kidcubed
Level 1 (5 points)
Desktops

Q: Trying to upgrade from OS 10.6.8 to El Capitan on iMac. But FREE Upgrade tells me it can't install but won't say why even when I click Learn More. Suggestions? Help?

Trying to upgrade from OS 10.6.8 to El Capitan on iMac. But FREE Upgrade tells me it can't install but won't say why even when I click Learn More. Suggestions? Help? Appreciate assistance.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8), Office 2004 11.6.6

Posted on Apr 28, 2016 11:05 AM

by babowa,Solvedanswer
babowa babowa
Level 7 (32,374 points)
iPad
A:

4GB or more of memory

 

Well, if that is your machine, the problem is you can't - you can install 2 x 2 GB at most, but it will only address/use 3 GB. Personally, I would not run anything beyond Snow Leopard (which is 10.6.x by the way, not 10.8) on 3 GB RAM unless you do nothing more than surf the internet and write some letters. You will be met with long beachballs if you try to work with photos, videos, or anything else.

 

And, just for clarification: Snow Leopard is 10.6, Lion = 10.7, mountain lion = 10.8, Mavericks = 10.9, Yosemite = 10.10, and El Capitan = 10.11.

Posted on Apr 28, 2016 6:21 PM

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Q: Trying to upgrade from OS 10.6.8 to El Capitan on iMac. But FREE Upgrade tells me it can't install but won't say why even when I c ... more

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  • by Allan Eckert,

    Allan Eckert Allan Eckert Apr 28, 2016 11:11 AM in response to kidcubed
    Level 9 (54,112 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 11:11 AM in response to kidcubed

    More details about which iMac you have and how much RAM is install would certainly help to answer your question.

  • by krech44,

    krech44 krech44 Apr 28, 2016 11:13 AM in response to kidcubed
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 11:13 AM in response to kidcubed

    If the iMac was manufactured before april 2007 then OS X 10.11 will be incompatible. If so your machine is EFI 32 and therefore will not run newer versions of OS X.

     

    If the iMac was manufactured after april 2007 then check that you have at least 2gb of ram installed.

  • by kidcubed,

    kidcubed kidcubed Apr 28, 2016 11:26 AM in response to kidcubed
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 11:26 AM in response to kidcubed

    Thank you Allan, Krech44,  Still learning how to post a proper reply.  What I can share is this:

     

    I have an iMac5.1

    I received it in August 2009 as a birthday gift.

    It has: Processor 2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo

    Memory 1.5GB  667 Mhx , DDR2  SDRAM

    Start-Up: Hard Drive

     

    L2 Cache 4MB

     

    Memory Slots:
    Bank 0  1Gb

    Bank 1   512 mb

     

    What else can I offer that might help explain what I need to do to be able to complete the upgrade?

  • by Allan Eckert,Helpful

    Allan Eckert Allan Eckert Apr 28, 2016 12:05 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 9 (54,112 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 12:05 PM in response to kidcubed

    The iMac 5.1 was manufacture between Sept 2006 and Aug 2007.

     

    It can run El Capitan as long as you upgrade the RAM in it. 2 GB of RAM is required to install El Capitan but if you want to be able to run any application upgrading to 4 GB is better.

  • by kidcubed,

    kidcubed kidcubed Apr 28, 2016 12:09 PM in response to Allan Eckert
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 12:09 PM in response to Allan Eckert

    That's fabulous Allan. Very appreciated. I received it in 2009, but that's not to say it wasn't manufactured during the window of time you expressed. I've never had to tinker with it until now. Educate me here please. How do I install or upgrade RAM? Is this a hardware purchase from and Apple Store or a software update? Can you tell I'm out of my depth?  Many thanks for your help.

  • by Allan Eckert,

    Allan Eckert Allan Eckert Apr 28, 2016 1:23 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 9 (54,112 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 1:23 PM in response to kidcubed

    To install RAM on iMac read http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-upgrade-the-ram-in-your-imac--mac -47252

     

    No do not purchase from Apple. They charge too much. Instead go to either Crucial.Com or Macsales.Com. On the Crucial site you can download a scan which will report back to Crucial the specs of your iMac and then create a report of all of your options.

