disk Utility from the Utility Menu and click on the Continue button.
    3. From Disk Utility select the indented (usually, Macintosh HD) volume entry from the the side list.  Click on the Erase tab in the toolbar. Set format type to Mac OS Extended, Journaled from the drop down panel. Click on the Erase button in the panel. When the process is  finished and the Done button is activated, quit Disk Utility.
    4. Select Reinstall OS X and click on the Continue button.
  • by White @pple,

    White @pple White @pple Mar 30, 2016 1:05 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac App Store
    Mar 30, 2016 1:05 PM in response to theratter

    Thanks for the reply, you're right I've saved a copy of installer after my last successful download. I created an installer with steps taken from here (Create a bootable installer for OS X - Apple Support) booted and wiped Macintosh HD just as you instructed, went through the setup and faced the issue again, so I created another USB installer on another USB stick with the copy of the full installer I kept on another drive, rebooted this time i wiped and merged both Macintosh HD and Recovery HD with a bootable third party tool then erased as JHSF+ with disk utility, went through the installation, everything fine, Recovery HD recreated and went through the initial setup process, El Capitan up and running but the issue persists!

     

    I'm sure the installer is genuine since I don't get any tampered corrupted errors, etc on installation.

  • by theratter,

    theratter theratter Mar 30, 2016 1:12 PM in response to White @pple
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 30, 2016 1:12 PM in response to White @pple

    If the issue still persists, then how were you able to reinstall OS X? I don't think I understood. Please clarify for me. As I stated earlier if you have already installed El Capitan 10.11.4, then the App Store will not allow you to re-download the 10.11.4 installer application. Select About This Mac from your Apple menu and see what version of OS X it shows you are running.

  • by White @pple,

    White @pple White @pple Mar 30, 2016 1:31 PM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac App Store
    Mar 30, 2016 1:31 PM in response to theratter

    I'm on 10.11.4, so I can't download the same version full installer ?   so what's the purpose of this message? It clearly asks the user if they want to download the installer regardless of the installed version by clicking on Continue.

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 12.54.11 AM.png

    I know with Time Machine backups and internet-based OS X reinstallation, downloading full installers for reinstalls is meaningless but shouldn't people be able to download installers for just in case scenario when something goes wrong?

    Please don't tell me I wasted two whole days and very much of my data on a misunderstanding of App Store mechanism

  • by theratter,Solvedanswer

    theratter theratter Mar 31, 2016 10:53 AM in response to White @pple
    Level 4 (3,907 points)
    Desktops
    Mar 31, 2016 10:53 AM in response to White @pple

    I understand, but we all get that same dialog under the same conditions. Unfortunately, Apple does not permit re-downloading if you have already downloaded the installer for the version of OS X you have installed. My experience indicates it won't allow you to download an earlier version if you have a later version installed. I run El Capitan and I have downloaded every other version back to Lion. The App Store won't let me download Yosemite, Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion even though each is on the Purchases list. That's the reason I usually let people know, when I can, that they need to make a copy of the installer before installation. I always do that now.

  • by White @pple,

    White @pple White @pple Mar 31, 2016 10:52 AM in response to theratter
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac App Store
    Mar 31, 2016 10:52 AM in response to theratter

    Thank you, now that you pointed out I remember I was able to download 10.11.4 installer when I was on 10.11.3. I appreciate your time.

  • by Dah•veed,

    Dah•veed Dah•veed Mar 31, 2016 11:50 AM in response to White @pple
    Level 7 (34,741 points)
    Mac App Store
    Mar 31, 2016 11:50 AM in response to White @pple

    Sadly I was switching ISPs yesterday and was not alerted to your issue until now. You've been badly misinformed.

    Unfortunately, Apple does not permit re-downloading if you have already downloaded the installer for the version of OS X you have installed.

    That isn't true in the slightest bit. As you can see from these screenshots I am running OS X 10.11.4. And I received the same alert when I chose to download it again. But when I chose Continue, here it is happily downloading.

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 11.36.20 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 11.37.34 AM.png

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 11.38.24 AM.png

     

    And I can download the previous versions of OS X in my Purchased list. Here is OS X Mt Lion downloading as I type this comment.

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 11.46.21 AM.png

    The Mac App Store can see its apps on all mounted drives and partitions. The reason you see Downloaded for OS X 10.11.4 is more than likely because the Mac App Store sees the installer app somewhere on your kit.

     

    Late 2012 Mac mini, OS X El Capitan 10.11.4; Apple Watch, 38 mm silver AL, Watch OS 2.2; iPad Air 2 & iPhone 6+, iOS 9.3

  • by Dah•veed,

    Dah•veed Dah•veed Mar 31, 2016 12:58 PM in response to Dah•veed
    Level 7 (34,741 points)
    Mac App Store
    Mar 31, 2016 12:58 PM in response to Dah•veed

    It took awhile to download 6+ GBs, but now that it is downloaded onto my kit, OS X 10.11.4 in my Purchased list shows Downloaded.

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 12.56.07 PM.png

    Screen Shot 2016-03-31 at 12.55.43 PM.png

  • by White @pple,

    White @pple White @pple Apr 1, 2016 1:04 AM in response to Dah•veed
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Mac App Store
    Apr 1, 2016 1:04 AM in response to Dah•veed

    Hi Dahveed

    Thanks for the reply better late than never , you're right I unmounted the volume I was keeping a copy of the installer on, then I tried and to my surprise download began without a hitch!  That is so smart of OS X but I wish they would inform the user with a path to the installer on the disk in case they already were keeping a copy to let the user know nothing's wrong with their Mac or configuration.

    Unfortunately I seem to be unable to revert the correct answer or even rate your reply as helpful but I'm immensely thankful to you.

     

    Screen Shot 1395-01-13 at 12.08.51 PM.png

  • by Eat-A-Peach,

    Eat-A-Peach Eat-A-Peach Jul 19, 2016 5:31 AM in response to Dah•veed
    Level 1 (14 points)
    Jul 19, 2016 5:31 AM in response to Dah•veed

    "The Mac App Store can see its apps on all mounted drives and partitions. The reason you see Downloaded for OS X 10.11.4 is more than likely because the Mac App Store sees the installer app somewhere on your kit."

     

    @Dah•veed

    Just wanted to say Thank You! for this bit in your post.  I have not been able to download either the 10.11.4 or 10.11.5 full installers from the Mac App Store - was only able to do updates (clicking on the UPDATE button next to the updated app on the Updates section of the store).  I keep a copy of each full installer for previous OS versions on an external disk drive with other Apple documentation and information.  After seeing your post, I unmounted/ejected the external drive with the full installers of previous OS versions, restarted the Mac App Store, logged in to my account, went to the featured El Capitan page, clicked on Download - got the drop down dialog to continue for the full installer, and there was 10.11.6 starting to download and settled its icon on my Launchpad just like it did so many times before with earlier versions.

    You made my fiancee' very happy because if I didn't find a solution to the issue within a few hours, he'd be explaining to our friends and family what happened to make me bald (seeing someone rip their hair out in frustration is NOT a pretty sight!)

    Hope someone else finds your post here and it can be as helpful to them as it was to me.

      Peach

  • by Dah•veed,

    Dah•veed Dah•veed Jul 19, 2016 10:15 AM in response to Eat-A-Peach
    Level 7 (34,741 points)
    Mac App Store
    Jul 19, 2016 10:15 AM in response to Eat-A-Peach

    De nada amig@.

     

    Late 2012 Mac mini, macOS ?;  Watch, 38 mm silver AL, Watch OS 2.2.2; iPad Air 2 & iPhone 6+, iOS ?;  Apple Airport Express