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michel52

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 1, 2012
100
8
hello,
my intel iMac late 2009 is defect cos my HD is broken en i want to install a SSD instat of a new HD, but where can i download OS X El Capitan again?
My iMac can't run the new version OS X sierra ....
thanks
Michel :)
 

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,031
1,150
Oregon, USA
Since your 2009 iMac did not originally ship with El Capitan, I'll assume that you downloaded and installed El Capitan from the Mac App Store. Launch the App Store and check the "Purchased" tab to download it again.
 
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michel52

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 1, 2012
100
8
the problem is i can't get into the app store because my iMac is broken now, i need to replace first a ssd en then i want to install osx el capitan on a bootable usb ?
i use now my windows pc, so how can i get into my apple app store?
 

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,031
1,150
Oregon, USA
the problem is i can't get into the app store because my iMac is broken now, i need to replace first a ssd en then i want to install osx el capitan on a bootable usb ?
i use now my windows pc, so how can i get into my apple app store?
You can not use the Mac App Store from a PC. There is no official way to download El Capitan except from Apple and the only way to download it from Apple is via the App Store. You might be able to get a Apple Store to put EL Capitan on a USB Flash drive.

If you are thinking of using Transmac on the PC to create a USB Installer there have been posts on the forum of people having problems with USB installers created with Transmac.

Maybe try a local friend with a Mac to help.
You can purchase a El Capitan USB installers from eBay or Amazon, but they are not from Apple, so there may be some risk.
 
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kaminsky

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2009
15
9
I'm trying to re-download El Capitan for my 2007 iMac and late 2012 Mac Mini so that I have a USB installer in case I need a clean system rebuild. I also need to clean install El Capitan on a family member's 2011 iMac. I do not want Sierra.

The El Capitan installer simply isn't available on the App Store any more. It shows in my purchased apps, but clicking the download button does nothing. If you google the El Capitan installer, you can find a link to the app store "Download OS X (El Capitan) - iTunes - Apple" which opens the app store and a message saying "Item not available. The item you've requested is not currently available in the UK Store."

So where can I obtain the software for my Mac Mini? Which incidentally is still a supported device and as far as I'm aware El Capitan is still a supported o/s.

This is despicable behaviour from Apple in my opinion.
 
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Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
29,239
13,311
I did a "test download" from the URL above, and it produced a "pkg" file on the desktop, that could not be opened, even with Pacifist.

Perhaps more info is needed...
 
Last edited:

flowrider

macrumors 604
Nov 23, 2012
7,321
3,003
I'm trying to re-download El Capitan for my 2007 iMac and late 2012 Mac Mini so that I have a USB installer in case I need a clean system rebuild. I also need to clean install El Capitan on a family member's 2011 iMac. I do not want Sierra.

The El Capitan installer simply isn't available on the App Store any more. It shows in my purchased apps, but clicking the download button does nothing. If you google the El Capitan installer, you can find a link to the app store "Download OS X (El Capitan) - iTunes - Apple" which opens the app store and a message saying "Item not available. The item you've requested is not currently available in the UK Store."

So where can I obtain the software for my Mac Mini? Which incidentally is still a supported device and as far as I'm aware El Capitan is still a supported o/s.

This is despicable behaviour from Apple in my opinion.

If choosing the download button does nothing, there's copy of El Capitan somewhere in your Applications folder. Look in there. You can make a bootable installation disc from that.

Lou
 

michel52

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 1, 2012
100
8
for me the problem is solved, i get a el capitan installer from someone who have a iMac and make it bootable too on my usb stick
 

MarcoLive

macrumors newbie
Dec 28, 2015
12
3
Italy
for me the problem is solved, i get a el capitan installer from someone who have a iMac and make it bootable too on my usb stick

As I've a Airbook late 2010 I can't get El Capitan for the same reason mentioned above. I've downloaded it from my wife's MacBook Pro and made a bootable USB stick.
It might be there any difference between the version downloaded from MacBook Pro and my Airbook?
Accounts are different of course
 

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,031
1,150
Oregon, USA
As I've a Airbook late 2010. I've downloaded it from my wife's MacBook Pro and made a bootable USB stick.
It might be there any difference between the version downloaded from MacBook Pro and my Airbook?
Accounts are different of course
The El Capitan installer, downloaded from your wife's MBP, will work fine on your Airbook. The installers are universal and will work on any Mac capable of running El Capitan.
 

kaminsky

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2009
15
9
If choosing the download button does nothing, there's copy of El Capitan somewhere in your Applications folder. Look in there. You can make a bootable installation disc from that.

