OS X El Capitan on Unsupported Macs

[Rocko99991]

I had a problem doing my 2009 Mac mini. Once I installed High Sierra on the hard drive, I couldn't get back into the installer USB to do the post install. It somehow corrupts the installer USB. I redid the installer USB on another computer and was able to use that to complete post install work. Not sure If this is happening to others but may be worth creating 2 usb's prior to install just in case.

 

[Baboo85]

Still stuck.
To be honest, I was creating the USB Key in another Mac with Sierra installed.
Now I tried directly in the Mac I want to upgrade but I couldn't even create the USB Key.
There's something I still missing bere?

Even MacPostFactor doesn't work.

If I try to install directly on the disk I get error code 1. If I try to use an external usb drive, the drive shows up on boot but it boot back on Lion installed on the internal hard disk.

This little **** won't let me install anything ffs...

 

[hiroshi.rio]

I was trying to install 10.11.0 with MacPostFactor but I am stuck on installing OSX window. Everytime it reboot and do the same (Macbook 2.1).

[update]: I read all thread unfortunately only method 3 will work.

 

[Luque34]

Hi! I have a MacBook 4,1 with the core 2 duo 2,4ghz, and upgraded 4gb of ram. I would like to throw an sad in this machine, but i've seen that one of the pre-requisites is to have mac os x lion installed. The thing is that the USB that I had with mac os x lion got erased, so, is there any way to install it without having mac os x lion preintalled?

 

[hiroshi.rio]

Hi! I have a MacBook 4,1 with the core 2 duo 2,4ghz, and upgraded 4gb of ram. I would like to throw an sad in this machine, but i've seen that one of the pre-requisites is to have mac os x lion installed. The thing is that the USB that I had with mac os x lion got erased, so, is there any way to install it without having mac os x lion preintalled?

OS Lion or above. It is just a minimum OS requirement to install 10.11.

 

[KeithJohn]

Hi Guys, Security Update 2018-004 for El Capitan came up on my Mac Pro 2.1, I guess I should give this a miss as it will probably destroy the boot up? Any thoughts guys?

 

[jbarley]

Hi Guys, Security Update 2018-004 for El Capitan came up on my Mac Pro 2.1, I guess I should give this a miss as it will probably destroy the boot up? Any thoughts guys?

Just "Hide" it and forget it, cause the update will break your system.

 

[barcode_turk]

Hi! I have a MacBook 4,1 with the core 2 duo 2,4ghz, and upgraded 4gb of ram. I would like to throw an sad in this machine, but i've seen that one of the pre-requisites is to have mac os x lion installed. The thing is that the USB that I had with mac os x lion got erased, so, is there any way to install it without having mac os x lion preintalled?

dude it's to bad to use macbook 4,1 cause the VGA is problem on this macbook so the only you can install 10.7.5 officially but with macpostfactor you will be able to install 10.10.5 that is the latest version of yosemite on the other hand el capitan is not math with this version of macbok dont try to install it on macbook 4,1
[doublepost=1540241852][/doublepost]

I was trying to install 10.11.0 with MacPostFactor but I am stuck on installing OSX window. Everytime it reboot and do the same (Macbook 2.1).

[update]: I read all thread unfortunately only method 3 will work.

did you disable SIP ?

 

[TMRJIJ]

Minor Backend Changes are happening with the OS X Hackers server for the next 24 hours. Support Tickets and other features are not working. Downloads and the AutoPatch might be affected as well.

 

[mocteo]

Hello, i installed el capitan on a mac pro 1,1, but it crash everytime, even when i do nothing, like 1 or 2 minutes after the boot. I changed graphics card and ram configuration several times but it wont work, it’s the same

 

[jbarley]

Hello, i installed el capitan on a mac pro 1,1, but it crash everytime, even when i do nothing, like 1 or 2 minutes after the boot. I changed graphics card and ram configuration several times but it wont work, it’s the same

Sounds like maybe a Hardware test might be help.
check this link for instructions, and scroll down to find the download for your MP1,1.
https://github.com/upekkha/AppleHardwareTest

 

[doynton]

You can install El Cap and skip the update, or, if Apple issues (and you download) the El Cap install WITH the update, install it and replace the newer kernel with one from an older El Cap install, and THEN follow the steps in method 3.

