How to Download and Install OS X El Capitan on Your Mac
OS X El Capitan is the twelfth major release of macOS, Apple's desktop and server operating system for Mac computers. It was released in September 2015 and it offers many improvements in performance, stability, security, and usability. If you are still using an older version of macOS, you might want to upgrade to OS X El Capitan to enjoy its benefits and features. In this article, we will show you how to download and install OS X El Capitan on your Mac.
What is OS X El Capitan and why you should upgrade
OS X El Capitan is named after a rock formation in Yosemite National Park, following the California-themed naming scheme introduced with OS X Mavericks. It builds on the features and design introduced in OS X Yosemite, refining the experience and improving performance in many ways.
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Features and benefits of OS X El Capitan
Some of the new features and benefits of OS X El Capitan include:
Spotlight: Spotlight responds to searches made using more natural language and shows results from various sources, such as weather, stocks, sports, web video, and transit information.
Safari: Safari allows you to pin your favorite sites to the left side of the tabs bar so that they are always available. It also lets you mute audio from any tab without leaving the current tab.
Mail: Mail lets you manage your inbox with a swipe, just like on iPhone. You can also use full-screen view to switch between your inbox and your draft messages.
Mission Control: Mission Control shows all your open windows in a single layer with no overlap, so you can easily find the window you are looking for. You can also create a new desktop space by dragging a window to the top of your screen.
Split View: Split View allows you to work with two apps simultaneously in full screen without distractions. You can adjust the size of each app by dragging the divider between them.
Notes: Notes lets you format your notes with titles, headings, bullets, numbers, and checklists. You can also save rich content like photos, videos, documents, PDFs, web links, and map locations. You can sync your notes across all your devices using iCloud.
Maps: Maps adds transit directions for select cities around the world. You can also plan your trip on your Mac and send it to your iPhone for turn-by-turn navigation.
Metal: Metal is a graphics technology that boosts the performance of games and apps that use graphics-intensive features. It supports many Mac models that were released since 2012.
Compatibility and requirements of OS X El Capitan
OS X El Capitan is compatible with all Mac models that can run Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite. These include:
MacBook (Early 2015 or later)
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum or later)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or - later)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or later)
iMac (Mid 2007 or later)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
Xserve (Early 2009)
To run OS X El Capitan, you need at least 2 GB of memory and 8.8 GB of available storage space. You also need an Apple ID to download it from the App Store.
How to download OS X El Capitan from the App Store
One of the easiest ways to get OS X El Capitan is to download it from the App Store. You can do this by following these steps:
Steps to download OS X El Capitan from the App Store
Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet and has enough battery power.
Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method.
Open the App Store app on your Mac and search for OS X El Capitan.
Click on the Download button next to the OS X El Capitan icon. You might need to enter your Apple ID and password.
Wait for the download to complete. It might take some time depending on your internet speed and the size of the file.
Once the download is done, the installer will automatically launch. You can also find it in your Applications folder as Install OS X El Capitan.app.
Troubleshooting tips for downloading OS X El Capitan
If you encounter any problems while downloading OS X El Capitan from the App Store, you can try these tips:
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Check your internet connection and make sure it is stable and fast enough.
Pause and resume the download if it gets stuck or interrupted.
Restart your Mac and try downloading again.
Delete any incomplete or corrupted downloads from your Applications folder and start over.
Contact Apple Support if you still can't download OS X El Capitan successfully.
How to create a bootable installer for OS X El Capitan
Another way to get OS X El Capitan is to create a bootable installer on a USB flash drive or another external storage device. This can be useful if you want to install OS X El Capitan on multiple Macs, or if you want to have a backup installer in case something goes wrong with your Mac.
Why you might need a bootable installer for OS X El Capitan
A bootable installer for OS X El Capitan can help you in these situations:
You want to upgrade several Macs to OS X El Capitan without downloading it multiple times.
You want to erase your Mac's hard drive and perform a clean installation of OS X El Capitan.
You want to troubleshoot or repair your Mac using Disk Utility or Terminal commands.
You want to reinstall OS X El Capitan if your Mac fails to start up normally.
Steps to create a bootable installer for OS X El Capitan
To create a bootable installer for OS X El Capitan, you need a USB flash drive or another external storage device with at least 12 GB of available space. You also need to download OS X El Capitan from the App Store as described in the previous section. Then, you can follow these steps:
Insert your USB flash drive or external storage device into your Mac and format it as Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using Disk Utility. You can also rename it as "ElCapInstaller" for convenience.
