Q: How to downgrade to El Capitan without having it in Mac App Store
Hi! I'm completely new to Macs, and to this forum. Coming from Windows, I found the keyboard layout somewhat confusing. So I installed Karabiner, which for the most part worked like a charm.
Then there came a notification to update to MacOS Sierra. So I did. And now Karabiner is broken. Moreover, the trackpad scroll is annoyingly slow, and I realised I just liked El Capitan more in general.
But since I got the Mac with El Capitan, I don't have it in my purchased-list in the App Store. So where can I find an official download to create an installation media and reinstall El Capitan (which, AFAIK, is the only way to "downgrade" a Mac if I have no backup from before)? I have no personal files on the Mac yet, so I don't mind erasing the disk.
Any suggestions would be highly appreciated, even with solutions to 1) make Karabiner work again, and 2) change the scroll sensitivity for the trackpad.
Thanks for helping out a Mac newbie!
MacBook Air, macOS Sierra (10.12)
Posted on Oct 1, 2016 11:15 PM
Oops (it is also for those whose system is not compatible with Sierra, for some meanings of the word "compatible"
Ok, you'll have to do it the slow way:
- Start up from Internet Recovery by holding down Option-Command (⌘)-R immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac. Release the keys when you see the Apple logo. Startup is complete when you see the utilities window.
- Open Disk Utility from the utilities window, then use Disk Utility to erase your built-in hard disk using the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format. Quit Disk Utility when done.
- Choose Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X) from the utilities window, then follow the onscreen instructions.
This installs the system that came with your Mac when it was new.
Posted on Oct 2, 2016 9:36 AM