Lou

Nope. There isn't a copy of it on my Mac Mini. I've never downloaded because its a clean install. Ditto for my iMac.

I'm starting to think Apple has pulled El Capitan from the App Store. Can anyone confirm?
 
Last edited:

Floris

macrumors 68020
Sep 7, 2007
2,382
1,478
Netherlands
Which Mac systems work like this:

boot mac with new ssd, it asks what you want to do.. install os over network, restore from time machine. etc ..

if I put an ssd in my imac from 2009, i am sure it doesn't support that.. I think the feature to do this was introduced later. But how do I find out which models are supporting this?
 

kaminsky

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2009
15
9
I found this link https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886

Which suggests downloading from the app store here https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12

This link opens the app store and does indeed present an option to download El Capitan. Some progress, however when I click the download button is says "We could not complete your purchase." "This version of OS X 10.11 cannot be installed on this computer."
[doublepost=1476698363][/doublepost]The plot thickens. So I tried the link https://itunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835434?mt=12 on my 2007 iMac and clicked the download via the app store. It asked me to sign in with my apple ID and click "Buy" (?). After I clicked "buy" it said the app store terms and conditions have changed and I need to accept them. So I did, and then nothing really happened.

So before doing anything I thought I'd retry the download on my Mac Mini via the app store purchased section and hey presto the download starts!

So the issue is related to app store T&C's which have obviously changed. Since I don't really buy any apps from there I wouldn't have seen/accepted the updated T&C's.

I have seen on another forum post somewhere, somebody mentioning the T&C's, but it seems you need to be actually buying or installing a new app to be able to accept them. Downloading previous purchases obviously doesn't invoke the option to accept the new T&C's.

What a palaver, but looks sorted now.
 

Phil A.

Moderator emeritus
Apr 2, 2006
5,800
3,100
Shropshire, UK
Nope. There isn't a copy of it on my Mac Mini. I've never downloaded because its a clean install. Ditto for my iMac.

I'm starting to think Apple has pulled El Capitan from the App Store. Can anyone confirm?

I've just tried downloading it from my purchases tab and got a warning that I already had a newer OSX version installed, but once I confirmed I wanted to continue, it downloaded fine
 

kaminsky

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2009
15
9
haha, interesting update, and glad that little trick worked for you. Bit silly, but eh .. it works now.

ps. my late 2012 Mac Mini supports the option to re-install over the network I believe. I would assume that is the case for any mac without an optical media drive built in.
[doublepost=1476699565][/doublepost]
I've just tried downloading it from my purchases tab and got a warning that I already had a newer OSX version installed, but once I confirmed I wanted to continue, it downloaded fine

Prior to accepting the T&C's it gave me the same warning, but would not download. It just showed a spinner near the forward/back buttons.

My last actual app store purchase was Moom back in March 2015, so I would not have seen any new T&C's. Thankfully I was wrong about the installer not being available any more.
 

michel52

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 1, 2012
100
8
Which Mac systems work like this:

boot mac with new ssd, it asks what you want to do.. install os over network, restore from time machine. etc ..

if I put an ssd in my imac from 2009, i am sure it doesn't support that.. I think the feature to do this was introduced later. But how do I find out which models are supporting this?
hi Floris, i does support it cos i installed the SSD in my iMac late 2009 24', its works really fine now and the start up is much faster then before!
 

Floris

macrumors 68020
Sep 7, 2007
2,382
1,478
Netherlands
hi Floris, i does support it cos i installed the SSD in my iMac late 2009 24', its works really fine now and the start up is much faster then before!
;O
:O
... :O

Thank you, I have an SSD waiting here, my iMac is waiting to get replaced soon (wait is on you Apple) and I have the iFixit tools needed to get it done.

Once the new iMac is all up and running, I have a bit more freedom and time to replace the HDD on the old iMac with SSD.

Knowing I can click 'just get it from the net', is fantastic news.
 
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