el capitan download without app store

Question

Level 1

7 points

el capitan download without app store

If unable to use the app store how can i download the El Capitan installer? (I'm already on Capitan and want to do a clean install onto new ssd).

> Currently downloading in App Store - estimate is 6days and 18h. I'm sure it'll breakdown halfway through. I have a 100mbit connection and can otherwise download stuff... Problem might be that i live in China but only have Swedish credit card linked to my app store/itunes account/apple id. Can't change the app store location without Chinese card. But surely apples choice of CDN/content servers wouldn't be card linked but rather be IP linked ?

> I have tried downloading using a Hong Kong VPN Server, without VPN Server.

> Do I really need to torrent capitan? Could get it home in 10 mins that way but feels like maaaaybe there's a tiny chance i get some backdoor built in or whatever.

Is there a http download? Any option outside the (useless) app store?

OS 10.11.4

Posted on May 10, 2016 9:12 AM

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Answer 1

pinkstones

Level 5

4,228 points

May 10, 2016 9:16 AM in response to MrWWW22

The only way you can access the El Capitan installer is through the App Store.

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Answer 2

keg55

Level 6

11,743 points

May 10, 2016 9:36 AM in response to MrWWW22

MrWWW22 wrote:

If unable to use the app store how can i download the El Capitan installer? (I'm already on Capitan and want to do a clean install onto new ssd).

You can restart into Recovery Mode (Command+R), plug in an external USB drive large enough to holder an installed El Capitan (~30GB); then select the Reinstall OS X from the OS X Utilities Menu and point to your external USB drive. After the install completes, don't go through Setup yet. Instead, install your SSD, restart with the Option key and select the Recovery HD that is associated to your external USB drive. Then launch Disk Utility and select your USB drive and do a File/Restore to your SSD. This will do a block-copy of the USB drive to your SSD. You just need to be sure the SSD drive is of equal or greater size. Last boot from your SSD to do your Setup.

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Answer 3

May 10, 2016 10:11 AM in response to MrWWW22

If you have a fast internet connection but the download is so slow, something is amiss. Which country store your card is associated with is relevant for availability and pricing, but should not significantly affect your speed.

I would cancel the download, and try again. You might be pleasantly surprised (after all, it is not like each store is physically located in that specific country, actually they are all on a distributed network of servers, which might be anywhere in the world).

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Answer 4

MrWWW22 Author

Level 1

7 points

May 10, 2016 3:55 PM in response to keg55

Nice, not a bad trick. However I'm all for the fully clean install and no 30gig usb that wouldn't require removing a lot of data.

Solution to this problem was switching to a US based VPN which resolved the download speed. (So just try different apple cdn servers via vpn until you find one that doesnt suck at the moment).

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