1. Install El Capitan On External Drive
  2. How To Install El Capitan On External Drive
  3. Create Bootable Usb El Capitan

Install Mac Os X El Capitan On New Hard Drive Depending on what version of Mac OS X is on the computer right now, you can try to use Recovery Mode (Command + R on boot) to reinstall. A better option may be to use a USB installer drive for El Capitan or whatever version you are hoping to reinstall. How to install OS X El Capitan How to make a bootable OS X 10.11 El Capitan installer drive Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. How to format Western Digital. WD Elements, WD My Book western digital, my passport wd, we my cloud,wd my passport ultra,Western Digital. Seagate backup plu.

Then name it El Capitan Type and Version = MAC OS X (64bit) and click on Next. Allocate more than 3GB of ram and click on next. Then click on Use an existing virtual hard disk file and browse for the virtual hard disk file extracted from El Capitan Disk ISO Image and click on Create. Then select El Capitan virtual machine and click on Settings. May 13, 2021 Download: OS X El Capitan This will be downloaded as a disk image called InstallMacOSX.dmg. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, which has the name InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder.

Depending on what version of Mac OS X is on the computer right now, you can try to use Recovery Mode (Command + R on boot) to reinstall. A better option may be to use a USB installer drive for El Capitan or whatever version you are hoping to reinstall. Most of the Mac models can install and run OS X El Capitan, but in some devices, you can't use full features of this OS due to hardware limitations. For instance, you can't use AirDrop on your Mac if you don't have a WiFi network compatible with PAN.

Contents

If you made an USB thumbdrive installer for it, or have a working Mac capable of running El Capitan and with a FireWire or Thunderbolt port, you can install that directly. If not, you'll need to install the computer's original OS from Apple's Internet Recovery system(press the Option, Command, and R keys at startup), and then upgrade. Just before you install the new Mac OS X El Capitan, you must perform few tasks to ensure that your Mac will be ready for the installation of the software: Check Your Mac - Check whether your Mac will be able to run the new OS X 10.11. Your Mac will reboot, and in a few moments you can begin using your new, freshly installed (and ideally trouble-free) copy of OS X El Capitan. If, on the other hand, you’re installing El Capitan on a hard disk for the first time, you still have one last step to complete. After your Mac reboots, the Setup Assistant window appears. Tag gameselementary p.e. games.

Install El Capitan On External Drive

2. El Capitan Features
3. El Capitan Download & Install
4. OS X 10.11 Problems
5. Mac OS X 10.11 Tips
6. Software for OS X 10.11
7. Compare OS

Mac OS X El Capitan can be downloaded directly from the Apple website. The Beta version of the OS is available but the final version will be made available towards the Autumn season of 2015 as speculated by many Apple users. You can use your older Mac OS with the new El Capitan, all you have to do is to create a different partition for the new El Capitan if you have the Yosemite already installed. There are few steps you should consider in downloading the latest El Capitan and these are as follow.

Install Os X El Capitan On New Hard Drive

How To Install El Capitan On External Drive

Part 1. Preparing Mac Device for the Installation of Mac OS X El Capitan

Both Mavericks and Yosemite are easier to download and install on Mac devices, however, this is not the case with Mac OS X El Capitan. Just before you install the new Mac OS X El Capitan, you must perform few tasks to ensure that your Mac will be ready for the installation of the software:

