If OS X El Capitan came preinstalled on your new Mac, you’ll probably never need this article until you decide to sell it. At that time, it’s a good idea to erase the disk and install a fresh copy of OS X for the next owner.
If you’re thinking about reinstalling because something has gone wrong with your Mac, know that an OS X reinstallation should be your last resort. If nothing else fixes your Mac, reinstalling OS X could well be your final option before invasive surgery (that is, trundling your Mac to a repair shop). You don’t want to reinstall OS X if something easier can correct the problem. So if you have to do a reinstallation, realize that this is more or less your last hope (this side of the dreaded screwdriver, anyway).
Is an advanced, yet easy to use disk copying program. It can, of course, make a straight copy, or 'clone' - useful when you want to move all your data from one machine to another, or do a simple backup. In moments, you can completely duplicate your boot drive to another drive, partition, or image file. Dec 29, 2018 Yes, upgrade from OS X El Capitan to macOS Mojave is absolutely possible. Check the below solution to upgrade from El Capitan to directly Mojave without facing any data loss problems. Step 1: First Check your System Compatibility:-First and foremost, make sure your Mac is compatible with macOS Mojave. May 15, 2020 The El Capitan installer is downloaded to the /Applications folder, with the file name Install OS X El Capitan. If you have already installed El Capitan and wish to now create a bootable installer, you can force the Mac App Store to re-download the installer. You will also need a 16 GB or larger USB flash drive. Mar 12, 2020 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 into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or.pkg installer. Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal. Mar 04, 2020 Choosing Office for Mac compatible with OS X El Capitan (OS X 10.11) Hi, I have an old iMac which is not compatible with OS X later than El Capitan (10.11) and am considering subscribing to Office 365 Personal. However, on Microsoft's page dedicated to Office 365 Personal, it clearly states that you need at least High Sierra (10.13) to run it. 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.
In this article, you discover all you need to know to install or reinstall OS X, if you should have to.Reinstalling is a hassle because although you won’t lose the contents of your Home folder, applications you’ve installed, or the stuff in your Documents folder (unless something goes horribly wrong or you have to reformat your hard drive), you might lose the settings for some System Preferences, which means you’ll have to manually reconfigure those panes after you reinstall.
And you might have to reinstall drivers for third-party hardware such as mice, keyboards, printers, tablets, and the like. Finally, you might have to reregister or reinstall some of your software.
It’s not the end of the world, but it’s almost always inconvenient. That said, reinstalling OS X almost always corrects all but the most horrifying and malignant of problems. The process in El Capitan is (compared with root-canal work, income taxes, or previous versions of OS X) relatively painless.
How to install (or reinstall) OS X
In theory, you should have to install El Capitan only once, or never if your Mac came with El Capitan preinstalled. And in a perfect world, that would be the case. But you might find occasion to install, reinstall, or use it to upgrade, such as
- If your Mac is currently running any version of OS X except El Capitan
- If you have a catastrophic hard-drive crash that requires you to initialize (format) or replace your boot drive
- If you buy an external hard drive and want it to be capable of being your Mac’s startup disk (that is, a bootable disk)
- If you replace your internal hard drive with a larger, faster, or solid state drive
- If any essential OS X files become damaged or corrupted or are deleted or renamed
- If you sell or give away your Mac
The following instructions do triple duty: Of course they’re what you do to install OS X for the first time on a Mac or a freshly formatted hard or solid-state disk. But they’re also what you do if something really bad happens to the copy of OS X that you boot your Mac from, or if the version of OS X on your Mac is earlier than 10.10 El Capitan. In other words, these instructions describe the process for installing, reinstalling, or upgrading OS X El Capitan.
You must have Internet access to complete this procedure.
If you’ve never had El Capitan on this Mac, the first thing to do is visit the Mac App Store, download El Capitan (it’s free), and install it. Once you’ve done that, here’s how to install, reinstall, or upgrade to El Capitan, step by step:
- Boot from your Recovery HD partition by restarting your Mac while holding down the Command+R keys.The OS X Utilities window appears.