I did exactly this with mixed results.

I have a MacBookPro2,2 (a Core2Duo T7400 with 3GB RAM) running 10.11.1 just fine thanks to the third method. I then upgraded to 10.11.6 yesterday and it would immediately shut down (processor too old to have necessary instructions I suppose)

I replaced /System/Library/Kernels/kernel from the version downloaded yesterday (11.4MB dated 22 Jun 2018) with the original version (10.7MB dated 20 Nov 2015).

It now boots on 10.11.6 and all built in apps work (Safari, Terminal etc) and with the exception of MacsFanControl most third party apps work. Everything without exception downloaded from the App Store fails with the Kernel not providing correct security response.

I'd appreciate it if someone running 10.11.6 on a C2D could upload /System/Library/Kernels/kernel - ideally from 2017/early 2018 or whenever they brought in the new CPU requirement.

If simply replacing the kernel file is a bad idea and everyone thinks I should reinstall I can - but I don't know what version to use - not the current one certainly.

 

[MacMan737]

Been struggling to get anything to load on my MacBook 4,1 2.4GHz 2GB RAM.

I've tried macOSExtractor, MacPostFactor, removing the PlatformSupport.plist, and all that good stuff with both Mavericks, and El Cap. Going to try Yosemite next. Error 1 on MPF when doing the "update" on device method. When I chose clean install, it screwed over my Lion install (Not a big deal). I'm not really sure what is entirely going on with it. I've done work with installing Sierra/High Sierra/Mojave on unsupported Macs with dosdude1's tool and they've always worked great, and I know the idea here is pretty much the same, but I'm not too sure what's going on. Does anyone have an idea of what I could do?

Update: Yosemite works. Wifi/Graphics/Audio are all working nicely. I really need to get 4GB of RAM next.

 

[Yojx21]

Hi,
Back in the business i have tryed to install El Capitan on an iMac6,1. I noticed that this model is not in the list of compatible computers, is that normal ?
Anyway, is used first method to do it. I have replaced the two boot.efi (with both boot32.efi and boot.efi provided by OS X Hackers Patch Files ) and blessed the disk.
The problem is that when i try to boot on my el capitan install partition in verbose mode i end with a "root device uuid is XXX". I have left it like that 30 mins to see if something else happen, but it's stand like that...

Any idea of what to do ?

 

[fanfzero]

I just wish mountain lion's graphic acceleration could be achieved on those macbooks someday

 

[wpan008]

Trying to following the macOS Extractor (1.43) guide to install El Capitan on my MacBook Pro 2,1 late 2006 17 inch. But B4 in the guide is "(for non 64 bit Macs) Unlock and Replace the boot.efi files located in /System/Library/CoreServices and /usr/standalone/i386 with the copy provided in /Applications/OS X Hackers Patch Files/Boot EFI/ or from here". However, there is no Boot EFI folder under path:/Applications/OS X Hackers Patch Files/. Does this step still apply?

 

[jackluke]

@TMRJIJ , I have a MacbookAir1,1 I guess this is an EFI64 capable, even if reported as EFI32 machine so it should boot with stock El Capitan boot.efi and kernel , I know enough how to play with kextcache, chmod, chown and many others unix/OSX terminal commands. I do have an external USB SSD with El Capitan 10.11.6 clean installed, I do have already modified the /L/Pref/SysConf/com.apple.boot.plist to allow unsupported machine (-no_compat_check), kext invalid signature (kext-dev-mode=1) and so on. I don't need to disable SIP since it's an external disk I can operate on system folders from another mac.

When I attempt to boot with verbose mode (I use Refind bootloader), I can pass many verbose lines even the Wifi kext, until I get the known "still waiting for root device", so I assume that my current untouched El Capitan drive doesn't have some legacy kext installed to complete booting on MacbookAir1,1 .

Now my question is: which are the minimum kexts I need to replace onto my ext USB clean El Capitan inside /S/L/E/ to allow booting ?