Open Terminal app on your Mac and type the following command: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/ElCapInstaller --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction
Press Enter and enter your administrator password when prompted. This will erase your USB flash drive or external storage device and copy the installer files onto it.
Wait for the process to complete. It might take some time depending on the speed of your USB flash drive or external storage device.
Once done, you will see a message saying "Copy complete. Done." You can now eject your USB flash drive or external storage device and use it as a bootable installer for OS X El Capitan.
How to install OS X El Capitan on your Mac
Once you have downloaded OS X El Capitan from the App Store or created a bootable installer for it, you can install it on your Mac. You can do this by following these steps:
Steps to install OS X El Capitan on your Mac
Back up your Mac using Time Machine or another backup method.
If you are using a bootable installer, insert it into your Mac and restart your Mac while holding down the Option key. Then, select the installer from the list of bootable devices.
If you are using the App Store download, open the Install OS X El Capitan app from your Applications folder.
Click on Continue and agree to the terms and conditions.
Select the disk where you want to install OS X El Capitan and click on Install. You might need to enter your administrator password.
Wait for the installation to complete. Your Mac will restart several times during the process.
Once done, you will see a welcome screen where you can set up your Mac with your Apple ID, iCloud, and other preferences.
Troubleshooting tips for installing OS X El Capitan
If you encounter any problems while installing OS X El Capitan on your Mac, you can try these tips:
Check your Mac's compatibility and requirements for OS X El Capitan.
Make sure you have enough storage space and memory for OS X El Capitan.
Disconnect any unnecessary external devices from your Mac during the installation.
Update your firmware and software before installing OS X El Capitan.
Repair your disk permissions and verify your disk using Disk Utility.
Start up your Mac in safe mode or recovery mode and try installing again.
Contact Apple Support if you still can't install OS X El Capitan successfully.
Conclusion and FAQs
In this article, we have shown you how to download and install OS X El Capitan on your Mac. We have also explained what OS X El Capitan is and why you should upgrade to it. We have also provided some troubleshooting tips for downloading and installing OS X El Capitan. We hope you have found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments section below.
Summary of the article and key takeaways
Here are the main points of this article:
OS X El Capitan is the twelfth major release of macOS, offering many improvements in performance, stability, security, and usability.
OS X El Capitan is compatible with all Mac models that can run Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite. It requires at least 2 GB of memory and 8.8 GB of available storage space.
You can download OS X El Capitan from the App Store or create a bootable installer for it on a USB flash drive or another external storage device.
You can install OS X El Capitan on your Mac by following the steps in this article. You should back up your Mac before installing OS X El Capitan.
FAQs about OS X El Capitan download and installation
Here are some frequently asked questions about OS X El Capitan download and installation:
QuestionAnswer
How long does it take to download and install OS X El Capitan?The time it takes to download and install OS X El Capitan depends on several factors, such as your internet speed, your storage space, your memory, and your Mac model. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. You can check the progress of the download and installation in the App Store app or in the installer app.
Can I upgrade to OS X El Capitan directly from an older version of macOS?You can upgrade to OS X El Capitan directly from any version of macOS that is compatible with it, such as Mountain Lion, Mavericks, or Yosemite. However, if you are using a version of macOS that is older than Mountain Lion, such as Lion or Snow Leopard, you need to first upgrade to Mountain Lion before upgrading to OS X El Capitan. You can purchase Mountain Lion from the Apple website for $19.99.
Can I downgrade from OS X El Capitan to an older version of macOS?You can downgrade from OS X El Capitan to an older version of macOS if you have a backup of your Mac before upgrading to OS X El Capitan. You can do this by using Time Machine or another backup method to restore your Mac to its previous state. However, you might lose some data or settings that you have changed or added after upgrading to OS X El Capitan.
What are the alternatives to OS X El Capitan?If you don't want to upgrade to OS X El Capitan, you can stay with your current version of macOS or upgrade to a newer version of macOS, such as Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur. However, you should be aware that older versions of macOS might not receive security updates or support from Apple or third-party developers. You should also check the compatibility and requirements of the newer versions of macOS before upgrading to them.
Where can I get more information about OS X El Capitan?You can get more information about OS X El Capitan from the official Apple website, the Apple Support website, the Apple Community forums, or online articles and blogs. You can also contact Apple Support or visit an Apple Store if you need more help or guidance.
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