Cannot clean install El Capitan on 2009 MBP. (or anywhere!!)

[sngraphics]

I cannot clean install MAC OSX 10.11 on my 2009 Mac Book Pro.

I need to repurpose this older MBP for someone else here.

I have tried a few different ways as listed below:

• Installed starting from 10.6 and kept installing each subsequent system until I reached 10.10 but when I tried 10.11 no luck.
• tried from an external drive that had the 10.11 installer
• tried using DiskMaker X Pro
• Tried form the recovery partition, re-downloading the OS directly. It looked this was working because it took a while for it to download and install. No luck.
• I WAS able to clone my own 10.11 volume from my MacPro to this MBP but of course that was not the final result I was intending because I need a clean/new system not a copy of my own.
• I even tried to install 10.11 using my 2009 MacPro Tower on an extra drive I have here.

I tried all of these attempts more than once with the same result.

I have provided a screen shot of the message that comes up everytime I try and fail.


Any info would be much appreciated.
I have been fighting with this on/off for a couple of months now and I am completely baffled with why this will not work.

Thank you.

 

[CoastalOR]

Have you tried downloading a fresh copy of El Capitan from Apple?

See Steps 4-6:

How to download and install macOS – Apple Support (UK)

Download and install current or previous versions of the Mac operating system on compatible Mac computers.

support.apple.com

 

[sngraphics]

Have you tried downloading a fresh copy of El Capitan from Apple?

See Steps 4-6:

How to download and install macOS – Apple Support (UK)

Download and install current or previous versions of the Mac operating system on compatible Mac computers.

support.apple.com

OK. Thanks.
I am downloading now.
I believe I have tried the step already a couple of times but won't hurt one more time.

Does an OS have to be installed already for this to work?
Right now I will be trying to install this on a drive/partition that has been wiped.

I have tried both ways.
Installing starting with 10.6 and working my way up to 10.10 before failing at 10.11
AND on a fresh drive/partition.

Also I have made a bootable install drive/partition using DiskMaker Pro with still no success.

 

[CoastalOR]

OK. Thanks.
I am downloading now.
I believe I have tried the step already a couple of times but won't hurt one more time.

Does an OS have to be installed already for this to work?
Right now I will be trying to install this on a drive/partition that has been wiped.

I have tried both ways.
Installing starting with 10.6 and working my way up to 10.10 before failing at 10.11
AND on a fresh drive/partition.

Also I have made a bootable install drive/partition using DiskMaker Pro with still no success.

Read and follow Steps 4, 5 & 6 carefully of the linked Apple instructions.
Key items of the Steps;
Step 4: "A file named InstallMacOSX.dmg will download to your Mac"
Step 5: "double-click the file within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg"
Step 6: "open the Applications folder on your Mac, then double-click the file named Install OS X El Capitan"

In order to follow the process a OS has to be installed. Once you get the "Install OS X El Capitan.app" from the Applications folder then you can use the install app to make a bootable USB installer or launch the "Install OS X El Capitan.app" to do the install (Note: the "Install OS X El Capitan.app" will automatically be deleted once it is run from the Applications folder, so it is a good idea to save the "Install OS X El Capitan.app" on another disk before running the installer app).

 

[DeltaMac]

Here's the fix for that.
(assuming you have a bootable USB installer for El Capitan) Boot to your El Capitan installer.
At the menu screen - Open the terminal.
Type the command: date 1116211618
Press enter to run that command. (This changes the system date)
Quit Terminal to return to the main menu.
Install OS X. (It will install - without that error!)

 

[sngraphics]

Here's the fix for that.
(assuming you have a bootable USB installer for El Capitan) Boot to your El Capitan installer.
At the menu screen - Open the terminal.
Type the command: date 1116211618
Press enter to run that command. (This changes the system date)
Quit Terminal to return to the main menu.
Install OS X. (It will install - without that error!)

UNBELIEVABLE!!!
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE PAST 3 MONTHS!!!

The OS installed immediately, perfectly, wonderfully!!!.

Is it possible to bother you for a little explanation of why this little
trick worked after I almost lost my sanity trying everything else?

 

[DeltaMac]

That trick has been around on a variety of threads on this site for at least a couple of years.
- why does it work?
The installer certificate expired some time ago.
The terminal command resets the date on your system to an earlier date - which allows the installer to do its job. Doesn't have to be exactly that date, others that do the trick are posted elsewhere, that one works for me.
After the install, you do need to check that the time reset itself (and it should, by default, when you next connect to the internet.)
El Capitan happens to be one that needs that bit of adjustment of the system time. (Apple likely won't fix it). Might be another that will also respond to the date change, Sierra, I think.