I guess they are some AHCI, ATA and USB legacy kexts needed, but could you point exactly which ones?
Thanks.

edit:
I found your website and using the link provided in all-kexts, I got El Capitan 10.11.6 clean working from external USB SSD (pre-installed from a supported mac) on MacbookAir1,1 (Merom cpu SSE3, 2 Gb DDR2 onboard soldered RAM) , I add just a few notes:

- I used the stock El Capitan 10.11.6 kernel and its stock boot.efi (64bit capable on a EFI32 machine)
- replacing only some of the kexts in your zip package (especially those related to IOUSBFamily) fixed the "still waiting for root device"
- Bluetooth is working (but with other IOBT legacy kext)
- Backlit keyboard with F5/F6 is working and trackpad (with no pressing zone but one physical button) full gestures is working
- IR Blaster is working with apple remote
- Facetime's iSight is working (I guess with the legacy IOUSB* kext)
- Audio and microphone are working with HDA legacy kext
- Wifi Airport (0x14e4 , 0x8B) worked OOB with the stock El Capitan IO80211Family.kext
- Using the GMAX3100 64 bit kext (I guess token from Lion 10.7.5) I got of course no OpenGL acceleration and no brightness control, however with only FrameBuffer system is fairly usable
- apparently "sleep" is working, and I got even the smooth fade-in/out effect

I have also enabled the AirDrop icon in Finder through Terminal with:
defaults write com.apple.NetworkBrowser BrowseAllInterfaces -bool TRUE; killall Finder
AirDrop is working but unluckily it is shown as black screen, that's because maybe it requires graphics acceleration (OpenGL) to render that window.

 

[jackluke]

@TMRJIJ thanks for your MacPostFactor tool, I have other question regarding MountainLion on MacbookAir1,1 , I have tried to replace the boot.efi (only i386) renaming the boot64.efi you provided in your tool and it still boots but I don't get the OpenGL acceleration but only FrameBuffer. I get instead OpenGL acceleration with GMAX3100 32 bit kexts and boot.efi 32 bit.

Is possible to achieve booting the GMAX3100 64 bit kext with full QE/CI ?

I noticed also in your packages there is a folder GFX_ML that contains OpenGL and OpenCL frameworks (probably legacy previous OSX), are maybe these required to be replaced to achieve QE/CI with GMAX3100 64 bit kext ?

edit:
Tried using GMAX3100 64 bit kext (from SnowLeopard the last compiled by apple) both with stock and/or downgrade the OpenGL OpenCL frameworks but no QE/CI and also downgrading those frameworks OSX freezes when LaunchPad is opened, so better staying on 32 bit (i386).

 

[Macbook 2.1]

--I have a problem with : During the AutoPatch installation. Select the USB or partition (Installation Drive) that you want as the installer. (No, this is not the Mac OS X Install ESD) WARNING: DO NOT SELECT YOUR CURRENT PARTITION (i.e Macintosh HD) I run the AutoPatch, choose a second partition and click ok. Then it goes for about 5-10 seconds and then it says The Installation Failed, that it encountered an error.
--But when i try MacPostFactor for el capitan, everything goes fine until i choose witch partition i want in the El capitan installer. It goes fine for like 1 minute, then it restarts, starts over, restarts again. Its in a loop.
My Specs: Macbook 2.1
Intel core 2 duo 2GHz
4GB RAM
320 HDD
10.7.5 Lion
GPU: GMA 950 64 MB

 

[JayB1988]

Hey! Another MacBook 2,1 owner here (Core2Duo 2 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120GB SSD, GMA945) trying to install El Capitan. When I tried the MacOs Extractor and MacPostFactor methods without success. The only progress i made was with skyfly's method. Used my 2011 MacBook Pro to install ElCapitan directly onto the old MB's SSD. Thrn I replaced the EFI and the kexts as mentioned.

