- Install El Capitan Download
- Create El Capitan Install Usb From Windows
- Install El Capitan From Usb On Mac
- Install El Capitan On External Usb Drive
- Install El Capitan Usb Creator
So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.
A list of all Mac OS X versions
After hours of trial and error, I was finally able to install OSX 10.11 'El Capitan' on my used iMac (mid 2009)! I tried to use the internet installer that came with it, but it would not work without signing into the original owner's AppleID (even though I specifically went into iTunes to 'De-Authorize this computer' before wiping the original. As of El Capitan and new security changes in OS X, we decided to move the site’s general recommendation to the more modern Clover bootloader, however legacy development with Chameleon continues. ErmaC at InsanelyMac reshaped the Chameleon code into a branch called ‘Enoch’. Because of this, I recommend creating your own bootable El Capitan (OS X 10.11) installer drive on an external hard drive or USB thumb drive. If you need to install El Capitan on multiple Macs. Install El Capitan. Now that the installation USB drive is ready, let's install OS X El Capitan! Boot from the USB Drive. Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive (Press Esc/F8/Del to access the boot selection menu). Use the arrow keys to select Boot OS X Install from Install OS X El Capitan (It should be.
We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.
Cheetah 10.0 | Puma 10.1 | Jaguar 10.2 |
Panther 10.3 | Tiger 10.4 | Leopard 10.5 |
Snow Leopard 10.6 | Lion 10.7 | Mountain Lion 10.8 |
Mavericks 10.9 | Yosemite 10.10 | El Capitan 10.11 |
Sierra 10.12 | High Sierra 10.13 | Mojave 10.14 |
Catalina 10.15 |
STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation
Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.
Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:
- Uninstall large unused apps
- Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
- Locate the biggest files on your computer:
Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)
Install El Capitan Download
Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)
STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download
Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.
How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store
If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:
- Click the App Store icon.
- Click Purchases in the top menu.
- Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
- Click Download.
This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.
Create El Capitan Install Usb From Windows
Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer
If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.
Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.
Purchase an older version of Mac operating system
You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.
Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8
The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.
How to get macOS El Capitan download
If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:
1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.
“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”
If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.
But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.
After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.
STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive
The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.
- Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
- Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
- Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
- Select external drive as a source.
- Enter your Apple ID.
Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.
- Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
- Connect the external drive.
- Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.
Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.
How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions
If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina
Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).
Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version
If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.
How To Create Bootable USB Installer For MacOS X El …
Creating bootable USB Installer can be done in different ways specifically create bootable USB Installer for macOS X El Capitan on Windows and other macOS versions. The first way to do manually and the second way is to do a software that is pre-build to do all those with a click or two.
Install El Capitan From Usb On Mac
How to Create OS X El Capitan Bootable USB Disk?
We are now ready to create the bootable usb disk drive of OS X El Capitan. All you have do is, follow the couple of steps suggested here and you are ready to install El Capitan on any mac computers. Step 1 : Connect USB Disk Drive to your mac computer and Open “Disk Utility” by typing it on Spotlight (CMD + Space Bar) or by going to “Applications – Utilities – Disk Utility”.
Install El Capitan On External Usb Drive
How to Create a Bootable USB with macOS Installer
Install El Capitan Usb Creator
· OS X El Capitan Create bootable USB drive with Mac Disk Utility Now that you have the installation files ready on your Mac, you can move them to your USB drive for future use. To install macOS on an external hard drive: 1. Connect the USB to your MacBook 3.
How to create a bootable installer for macOS
Download: OS X El Capitan This downloads as a disk image named InstallMacOSX.dmg. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan
How to Create an OS X El Capitan Install Disk on a …
· The installer you create can be used to install OS X El Capitan 10.11 on any eligible Mac computer. X Research source This is a more convent and less time consuming way to install OS X El Capitan on multiple machines, gives you a handy emergency disk, and enables a fresh OS X install.
Creating a bootable El Capitan ISO image
It’s very easy to create a bootable ISO image of El Capitan, if you have a working El Capitan system installed on your machine. Start with going to AppStore and installing El Capitan, so you’ll have an application named Install El Capitan in your Application list. Then
Create Bootable Usb From Dmg El Capitan
Create Bootable El Capitan USB Install Drive with DiskMaker X for Mac Thursday, October 1st, 2015 Author: Dan @ MacSales.com. UPDATE 09/2018: Create a Bootable macOS Mojave Install Drive with DiskMaker X 8 UPDATE 09/2017: Create a Bootable
How to install macOS from a USB
· can only create a bootable installer for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, or El download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise
How To Create El Capitan Bootable Usb From Dmg
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Creating a Bootable Flash Drive With OS X Lion
· OS X Lion does not come with a bootable installer, but with the help of this guide, you can create your own bootable Lion installer on a USB drive. Make Sure Your USB Drive Is Formatted for a Mac Not all USB drives can be used with a Mac right out of the box. If
How to Create Bootable USB Installer for Mac Using …
Create Bootable USB Installer for Mac OS Using UniBeast The first task that you’re going to do is open the Apple App Store. The store will open up after some seconds and tap on “ Featured ” then click on the “ OS X El Capitan “.
How to create a bootable installer for macOS
How to create a bootable installer for macOS, Programmer Sought, the best programmer technical posts sharing site. Use the bootable installer Determine whether you’re using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps: Apple silicon Plug the
Unable to create El Capitan Bootable USB
· All I’m trying to do is create a bootable El Capitan USB :-(. Can anyone offer some help please ? CoastalOR macrumors 68030 Jan 19, 2015 2,844 1,044 Oregon, USA May 7, 2018 #2 I’ve only used sudo per Apples instructions.
Install El Capitan From Usb
El Capitan From Usb Mac OS X Utilities I But i am helpless as there are no servicing centre of apple in Bangladesh. In this article, you are going to learn how to create bootable USB for Mac OS in case you dont have a Mac computer.
Os X El Capitan 10.11.0 Bootable Usb Dmg File
Oct 04, 2015 As usual, Apple no longer supply a bootable USB Flash Drive with latest OS X releases – including the new OS X 10.11 El Capitan. Using this tutorial you will be able to create your very own.