- Select Reinstall OS X, and click Continue.There are two models - an 11-inch and 13-inch - and they both come with a full-sized keyboard, large glass touchpad and very thin design. Best os x version for macbook air 2011. Pocket-lintFor those that need a quick recap, the 13-inch MacBook Air is an all metal laptop from Apple that measures 32.5 x 22.7 x 1.7cm that tapers down to 0.3cm (h). For the purpose of this review we are going to focus on the 13-inch model rather than the 11-inch version. Differences include on SD card slot on the 11-inch model, a shorter battery life, and slower processor; 256GB flash memory is an upgrade rather than standard.The OS X El Capitan splash screen appears.
- Click Continue.A sheet informing you that your computer’s eligibility needs to be verified by Apple appears.
- Click Continue to begin the process of installing or reinstalling OS X.If you’re not connected to the Internet, you’ll be asked to choose a Wi-Fi network from the AirPort menu in the top-right corner.The El Capitan software license agreement screen appears.
- Read the license agreement and click Agree.A sheet drops down, asking whether you agree to the terms of the license agreement.
- Click Agree again.Yes, you did just click Agree; this time you’re being asked to confirm that you indeed clicked the Agree button. If you don’t click Agree, you can’t go any farther, so I advise you to click Agree now.
- Choose the disk on which you want to reinstall OS X by clicking its icon once in the pane where you select a disk.If only one suitable disk is available, you won’t have to choose; it will be selected for you automatically.
- Click the Install button.A sheet asks for your Apple ID and password.
- Type your Apple ID and password in the appropriate fields, and click Sign In.Your El Capitan installation (or reinstallation) begins. The operating system takes 30 to 60 minutes to install, so now might be a good time to take a coffee break. When the install is finished, your Mac restarts itself.
If you were reinstalling El Capitan on the hard disk that it was originally installed on, or upgrading from Mavericks, you’re done now. 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.
Getting set up with the Setup Assistant
Assuming that your installation process goes well and your Mac restarts itself, the next thing you should see (and hear) is a short, colorful movie that ends by transforming into the first Setup Assistant screen (Apple Assistants such as this are like wizards in Windows, only smarter), fetchingly named Welcome.
To tiptoe through the Setup Assistant, follow these steps:
- When the Welcome screen appears, choose your country from the list by clicking it once, and then click the Continue button.If your country doesn’t appear in the list, select the Show All check box, which causes a bunch of additional countries to appear.After you click Continue, the Select Your Keyboard screen appears.
- Choose a keyboard layout from the list by clicking it once, and then click Continue.If you want to use a U.S. keyboard setup, click the U.S. listing. If you prefer a different country’s keyboard layout, select the Show All check box; a bunch of additional countries’ keyboards (as well as a pair of Dvorak keyboard layouts) appear in the list. Choose the one you prefer by clicking it — and then click Continue.The Select Your Wi-Fi Network screen appears.
- Click the name of the wireless network you use to connect to the Internet, type its password, and then click Continue.If you don’t see the network you want to use, click Rescan.If you don’t use a wireless network, click Other Network Setup, and then choose one of the available options, or choose My Computer Does Not Connect to the Internet. Click Continue.The Migration Assistant (also known as the Transfer Information to This Mac) screen appears.
- Do one of the following:
- Choose to transfer data, and then click Continue.If this is a brand-new Mac or you’re installing OS X El Capitan on a Mac and have another Mac or Time Machine backup disk nearby, you can transfer all of your important files and settings by following the onscreen instructions and connecting the new and old Macs via FireWire or Ethernet cable.Transferring data can take hours — that’s the bad news.The good news is that once the data transfer finishes, you’re finished, too. In other words, you can ignore the steps that follow (which are only for brand new installations with no data to transfer).Goodbye and good luck.
- Choose not to transfer data, and then click Continue.The Enable Location Services screen appears. Location Services allows apps such as Maps and services such as Spotlight Suggestions to gather and use data including your approximate location.
- Select (or don’t select) the Enable Location Services on this Mac check box, and then click Continue.The Sign In with Your Apple ID screen appears.