 

[sngraphics]

That trick has been around on a variety of threads on this site for at least a couple of years.
- why does it work?
The installer certificate expired some time ago.
The terminal command resets the date on your system to an earlier date - which allows the installer to do its job. Doesn't have to be exactly that date, others that do the trick are posted elsewhere, that one works for me.
After the install, you do need to check that the time reset itself (and it should, by default, when you next connect to the internet.)
El Capitan happens to be one that needs that bit of adjustment of the system time. (Apple likely won't fix it). Might be another that will also respond to the date change, Sierra, I think.

Well, the answer may have been around for a while (and of course I missed it) but you answered.
Thank you very much for helping solve a head scratcher for me.

God Bless.

 

[realmacit]

I had same problem but had to change the date and added 6 months to the date DeltaMac specified above.

So what worked for me (from a fresh download from Apple today 2nd June '20) was to set the date to May 2019

0501010119 < this worked, anything before that would not work.

Hope that helps anyone with same problem in future.

 

[JMVB]

Today, I was unable to make a clean install..
Got the Essencials.pkg error

Change the date didn't make the trick

 

[JMVB]

Seems like the 3 gb RAM in my 2010 Macbook unibody was the issue

Put the hard drive into my 15" 2011 macbook pro, got the "this copy can´t be verified" error, but fix it connecting the mac to wifi and with "ntpdate -u time.apple.com"

 

[DeltaMac]

Seems like the 3 gb RAM in my 2010 Macbook unibody was the issue
...

Just a thought: your 2010 MacBook RAM can be upgraded to as much as 16GB. (Apple suggests 4GB max, but 8GB x 2 is fine!)

 

[JMVB]

I read this post

2006/2007 Mac Pro (1,1/2,1) and OS X El Capitan

Hi rthpjm and others. Thank you so much for the work you've done on this project! I have a MacPro 1,1 with 14 GB of RAM. I did a clean install of Lion on an external drive, booted to it, erased my new SSD drive and let fly the 'piked el capitan' install program. It went through it's paces...

forums.macrumors.com

So, I guess that the "Essencials.pkg" error is a RAM amount related issue

 

[DeltaMac]

Could be, but I just installed El Capitan on a 2010 iMac with only 2GB RAM just last week. Installed successfully, but really slow. Did that while I was waiting for additional RAM to arrive, but the El Capitan system installed, despite very low RAM. It also needed the "date adjustment" before the install, but I often do that same install. Other than that, the install had no problems at all.
I think the thread that you posted is not very well-thought out, something else was happening on that one, as 14 GB of RAM should not be an issue for installing the system. That thread also mentioned that they had to use a modified installer to install on an unsupported system. You did not have that problem.
But, more RAM doesn't hurt anything, and I wouldn't suggest that more RAM wouldn't make installing a bit quicker (and it can make it install more quickly) I would definitely suggest that you add more RAM, if possible.

 

[JMVB]

It is not about more or less RAM... I'm just guessing the 3gb (2+1) is the problem.

I have 2 identical 2010 macbook unibody and both got the same ""Essencials.pkg" error

 

[philbiss]

Here's the fix for that.
(assuming you have a bootable USB installer for El Capitan) Boot to your El Capitan installer.
At the menu screen - Open the terminal.
Type the command: date 1116211618
Press enter to run that command. (This changes the system date)
Quit Terminal to return to the main menu.
Install OS X. (It will install - without that error!)

Thanks for this old comments, it saves an old MBP 13" 2009 from e-waste. AppleCare on the phone and in person Genius Bar with 4 different geniuses were not able to solve this easy problem. Crazy.
Anyway you are the best, thanks again.

 

[Willied]

Just ran across this thread after I tried reinstall of El Capitan on my mid 2007 iMac. I did not know to change the date prior. I was able to use CMD R to reinstall OSX. After a few hours of download I tried installing. That's when the problems started. I believe the error message said no packages were eligible for install. Upon restarting I was unable to boot up normally. If I try CMD R the logo appears and the progress bar does not progress beyond about 10%. I get the attached screenshot flashed up briefly. CMD V gives me the second image. I used the original disks to access disk utility. My hard drive had been renamed to diskOs2 and greyed out. I do have a backup Time Machine of about a year ago. I don't care about the data since the last backup. I guess my question is can I reinstall the original OS from the disk or the Time Machine and eventually upgrade back to El Capitan? Do I need to reformat the HD to do so? I am at a loss as to how to proceed. I have never had any trouble with this machine and I am not familiar with diagnosing. Thanks.

