Just upgraded to Sierra and don't like it. Is there anyway to erase Sierra and go back to Ep Capitan?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Going back to El Capitan
- Thread starter oldmacuser77
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Do you have an El Cap installer saved somewhere?
I don't think you can download a legal/safe version.
I don't think you can download a legal/safe version.
OP:
"Going back" is easy as pie, but ONLY IF you have a bootable cloned backup of your old OS to use.
If you DON'T have that, you can still go back, but it WON'T be "easy".
How I would do it if you put your computer into my hands:
1. Create a bootable cloned backup of your current setup on an external drive using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
2. Download the El Cap installer. You -might- be able to get it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12
3. Get a USB flashdrive 16gb or greater.
4. Get ONE of the following free apps: "Boot Buddy", "DiskMaker X", "Install Disk Creator"
5. Use the app to create a bootable USB flashdrive installer
6. Connect the flashdrive and boot from it (hold down option key at boot until startup manager appears, then select USB drive and hit return)
7. ERASE the internal drive to HFS+ with journaling enabled
8. NOW, install a completely clean copy of El Cap onto the internal drive.
9. When done, you have some choices.
You could TRY to connect the cloned backup, and see if setup assistant would migrate your accounts and apps from it. Chances are, setup assistant will refuse to do this, because you're trying to migrate from a "newer" OS to an "older" one.
So... I would do this instead:
a. Run setup assistant on the El Cap install, create an account for myself with the SAME NAME AND PASSWORD as your old one.
b. Connect the cloned backup, let the drive icon mount in the finder
c. Type command-i (eye) to bring up the get info box
d. In the bottom right corner click the lock icon and enter password
e. In "sharing and permissions", put a check into box "ignore ownership on this volume"
f. close the get info box.
YOU MUST DO THIS TO AVOID PERMISSIONS PROBLEMS.
Next... I would begin "manually copying" stuff over.
You have to take care what you copy.
You CANNOT simply copy the "documents", "Music", "Movies", "Pictures" folders from the old home folder to the new one.
HOWEVER -- you CAN copy things that are INSIDE these folders, individual files, folders, etc.
You can also copy settings and files from the "Library" folder.
But again, you must be careful.
Not all settings will work when moved from "newer" to "older".
You must "stop and test" numerous times along the way.
As I said, it WON'T be "easy".
Perhaps you might just stay where you are now...
"Going back" is easy as pie, but ONLY IF you have a bootable cloned backup of your old OS to use.
If you DON'T have that, you can still go back, but it WON'T be "easy".
How I would do it if you put your computer into my hands:
1. Create a bootable cloned backup of your current setup on an external drive using either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper.
2. Download the El Cap installer. You -might- be able to get it here:
https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12
3. Get a USB flashdrive 16gb or greater.
4. Get ONE of the following free apps: "Boot Buddy", "DiskMaker X", "Install Disk Creator"
5. Use the app to create a bootable USB flashdrive installer
6. Connect the flashdrive and boot from it (hold down option key at boot until startup manager appears, then select USB drive and hit return)
7. ERASE the internal drive to HFS+ with journaling enabled
8. NOW, install a completely clean copy of El Cap onto the internal drive.
9. When done, you have some choices.
You could TRY to connect the cloned backup, and see if setup assistant would migrate your accounts and apps from it. Chances are, setup assistant will refuse to do this, because you're trying to migrate from a "newer" OS to an "older" one.
So... I would do this instead:
a. Run setup assistant on the El Cap install, create an account for myself with the SAME NAME AND PASSWORD as your old one.
b. Connect the cloned backup, let the drive icon mount in the finder
c. Type command-i (eye) to bring up the get info box
d. In the bottom right corner click the lock icon and enter password
e. In "sharing and permissions", put a check into box "ignore ownership on this volume"
f. close the get info box.
YOU MUST DO THIS TO AVOID PERMISSIONS PROBLEMS.
Next... I would begin "manually copying" stuff over.
You have to take care what you copy.
You CANNOT simply copy the "documents", "Music", "Movies", "Pictures" folders from the old home folder to the new one.
HOWEVER -- you CAN copy things that are INSIDE these folders, individual files, folders, etc.
You can also copy settings and files from the "Library" folder.
But again, you must be careful.
Not all settings will work when moved from "newer" to "older".
You must "stop and test" numerous times along the way.
As I said, it WON'T be "easy".
Perhaps you might just stay where you are now...