Hidoo

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

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Q: How to downgrade to El Capitan without having it in Mac App Store

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  • Helpful answers

  • by trevoz,

    trevoz trevoz Oct 1, 2016 11:21 PM in response to Hidoo
    Level 2 (454 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 1, 2016 11:21 PM in response to Hidoo
  • by Hidoo,

    Hidoo Hidoo Oct 2, 2016 2:08 AM in response to trevoz
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 2:08 AM in response to trevoz

    I can't download that because it says my operating system is too new. Which is not that strange, considering the download is for Snow Leopard.

    But thanks anyways!

  • by trevoz,Apple recommended

    trevoz trevoz Oct 2, 2016 9:36 AM in response to Hidoo
    Level 2 (454 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 9:36 AM in response to Hidoo

    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:

     

    1. 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.

    2. 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.

    3. 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.
  • by woodmeister50,

    woodmeister50 woodmeister50 Oct 2, 2016 4:03 AM in response to Hidoo
    Level 5 (5,589 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 4:03 AM in response to Hidoo

    Have you checked to see if there is an update for your software?

     

    Also, you could get a Windows keyboard.  Most USB and wireless

    ones will work and are pretty cheap.

  • by Barney-15E,Helpful

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Oct 2, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Hidoo
    Level 9 (50,401 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Hidoo

    Moreover, the trackpad scroll is annoyingly slow

    I think the default tracking speed gets reset to "annoyingly slow" after the upgrade. Just set it to what you want in the Trackpad System Prefs. You can set it all the way to "uncontrollably fast," so there should be a setting in there you like.

     

    This is still useful information if you decide to erase and reinstall El Capitan as the default tracking speed will be reset to "annoyingly slow."

  • by Hidoo,

    Hidoo Hidoo Oct 2, 2016 9:31 AM in response to woodmeister50
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 9:31 AM in response to woodmeister50

    Have you checked to see if there is an update for your software?

    Did just that after I posted, but it's only in a very early beta which is kind of broken atm.

    Also, you could get a Windows keyboard.  Most USB and wireless

    ones will work and are pretty cheap.

    That wouldn't be a viable option, because it's a school laptop, so we're carrying them around all the time, and a standalone keyboard would be clunky.

  • by Hidoo,

    Hidoo Hidoo Oct 2, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 9:33 AM in response to Barney-15E

    I may be blind, but I can't for the life of me find where you can change the scroll speed. I see only one slider in Trackpad, and that is under the tab Point and Click and controls the tracking speed.

  • by Barney-15E,Apple recommended

    Barney-15E Barney-15E Oct 2, 2016 4:30 PM in response to Hidoo
    Level 9 (50,401 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 2, 2016 4:30 PM in response to Hidoo

    Hidoo wrote:

     

    I may be blind, but I can't for the life of me find where you can change the scroll speed. I see only one slider in Trackpad, and that is under the tab Point and Click and controls the tracking speed.

    I dont have any problem with the scroll speed. Assumed it was tied to tracking speed.

    THere are other settings in the Accessibiliry system prefs

  • by Hidoo,

    Hidoo Hidoo Oct 5, 2016 8:53 AM in response to Barney-15E
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 5, 2016 8:53 AM in response to Barney-15E

    Oh thanks, I just found it! This saved my day!! Why would they bury all those important settings deep down in the accessibility settings!? Read somewhere that they moved some mouse settings from the category mouse... I guess that it's just very hard to categorise system settings.