  • Check Your Mac - Check whether your Mac will be able to run the new OS X 10.11. Apple has provided a list of the Mac supported by the new Mac OS X El Capitan and if you are already running the Mavericks or Yosemite, the same lists may also apply to the El Capitan. You can also check this list on the “Will your Mac run Mac OS X” article on Apple website.
  • Create Enough Space - Check that your Mac has sufficient RAM to run the software. You wouldn’t run into any hitches if your Mac device is listed on the acceptable Mac devices for Mac OS X El Capitan. Apple recommend that you have a minimum RAM of 2G, however, a minimum of 4G space of RAM is highly recommended. You will also need to delete some unnecessary files to create more space for the installation of El Capitan.
  • Check Hard Drive Space - Make sure you have sufficient hard drive space for the installation of Mac OS X El Capitan. Yosemite will normally require a Hard drive space of up to 5GB , but the new El Capitan will require between 15g and 20gb of space on your hard drive for successful download and installation.
  • Register - Register to access the Mac Apple store. You need to upgrade your Mac and get access to Mac Apple store for a small fee in order to get the most out of your Mac OS X El Capitan.
  • Updates - Make sure your third party Apps are updated before installing Mac OS X El Capitan. You can simply launch App store and click on “Updates” on the tool bar if you want to update the apps you bought from Apple store. For other third party apps, you may need some manual updates from manufacturer websites to complete such updates.
  • Backup Your Mac - Perform a backup before downloading and installing Mac OS X El Capitan- you need to protect your important documents and files, thus you may have to back them up somewhere before starting the download and installation process.

Part 2. Installing Mac OS X El Capitan Safely on Your Mac Device

Install Mac Os X El Capitan On New Hard Drive

You can install or upgrade to Mac OS X El Capitan as a dual boot partition. You may be able to download a test version if you register for the OS X Seed program from Apple, and you can also provide a feedback to Apple in order for the company to update the software before it is finally released. You can follow these instructions to install the Beta version of Mac OS X El Capitan. It is strictly recommended that you perform a backup before you begin this process. It is important you keep in mind that Mac OS X El Capitan is still in a Beta format, thus , not all your apps or programs will work on it.

  1. Visit the Apple Beta software program page and log unto the page using your Apple ID. Simply click on “Enroll your Mac”.
  2. Click on the download link that shows up, and enter the personal redemption code given to you.
  3. Open the downloaded Mac OS X El Capitan software and preview the file in the Applications folder. Click “Continue” and then select “Agree”.
  4. Click on “Install” and then enter your admin password. You're all set!

Part 3. Installing Mac OS X El Capitan Safely on an External Drive

You don’t have to install Mac OS X El Capitan on your Mac device, you can also install it on an external hard drive, most especially when you want to access the OS quickly. You can consider Thunderbolt drives which are similar to the internal drives on Mac, or you can simply use the USB 3.0 external drive if you don’t have the Thunderbolt on your Mac. You will have to format an external drive before installing Mac OS X El Capitan, this will help to install the Mac OS X El Capitan safely on the hard drive and at the same time the configuration of your device will not be changed.

Install El Capitan On External DriveStep 1. Launch Disk Utility

Connect the external drive to your Mac device and make sure it is detected. Launch the Disk Utility tool ( go to “Utilities” and you will find it there). Choose the drive- it is located at the side bar.

Step 2. Partition

Simply click on “Partition”. Make sure the partition layout reads “1 partition”. Name the partition. You can use a name like “Mac OS X El Capitan”. Click on “Options” and ensure that the Guide partition table is chosen, and then click on “Ok”.

Step 3. Options

Click “Apply'. Open the preview file from your Mac’s application folder. Click on “Continue”. Click on the “Agree” button.

Step 4. Open

Click on “Show all disks”. Simply highlight the “External Hard Drive” on which you have just install the Mac OS X El Capitan

Step 5. Install

Click on “Install”, and enter the admin password.

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

We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0Puma 10.1Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.3Tiger 10.4Leopard 10.5
Snow Leopard 10.6Lion 10.7Mountain Lion 10.8
Mavericks 10.9Yosemite 10.10El Capitan 10.11
Sierra 10.12High Sierra 10.13Mojave 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.

Create Bootable Usb El Capitan

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)

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:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top menu.
  3. Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
  4. 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.

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:

Install El Capitan On External Drive

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.

  1. Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
  4. Select external drive as a source.
  5. 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.

  1. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. 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.