 

[DeltaMac]

The best way to proceed now, is to boot to a bootable USB installer, if you have one, then reinstall OS X on the hard drive - if it will let you do that.
If you don't have an external USB installer - do you have another Mac to use to make a USB installer?

 

[Willied]

The best way to proceed now, is to boot to a bootable USB installer, if you have one, then reinstall OS X on the hard drive - if it will let you do that.
If you don't have an external USB installer - do you have another Mac to use to make a USB installer?

Yes. I bought a new iMac and was repurposing the old one when this happened. I had to get a USB adapter.. I have been looking at the ways to make a bootable installer and am a bit confused. Is there a source I can use to see the easiest way to do this? Thanks.

 

[DeltaMac]

If you are OK with using terminal commands, Apple has this support article. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372
If the terminal sucks the life out of you, and nothing works for you - then there's a couple of good third-party apps that will make a USB installer for you - DiskmakerX is one. If you have the El Capitan installer app downloaded, then just get the version of DiskmakerX for El Capitan. That would be DiskmakerX ver 6 on this page - https://diskmakerx.com/download/

 

[Willied]

If you are OK with using terminal commands, Apple has this support article. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372
If the terminal sucks the life out of you, and nothing works for you - then there's a couple of good third-party apps that will make a USB installer for you - DiskmakerX is one. If you have the El Capitan installer app downloaded, then just get the version of DiskmakerX for El Capitan. That would be DiskmakerX ver 6 on this page - https://diskmakerx.com/download/

Thanks for replying. I went to the diskmakerx link and downloaded. When I attempt to open it I get: Sorry! DiskMaker X won't work with your version of Mac OS X. Upgrade to OS X 10.7 or later before using DiskMaker X. I'm using a brand new iMac with Big Sur.

 

[DeltaMac]

Sorry, I assumed you would be using the older iMac to make the bootable installer.
You could use the terminal commands to make the USB bootable installer

 

[Willied]

Sorry, I assumed you would be using the older iMac to make the bootable installer.
You could use the terminal commands to make the USB bootable installer

If I messed up the old one just by trying to follow reinstall directions I am hesitant on doing much on the new one.

 

[khmiller]

I cannot clean install MAC OSX 10.11 on my 2009 Mac Book Pro.

I need to repurpose this older MBP for someone else here.

I have tried a few different ways as listed below:

• Installed starting from 10.6 and kept installing each subsequent system until I reached 10.10 but when I tried 10.11 no luck.
• tried from an external drive that had the 10.11 installer
• tried using DiskMaker X Pro
• Tried form the recovery partition, re-downloading the OS directly. It looked this was working because it took a while for it to download and install. No luck.
• I WAS able to clone my own 10.11 volume from my MacPro to this MBP but of course that was not the final result I was intending because I need a clean/new system not a copy of my own.
• I even tried to install 10.11 using my 2009 MacPro Tower on an extra drive I have here.

I tried all of these attempts more than once with the same result.

I have provided a screen shot of the message that comes up everytime I try and fail.


Any info would be much appreciated.
I have been fighting with this on/off for a couple of months now and I am completely baffled with why this will not work.

Thank you.

I'm a MacOS neophyte, but i did get it done: i have no idea what i was doing with Terminal command - i just copied / pasted from string i found on a tutorial, only changing "MyVolumes..."

for anyone wondering about installation: MacMini 3,1 early 2009, 2.0Core2Duo, 8GB RAM, 5,400 HDD

initially could not "Mount", i think i had not erased and re-formatted USB thumb drive from FAT to Mac OS Ext (Journaled).

Terminal "sudo...." command: I left Install USB drive named as default "Untitled" after Disk Utility "Erase": that is what worked after other names failed when substituting USB drive name for "MyVolumes...". Did not need to do internal date change trick or find any old install packages outside of official Apple download link for El Capitan found 3 days ago.

"Copying Install to this Disk" took 45min (USB 2.0 drive), no visible signs of activity entire time (my USB thumb drive does not have an LED on it)

"Preparing to Install" estimated 24 minutes: took 25 min to get to "A Second Remaining" then 6 more minutes to get to "0 seconds remaining" then another 35 minutes to complete despite a completed progress bar: Total=66min

"Welcome" screen 3 min later

i may have just finally gotten lucky and it eventually went smoothly once past the "not a valid mount point".