Downgrade to El Capitan from unsupported Mac with Catalina (DosDude1 Patcher)

[TomHxP]

Hi all,

I have a MacBook Pro 5,1 (late 2008) and I recently installed Catalina (patch from DosDude1) to see if it would work. We'll it didn't (properly). The installation went well and everything, but the MacBook is getting hot and the battery drains like hell. Also having the crashes when closing the lid. I don't think Catalina is worth it for my machine, so I want to get back to El Capitan. Now;

1. How do I do this?
2. Is this even possible because I needed to convert my drive to Apfs.
3. The original software is OS X Snow Leopard, but I don't have a disk. And their not avaliable anymore.

I do have a bootable USB from El Capitan, made myself with help of the official Apple website and also backed up my files on another drive, so I don't mind doing a clean install. Someone please help?

 

[Fishrrman]

1. Boot from the bootable USB flashdrive with El Cap by holding down the option key continuously after you press the power on button.

2. Once the flashdrive has loaded, DO NOT use the installer just yet.
Instead, close the installer and open disk utility.

3. ERASE the ENTIRE internal drive to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format"

4. When done, quit disk utility and reopen the OS installer and start clicking through.

5. The Mac may reboot one or more times, and the screen may go dark for a few minutes, and then liven up again. BE PATIENT.

6. When done, you should see the initial setup screen (choose your language).
Begin "clicking through".

7. You didn't tell us HOW you backed up your personal files. When the setup assistant asks if you'd like to migrate from another drive, you could try to connect the backup and see if setup assistant "recognizes" it.

8. If it does, keep going.
If setup assistant DOES NOT recognize your backup drive, you will have to re-install files and apps manually.

To prevent permissions problems, you need to:
a. connect your backup and let it mount on the desktop
b. click on the backup drive icon ONE TIME to select it
c. open the "get info" box (command-i)
d. at the bottom of get info, click the lock icon and enter your password (the one you created when you set up a new account)
e. put a checkmark into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
f. close the get info box.
You can now copy files from the backup to the new OS install without permissions problems.

PRINT OUT this post and keep it for reference.

 

[TomHxP]

1. Boot from the bootable USB flashdrive with El Cap by holding down the option key continuously after you press the power on button.

2. Once the flashdrive has loaded, DO NOT use the installer just yet.
Instead, close the installer and open disk utility.

3. ERASE the ENTIRE internal drive to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format"

4. When done, quit disk utility and reopen the OS installer and start clicking through.

5. The Mac may reboot one or more times, and the screen may go dark for a few minutes, and then liven up again. BE PATIENT.

6. When done, you should see the initial setup screen (choose your language).
Begin "clicking through".

7. You didn't tell us HOW you backup up your personal files. When the setup assistant asks if you'd like to migrate from another drive, you could try to connect the backup and see if setup assistant "recognizes" it.

8. If it does, keep going.
If setup assistant DOES NOT recognize your backup drive, you will have to re-install files and apps manually.

To prevent permissions problems, you need to:
a. connect your backup and let it mount on the desktop
b. click on the backup drive icon ONE TIME to select it
c. open the "get info" box (command-i)
d. at the bottom of get info, click the lock icon and enter your password (the one you created when you set up a new account)
e. put a checkmark into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
f. close the get info box.
You can now copy files from the backup to the new OS install without permissions problems.

PRINT OUT this post and keep it for reference.

Thank you! Exactly what I needed. I hear a lot of stories where the bootable won't work sometimes. IF that happens, can I reconvert to Apfs? Or do I need the drive where I got the Catalina patch on?
Btw, I backed up my files on my friends computer thanks again!

 

[DatBlueDatsun240z]

1. Boot from the bootable USB flashdrive with El Cap by holding down the option key continuously after you press the power on button.

2. Once the flashdrive has loaded, DO NOT use the installer just yet.
Instead, close the installer and open disk utility.

3. ERASE the ENTIRE internal drive to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled, GUID partition format"

4. When done, quit disk utility and reopen the OS installer and start clicking through.

5. The Mac may reboot one or more times, and the screen may go dark for a few minutes, and then liven up again. BE PATIENT.

6. When done, you should see the initial setup screen (choose your language).
Begin "clicking through".

7. You didn't tell us HOW you backed up your personal files. When the setup assistant asks if you'd like to migrate from another drive, you could try to connect the backup and see if setup assistant "recognizes" it.

8. If it does, keep going.
If setup assistant DOES NOT recognize your backup drive, you will have to re-install files and apps manually.

To prevent permissions problems, you need to:
a. connect your backup and let it mount on the desktop
b. click on the backup drive icon ONE TIME to select it
c. open the "get info" box (command-i)
d. at the bottom of get info, click the lock icon and enter your password (the one you created when you set up a new account)
e. put a checkmark into "ignore ownership on this volume" (sharing and permissions).
f. close the get info box.
You can now copy files from the backup to the new OS install without permissions problems.

PRINT OUT this post and keep it for reference.

mine will not "bless" the bootable usb drive or show up at all when I do hold option. I'm on a mid 2009 5,2 17 inch MacBook Pro I used apples guide to make a bootable usb.

 

[Fishrrman]

Dat wrote:
"mine will not "bless" the bootable usb drive or show up at all when I do hold option. I'm on a mid 2009 5,2 17 inch MacBook Pro I used apples guide to make a bootable usb."

I'd suggest you try one (or BOTH) of the following FREE utilities:
- DiskMaker X
- Install Disk Creator

They are designed to make it easy to create a bootable USB installer with a few clicks of the mouse.

IMPORTANT:
If you're not having good luck with one of them,
TRY THE OTHER ONE, as well.
It may work when the first attempt didn't.