  • by stedman1,

    stedman1 stedman1 Apr 28, 2016 1:25 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 9 (74,332 points)
    Apple Watch
    Apr 28, 2016 1:25 PM in response to kidcubed

    Actually, El Capitan requires an iMac 7,1 or newer.

  • by babowa,Helpful

    babowa babowa Apr 28, 2016 5:23 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 7 (32,374 points)
    iPad
    Apr 28, 2016 5:23 PM in response to kidcubed

    Just to make sure - is this your model?

     

    http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/specs/imac-core-2-duo-2.0-17-inch-spe cs.html

     

    That model can only go to Lion, so that isn't much improvement. And, it will only really use 3 GB of RAM even though can install 4 GB - therefore, your computing experience will not be a happy one with any OS version beyond Snow Leopard. They all require a minimum of 4 GB - and that is the very minimum, 8 GB would be much better.

  • by kidcubed,

    kidcubed kidcubed Apr 28, 2016 5:35 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 5:35 PM in response to kidcubed

    Thank you Allan, Krech44, Stedman1 and Babowa.

     

    Your prompt and detailed support is very appreciated.

     

    Yes Babowa, that link you provided seems to detail the nature of my iMac.

     

    But now I'm perplexed.

     

    Allan you suggested I use Crucial to get more memory and that's great. But from what Babowa shares

    it might be a less than robust addition since I can't upgrade to more than Lion at 10.7 but heck I'm already on Snow Leopard

    at 10.8, so I'm curious if it's even worthwhile?

     

    So is it possible that even if I upgrade to 4GB or more of memory, the rest of the architecture
    from 2007 can't support me going to OS 11?

  • by babowa,Solvedanswer

    babowa babowa Apr 28, 2016 6:21 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 7 (32,374 points)
    iPad
    Apr 28, 2016 6:21 PM in response to kidcubed

    4GB or more of memory

     

    Well, if that is your machine, the problem is you can't - you can install 2 x 2 GB at most, but it will only address/use 3 GB. Personally, I would not run anything beyond Snow Leopard (which is 10.6.x by the way, not 10.8) on 3 GB RAM unless you do nothing more than surf the internet and write some letters. You will be met with long beachballs if you try to work with photos, videos, or anything else.

     

    And, just for clarification: Snow Leopard is 10.6, Lion = 10.7, mountain lion = 10.8, Mavericks = 10.9, Yosemite = 10.10, and El Capitan = 10.11.

  • by kidcubed,

    kidcubed kidcubed Apr 28, 2016 6:41 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 28, 2016 6:41 PM in response to kidcubed

    Okay Babowa. Many thanks. Very appreciated. Appreciated the ranking for each version.

     

    I am at 10.6.8 and obviously thought I was at a different level.

  • by babowa,

    babowa babowa Apr 28, 2016 7:16 PM in response to kidcubed
    Level 7 (32,374 points)
    iPad
    Apr 28, 2016 7:16 PM in response to kidcubed

    No problem! The last number on these OS versions usually winds up to be a 4 or 5 (lately) - they start out with 10.6, then find some bugs which they fix in 10.6.1, more bugs are fixed in 10.6.2, etc, etc. until they either figure there are no further bugs to be fixed or simply decide to stop because the next OS version comes out. So, then we start over with 10.7, 10.7.1.........

     

    FWIW, Snow Leopard was an excellent OS (I still like it although I can no longer run it because newer hardware won't run it) - the problem is that it is no longer supported = no more security fixes which are important.

  • by Aonicholas,

    Aonicholas Aonicholas Oct 15, 2016 2:36 AM in response to kidcubed
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 15, 2016 2:36 AM in response to kidcubed

    installion

  • by Roger Wilmut1,

    Roger Wilmut1 Roger Wilmut1 Oct 15, 2016 2:42 AM in response to Aonicholas
    Level 9 (78,576 points)
    iTunes
    Oct 15, 2016 2:42 AM in response to Aonicholas

    Aonicholas wrote:

     

    installion

    That's a horse of a different colour.