- Do one of the following:
- If you want to use your Apple ID with this Mac, type your ID (such as [email protected]) and password in the appropriate fields, and then click Continue.
- If you don’t have an Apple ID or prefer not to use one with this Mac, click Don’t Sign In, and then click Continue.To learn more about getting an Apple ID, click the blue Learn More link. In a nutshell, an Apple ID lets you make one-click purchases at the iTunes Store, iPhoto, or the Apple Store, and includes free iCloud membership.
The Terms and Conditions screen appears. - Read the Terms and Conditions and click Agree.A sheet drops down to confirm your agreement.
- Click Agree again.The Create a Computer Account screen appears.
- Do one of the following:
- If you provided your Apple ID (in Step 6), select the Use My iCloud Account to Log In check box. Then fill in the Account Name (sometimes called Short Name).
- Fill in the Full Name, Account Name (sometimes called Short Name), Password, Verify Password, and Hint fields.
This first account that you create will automatically have administrator privileges for this Mac. You can’t easily delete or change the name you choose for this account, so think it through.You can’t click the Continue button until you’ve filled in the first two fields. Because a password is optional, you can choose to leave both password fields blank if you like. If you do, your Mac warns you that without a password, your Mac won’t be secure. If that’s okay, click OK. If you change your mind and want to have a password, click Cancel. - If you want a different picture, click the little picture to the right of your name (labeled “edit”) and do one of the following:
- To take a picture of yourself with your Mac’s built-in camera, click the Take Photo Snapshot button. Then click Continue.When the picture appears, you can change its size by using the slider control directly below the image and move it around in the frame by clicking your face and dragging. If you’re not happy with this snapshot, click Retake a Video Snapshot.
- To select a picture from the Picture library, click the picture you want to represent you — the butterfly, dog, parrot, flower, or whatever — and then click Continue.
- Click Continue to exit the Create a Computer Account screen. If you didn’t provide an Apple ID, skip to Step 13.If you provided your Apple ID in Step 6, the Set Up iCloud Keychain screen appears.
- Do one of the following:
- Click Set Up iCloud Keychain. When the screen requesting your passcode appears, type your four-digit passcode, and click Continue.If you’ve forgotten your passcode or don’t have one, click Forgot Code to Reset iCloud Keychain.A verification code is sent to your iPhone or other Apple device.
- Click Set Up Later.If you choose this option, skip to Step 14.
- Type the code in the verification field and then click Continue.
- Wait a few minutes while your user account is created and El Capitan is configured for you.The OS X Finder’s Desktop appears.
And that’s all there is to it. You’re done.
OS X El Capitan in the Mac App StoreJust a short while ago, OS X El Capitan became available for download and installation by Mac owners. Here’s our quick guide on how to make a fast and easy transition from OS X Yosemite to OS X El Capitan.
Make sure your Mac can run OS X El Capitan
Are you running OS X Yosemite? If so, your Mac can run El Capitan as the two operating systems have exactly the same system requirements. However, if you’re not sure, here’s a list of the minimum Mac models that can run El Capitan — just know that the Mac must have a 64-bit CPU, meaning an Intel Core 2 Duo or newer processor:
Are you running OS X Yosemite? If so, your Mac can run El Capitan as the two operating systems have exactly the same system requirements. However, if you’re not sure, here’s a list of the minimum Mac models that can run El Capitan — just know that the Mac must have a 64-bit CPU, meaning an Intel Core 2 Duo or newer processor:
- iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009, or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
- MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
- Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
- Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
- Xserve (Early 2009)
Make sure your Time Machine or other backup has been updated
Rocket Yard readers are intelligent and good-looking folks who always keep their Macs backed up with the help of Time Machine, Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper! or another service. Just be absolutely sure you have a current backup (or two) before you start on the off chance that something goes wrong during the update to El Capitan. (OWC has an array of storage solutions to help you with this step.)