However, using the boot.EFI provided in the post I get an apple boot screen with a flickering question mark folder and nothing happening afterwards. Piker's boot.efi on the other hands lets my MacBook boot. However, I can't seem to get into graphics mode anymore. (It worked in the beginning but the OS crashed after a few seconds of using it). Either I see a black screen with a mouse cursor or just a gray screen. I tried enabling SIP and disabling it via single user recovery mode but it doesn't seem to have an effect on whether the screen turns grey or black.

Also removing the GMA950 kexts and rebuilding the kext cache doesnt seem to make a difference. I'm kinda out of ideas here... Do you guys have one? I kinda feel like my MacBook has some weird kind of firmware...

 

[JayB1988]

Sorry for double-post but after a few more tries I at least can get to the desktop again but it won't last too long. (Hardly more than two minutes.) I get kernel panics due to random processes.

The main issue I think is the boot.efi file. I unlock both files in CoreServices and the i386 folder, copy the new boot.efi into these two, set the owner to root:wheel and lock them again. Yet only Pike's original boot.efi makes my MacBook boot at all. Neither the one from post #1 nor from post #502 boots at all - only the folder icon with the question mark. Any idea what I'm doing wrong here?

EDIT: So I finally got a working solution. I was able to boot the boot.efi from the start post using rEFInd from a USB stick. Worked pretty stable. I copied it then to the EFI partition of the internal SSD and it worked well when I held the Option key after the start chime. However, when I reset the NVRAM to make it load rEFInd automatically (which it did) it doesn't boot to desktop anymore. System.log says something about Apple Push Serive cant be reached, timeout etc. So i hooked up my old Mavericks install via USB which boots fine, do a hard disk repair of the SSD (which is probably not necessary) and shut down again. After that it doesn't boot straight into refind but inly after about 10 seconds, but boots El Capitan fine. Guess I have to live with that delay or hold Option during the chime.

Now I wish the 3D acceleration would work...

 

[Houpla]

Hi!

I have Mac Mini 1,1. Upgraded it to Core 2 Duo and 2,1 firmware, 3GB RAM and SSD a while ago.

Running last officially supported OS X Snow Leopard (10.6.8) at the monent but many websites are stating that Safari is too old, and I'd like to get newer versions of other software I use as well.

So I decided to try upgrading to El Capitan (10.11) as it is the last one which can be installed on MacMini 2,1 unofficially (do I understand correctly?).

I read the guides and would like to double check how should I proceed – (make a backup), download MacPostFactor and try that; if it does not work, download macOS Extractor and try that; if it does not work, try Method 3.

Or should I try macOS Extractor first? What is the preferred sequence?

Should I use Software Update afterwards or better avoid it?

 

[Sir Charles82]

Hello,

at first: thank you for this thread and others, I learned a lot in the last months on the subject.

I got a non-functioning iMac 4,1 which surprisingly came back to life after powering on. I upgraded it to a Core 2 Duo (T7600, highest possible) 4 GBs RAM and a Samsung 250 GB SSD (overpowered but available). After upgrading to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 I read the threads about possible upgrading and starts trying. Got Lion 10.7.5 to work but here I stuck.

Wanting to upgrade to Capitan but failed with MCPF as well as macOS Extractor. Destroying at the first try my Lion Installation I'm trying now to install to a third partition (beside Lion and Snow Leopard).

Tried to get an USB thumbdrive for installation and there changing the boot.efi - Files to those of Pike but both provided on his website failed miserably.

As I'm just having the Mac's listed in my signature I can't try method 3. Is there a possibility of getting Capitan to run on my iMac (I'm having the latest available Capitan Installer app) or should I try getting Yosemite to run?

any help or hints what I can try would be appreciated!

 

[Yojx21]

I am still wondering:
Why isn't iMac6,1 not in the list of compatible device ?
Nobody successfully made El Capitan running on that machine ?

 

[Houpla]

Tried Methed 1 and Method 2 on Mac Mini 1,1, both didn't work.

Then tried Method 3.

Installed fresh El Capitan on an external drive on a compatible Mac, installed all the updates. Then disabled SIP and did all the Method 3 steps. Enabled -v mode for boot.

Attached the external drive to my MacMini. Unfortunately just after the startup, when some command line text starts appearing on black screen, the computer restarts. Any ideas what did I do wrong?