Error 1004 - can´t load already bought ElCapitan from AppStore..

[MrAverigeUser]

Hi there,

I "bought" in 2016 ElCapitan from the Appstore, to be sure to be able to upgrade to it later.

Now, I wanted to do this. (running at the moment both OSX 10.8 and 10.10) But there is always the warning "error 1004" whatever I try to do to download and install it and it worked neither under OSX 10.8 nor 10.9 .

Found this:

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-4293

and followed the instructions...
Sadly, this did not help.

For a short moment, I once went happy for a second - because after following the procedure in the Appstore once again, it seemed to be able to load down.

But after confirming downloading, the "error1004" appeared again - even after multiple procedures as done before...
I am becoming desperate... can you help me?

Can I BUY ElCapitan from the AppStore again?
I won´t mind if this costs me some money...


And: I need the Computer for my work... just for the case that I will not be able to upgrade to ElCapitan - could I really trust already n MacOS Sierra already - or should I still wait until it gets really stable ?
Normally, I stay behind the newest OSX for 1 generation because normally the "new" Bananaware called "actual OSX".... needs a lot of debugging for nearly one year to run stable - better for me ...

Thanks in Advance

 

[CoastalOR]

When did you recently try to download El Capitan? Apple was having trouble with online support recently.

You can re-download El Capitan from the App Store Purchased tab, if it was previously "purchased" (downloaded) and the installer app is not already sitting on one of your computers or attached drives.

The "Install OS X El Capitan" app (6.22 GB) is normally downloaded to the Applications folder and automatically launches upon completion of the download. Did you initiate the download when you purchased in 2016? What happened in 2016 when you "purchased El Capitan?

Sierra has been working well for me.

Always make sure you have good backups of your computers before attempting any OS upgrades so you have the ability to recover if the upgrade goes bad.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

@CoastalOR

Thanks a lot for your advice.
I loaded down (="purchased") ElCapitan nearly 1 year ago.
I made a 2nd partition and cloned my 1st Partition (IIRC snowLeopard or ML on it) completely on it using CCC.
I then restarted using the second partition and was sure to upgrade on ElCapitan without problems. Used this just for some minutes and then I used nothing but the "old" Partition. maybe I upgraded this on ML (bought this ML last year for 20 USD in the App Store).


BUT: In fact when I tried to use again the 2nd partition, I realized that it runs under MAVERICK instead.
Maybe I downloaded both or not, maybe I then accidentally upgraded on Maverick instead on ElCap… I don´t know.

So, yesterday I looked in the Appstore-App about Apps I "bought" and saw Maverick only "loaded", but not installed (??) albeit definitely installed on 2nd Partition and ElCap shown as "installed" (?)..although not installed at all… strange, isn´t it?

I then uploaded security-updates for Maverick, installed them, restarted and tried to re-download ElCapitan to upgrade from Maverick--->ElCapitan.
First, I had not even the chance to download, after a while I tried first the method linked above - Which seemed to go well at first glance: ElCap was presented now as downloadable, then I confirmed as Admin the download, but just as it should then start to download, it always showed again and again
"error1004" and "try later again". No Chance to download….

Also after following the instruction I linked in my first posting again and again, this error always prevented the system from downloading….

BTW: I only try to upgrade a 100% clone on a second partition - the original one is well protected on the 1st partition...perhaps the best and safest method to upgrade? nevertheless - I made also a backup of both partitions using time machine just before.

How could I just upgrade to ElCap?

looked already for installer app using the finder (spotlight) - Did not find anything at all...

 

[CoastalOR]

Unfortunately, you can not download (purchase) El Capitan from Apple now, unless you previously downloaded (purchased) before Sep. 20 2016 when Sierra was released. Previously purchased El Capitan would only be available in the Purchased section of the App Store.