Rocket Yard readers are intelligent and good-looking folks who always keep their Macs backed up with the help of Time Machine, Carbon Copy Cloner, SuperDuper! or another service. Just be absolutely sure you have a current backup (or two) before you start on the off chance that something goes wrong during the update to El Capitan. (OWC has an array of storage solutions to help you with this step.)
Check for the update
The update is available now. Apple pulled a fast one this time and did not make it available through the regular “Updates” tab. Instead, it’s right up front in the Featured section. Click the Download button to download the OS X El Capitan installer. Note: It’s always a good idea to run any other updates that might be available before running the OS X update. For example, this morning my iMac had an Xcode update and a security update waiting, so I ran those with the knowledge I’d be updating to OS X El Capitan later.
The update is available now. Apple pulled a fast one this time and did not make it available through the regular “Updates” tab. Instead, it’s right up front in the Featured section. Click the Download button to download the OS X El Capitan installer. Note: It’s always a good idea to run any other updates that might be available before running the OS X update. For example, this morning my iMac had an Xcode update and a security update waiting, so I ran those with the knowledge I’d be updating to OS X El Capitan later.
Run the update
I always suggest to readers that they not try to be the first one on the block to run a new OS X version. Why? Well, on occasion there have been Apple operating system updates that have had issues right out of the gate, meaning that those who waited a few hours were saved from having to do a complete reinstall rather than a simple update. Once you’ve heard that things are running smoothly on social media or blogs like The Rocket Yard, go ahead and run the update by launching the downloaded installer.
I always suggest to readers that they not try to be the first one on the block to run a new OS X version. Why? Well, on occasion there have been Apple operating system updates that have had issues right out of the gate, meaning that those who waited a few hours were saved from having to do a complete reinstall rather than a simple update. Once you’ve heard that things are running smoothly on social media or blogs like The Rocket Yard, go ahead and run the update by launching the downloaded installer.
Apple’s download-only OS updates are certainly a lot faster and more convenient than those old days when we trudged to the Apple Store to buy the latest installation DVD, and the operating systems now get a much more complete beta testing period than ever before thanks to developer feedback and the Apple public beta program.
Clean install versus update
Some people I know choose OS updates like this one to re-install everything on their Mac. Clean installations take a lot longer, but the basic idea is that you’re not just overwriting older OS files — you’re literally wiping the startup drive of your Mac clean using Disk Utility (available from the Recovery Partition, which appears when you hold down Command+R at startup) and then installing a full fresh copy of the operating onto the Mac. My opinion? Unless you really have a lot of time on your hands, just do the standard update. It will take a lot less time than doing a full clean install and chances are very good that the update will go smoothly.
Some people I know choose OS updates like this one to re-install everything on their Mac. Clean installations take a lot longer, but the basic idea is that you’re not just overwriting older OS files — you’re literally wiping the startup drive of your Mac clean using Disk Utility (available from the Recovery Partition, which appears when you hold down Command+R at startup) and then installing a full fresh copy of the operating onto the Mac. My opinion? Unless you really have a lot of time on your hands, just do the standard update. It will take a lot less time than doing a full clean install and chances are very good that the update will go smoothly.
Superduper For Mac Os X El Capitan Download
Enjoy OS X El Capitan
Most of the early reviews of OS X El Capitan reiterate one point — it’s like a tune-up for your Mac. Core pieces of the operating system have been re-written to optimize speed, and every Mac should see an improvement in everything from app launch times to faster previews of PDFs. Many built-in apps have also been tweaked to provide Mac owners with the most efficient user interface, which should further improve your experience with El Capitan.
Most of the early reviews of OS X El Capitan reiterate one point — it’s like a tune-up for your Mac. Core pieces of the operating system have been re-written to optimize speed, and every Mac should see an improvement in everything from app launch times to faster previews of PDFs. Many built-in apps have also been tweaked to provide Mac owners with the most efficient user interface, which should further improve your experience with El Capitan.
Let us know in the comments section how things go for you when you update to OS X El Capitan, and how you like — or maybe aren’t thrilled with — the changes.
Os X El Capitan Update
Learn more: Check out more OS X El Capitan coverage from the Rocket Yard here.
Os X El Capitan 10.11.6
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