Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Polarised

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2016
10
0
Can you help me please?

Will a 2016 Macbook run El Capitan?

I have two programs that I need to use daily that don't run on Sierra.

If it will work, how can I install El Capitan?
 
Probably not.
You could find out for sure by trying to install El Capitan. Another test would be to boot to an external drive that has El Capitan already installed. If that boot is successful on the new MBPro, then there's a good chance that you can set up an El Capitan boot. If it doesn't boot, then the answer is "no", not possible. I have every expectation that you will not succeed, probably because the various hardware drivers (kexts) are not available on El Cap to support the newer hardware.

What are those two apps do you need to use? There may be other solutions.
 
You mean 10.11? It should work fine. The early 2016 rMB (I have one) launched with El Capitan. I only recently upgraded to Sierra.

Not sure how to get it though. Check the App Store or maybe someone has the file already. Then you can create a bootable USB drive to install it clean (will wipe all data).

I'm not that familiar with macOS yet as I use Windows with Bootcamp mostly for now.
 
Think you cannot install El Capitan if you was not on your system in the first place...
 
Think you cannot install El Capitan if you was not on your system in the first place...
If the first 2016 MacBooks came with El Capitan, it's possible to go back without an issue. Internet recovery will probably install Sierra, however, so it'd be necessary to have a USB installer to backdate.
 
Ah, right. I misread your OP, assuming that you meant the current, just-released Late 2016 MBPro. Those shipped with Sierra, and you can't expect it to run El Capitan.
A 2016 MacBook may ship with Sierra now, but should still run with El Capitan, assuming there have been no changes to hardware since March 2016.
 
...assuming there have been no changes to hardware since March 2016.
Hah... you can't possibly expect Apple to refresh a computer more than once a year!
Seriously though, the MacBooks haven't changed since they were released in spring.
 
(nods in agreement)
There's also the idea that some posters will refer to a MacBook generically, when they really mean a MacBook Pro.
That makes a big difference right now, when one is looking to perhaps downgrade the OS.
 
Internet recovery will probably install Sierra, however, so it'd be necessary to have a USB installer to backdate.

Just for general info.
If you boot from the Recovery Partition (cmd+R) and "Reinstall OSX" it will download and install the version that was last installed on the machine.
If you boot from Internet Recovery (opt+cmd+R) it will download and install the originally supplied OS for that machine, in this case El Capitan.
This is why Apple's Prepare for Sale instructions specify erase and reinstall with Internet Recovery, since we are not meant to sell macs with a later OS than the original (though of course it happens all the time).
 
Last edited:
its really just a matter of if you have el cap in your purchase/download history in App Store

if you don't, there's always other ways but fortunately I had it in mine, for reloading el cap on my 2015 rMB since os Sierra made it a PITA
 
Thanks guys!

I have sourced an updated version of the application that runs on both Sierra and El Capitan so my tech problems are fixed (…for now!)
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.