You have a few choices now:
1) Find a Mac friend that can provide or download the El Capitan installer. Make a bootable USB installer.
2) Contact a local Apple Store to see if they could provide El Capitan.
3) Contact some local Apple Repair shops to see if they can make you a bootable El Capitan USB installer (ask what it would require, money and/or USB flash drive).
4) Purchase a bootable USB installer from Amazon or eBay.
5) There are some other unofficial internet sources I can't recommend.
6) Skip El Capitan and jump to Sierra.

For future reference (I would recommend for Sierra also):
1) Purchase a new OS from the App Store.
2) Let is completely download. It will automatically launch when the download is complete. Quit the installer app when the first install window opens. Go to your Applications folder and verify that the installer app is there - it will be named "Install OS X xxx" app (xxx = the name of the OS).
3) Make a Bootable USB installer - Get a 8 GB or larger USB flash drive, format it for Mac OS Extended (Journaled), name it Untitled, follow the Apple instructions, test the new USB installer by booting from it, and finally put it away for future install needs.
4) Archive the the "Install OS X xxx" app from the Applications folder and delete it from the internal drive if you are not going to use it soon. NOTE: the install app will automatically delete itself from the Applications folder after is has been run and completed the OS install.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

THANK YOU VERY MUCH for your perfect help !

I will follow your advice.

It was my mistake to believe that after just "purchasing" the OS I could download it every time once I need it to do. Did not know that I have to download it, not only just purchase, to be shure.

Now - with your help - I know better for future times.
Thanks again for your kind help !

edit:

Because of the classification of the "bought" ElCapitan in the Appstore as "installed" I did a search of the installer again.
And NOW I finally found the ElCapitan_installer somewhere indeed by using spotlight...

Now I am writing this after upgrading to ElCapitan... took a while because I downloaded ElCap in April 2016, so a bunch of updates and restarts to do, same for CCC and so on...

It seems to work flawlessly.
I am very happy now.

Thanks again for taking your time to help me !

Have a nice day!

 

[MrAverigeUser]

For those being concerned about this:

Once you have "bought" and downloaded (but not necessarily installed) the newest Operation system from the appStore, it seems that you can every time after download it again for installing it on a computer - at least one with your apple-ID.

I downloaded also ElCapitan using my apple-ID on my daughter´s MBP from the App Store - download and installing worked (now) without any problem.
My problem seemed to be a forgotten and "hidden" old installer - so:
if you have the same problems as me, first follow the advice linked in the first posting, if this does´t help, try to find a perhaps already downloaded installer on your Mac.

In consequence I recommend to follow the advice of CoastalOR and/or at least "buy" and download the newest MacOS before the next one rolls out - so you can always upgrade later by using this already downloaded installer or download later again in the Appstore.

ElCapitan runs flawlessly on my 2012 MBP 15" and even on my daughter´s 2009 MBP 15".
Both are even faster than before. So - as others told already long before - the OS X 10.11 is really worth installing even on "older" Macs.

 

[CoastalOR]

In consequence I recommend to follow the advice of CoastalOR and/or at least "buy" and download the newest MacOS before the next one rolls out - so you can always upgrade later by using this already downloaded installer or download later again in the Appstore.

That was true from Lion (10.7) to El Capitan (10.11), not so for Sierra (10.12).

I have purchased (downloaded) Sierra and I'm currently using it. Sierra does NOT appear in the Purchased tab in the App Store after download. I do not know what Apple will allow when the new 10.13 is released September 2017. Will they still allow downloading Sierra even after 10.13 is released or will it not be available for re-download? I recommend downloading Sierra and saving the installer app somewhere until we know how Apple will handle Sierra access after the release of 10.13.

 

[Ebenezum]

That was true from Lion (10.7) to El Capitan (10.11), not so for Sierra (10.12).

I have purchased (downloaded) Sierra and I'm currently using it. Sierra does NOT appear in the Purchased tab in the App Store after download. I do not know what Apple will allow when the new 10.13 is released September 2017. Will they still allow downloading Sierra even after 10.13 is released or will it not be available for re-download? I recommend downloading Sierra and saving the installer app somewhere until we know how Apple will handle Sierra access after the release of 10.13.

While I agree that downloading Sierra before 10.13 is released is a good idea my experience on Sierra is different. Sierra shows up when booted from 10.9-10.11 but not when I'm using Sierra. As for why I have no idea. Hopefully Apple will clarify this before they release 10.13...

 

[CoastalOR]

While I agree that downloading Sierra before 10.13 is released is a good idea my experience on Sierra is different. Sierra shows up when booted from 10.9-10.11 but not when I'm using Sierra. As for why I have no idea. Hopefully Apple will clarify this before they release 10.13...

I do not see that behavior. I have 2 other Macs running Yosemite with the same Apple ID and they do not show Sierra in the Purchased tab of the App Store. All of the other OSs I have downloaded previously are shown, but nor Sierra.

 

[jbarley]

I do not see that behavior. I have 2 other Macs running Yosemite with the same Apple ID and they do not show Sierra in the Purchased tab of the App Store. All of the other OSs I have downloaded previously are shown, but nor Sierra.

And I'm exactly the opposite, two computers running Yosemite and both showing "Sierra" in my App store purchased list.
Go figure ???

 

[CoastalOR]

And I'm exactly the opposite, two computers running Yosemite and both showing "Sierra" in my App store purchased list.
Go figure ???

Definitely strange. My 3 different computers do not show Sierra in the App Store Purchased area using the same Apple ID.
1 computer is running Sierra 10.12.3 and the 2 Yosemite computers are running 10.10.5. I even tried booting from an external SSD running El Capitan and it did not show Sierra in the Purchased tab also. I downloaded the full Sierra installer for 10.12.2 & 10.12.3. Very weird.
I have AppleCare so I think I'll call Apple to see what they have to say.

 

[CoastalOR]

Definitely strange. My 3 different computers do not show Sierra in the App Store Purchased area using the same Apple ID.
1 computer is running Sierra 10.12.3 and the 2 Yosemite computers are running 10.10.5. I even tried booting from an external SSD running El Capitan and it did not show Sierra in the Purchased tab also. I downloaded the full Sierra installer for 10.12.2 & 10.12.3. Very weird.
I have AppleCare so I think I'll call Apple to see what they have to say.

UPDATE: I called Apple. The first Technical Advisor could not help, so he passed me to a Senior Technical Advisor. He first had me check to see if the purchase was hidden, it was not. Then he checked with the App Store to see if Sierra was tied to my Apple ID (I only have one), it was not (even though I had downloaded it twice). He had me go to one of the Yosemite Macs and "purchase" Sierra. Sierra showed on the Yosemite Mac in in the Purchase section of the App store as soon as the download started. He could not explain why it did not originally get attached to my Apple ID the first time it was downloaded.

Sierra now shows in the Purchase section of the App store for my Apple ID, if I boot from Yosemite or El Capitan, but not Sierra. Just as Ebenezum & jbarley posted.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

Short remark:

For those who are still with Snow leopard and NOT on later OS X-versions like ML and so on:

You can still upgrade to ElCapitan in the App Store, even if you never "bought" or downloaded ElCapitan:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886

 

[chrfr]

Short remark:

For those who are still with Snow leopard and NOT on later OS X-versions like ML and so on:

You can still upgrade to ElCapitan in the App Store, even if you never "bought" or downloaded ElCapitan:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886

Be aware, however, that this particular installer is also restricted so that it will only run on computers that cannot run Sierra. I have no idea why Apple is playing games like this, but they are.

 

[MrAverigeUser]

ok, thank you for your info.

using finally the already downloaded ElCapitan downloader from april 2016 I was not aware of that.
It is a little bit amusing that the apple customer service answered just yesterday (after I had already resolved my problem) by sending me exactly this link.
So - I took this for really possible without restriction on VERY old hardware.....

and YES - I agree with you that this restriction (of which I was not aware until you informed us) is one more game of several games I personally don´t like to play with apple...