This version of OS X can not be installed on this computer bypass?

[MSC71]

I'm trying to download El Capitan from an older iMac. I need to download it to use on my MBP. Since it is an older computer it won't let me download form the app store. I just want to download it and put it on an external drive and try to install it on my MBP that way. Is there a way to make it download? I tried holding the option key when clicking on the download.

My MBP will not install through recovery mode or with the original OSX disc.

 

[Weaselboy]

The App Store will not allow you to DL El Capitan on a Mac that cannot run it and there is no way I know of around that.

Tell us more about your MBP. What year and model and what are you trying to do?

 

[MSC71]

The App Store will not allow you to DL El Capitan on a Mac that cannot run it and there is no way I know of around that.

Tell us more about your MBP. What year and model and what are you trying to do?

I have a MBP and hard drive crashed. I got files I needed off it by putting the HD in external case and manually transferred to the iMac. I can not get the original disc to reinstall OSX in recovery mode. I tried everything. So my thought was if I could download El captain and get it on the new formatted HD I could install it that way ?

 

[tjwilliams25]

Is your MacBook new enough to support Internet Recovery? If there aren't any partitions on the hard drive, it should automatically launch into it and download the OS version that shipped with the Mac.

 

[MSC71]

Is your MacBook new enough to support Internet Recovery? If there aren't any partitions on the hard drive, it should automatically launch into it and download the OS version that shipped with the Mac.

That is the first thing I tried to do. It would always fail during the download. And after that I tried the OSX disc and it would fail too. I did a time.machine restore a few days ago and after that the computer said it needed to make a new backup and delete the old. Well it deleted the old and the new backup failed. So I was left with no backup. Now I have no backup and a formatted HD.

Wonder if can go to best buy and get a new computer. Do a time machine backup and restore to the old MBP that way?

 

[Weaselboy]

I have a MBP and hard drive crashed. I got files I needed off it by putting the HD in external case and manually transferred to the iMac. I can not get the original disc to reinstall OSX in recovery mode. I tried everything. So my thought was if I could download El captain and get it on the new formatted HD I could install it that way ?

I'm still a little confused. What year MacBook is this?

So you have installed a new hard drive and you are trying to install the OS on that new drive? If you are able to get to Internet recovery and that still will not work with a new drive, you may have a bad internal drive cable. Fairly common issue.

 

[tjwilliams25]

When your hard drive crashed did you replace it, or are you still trying to use it?

 

[MSC71]

I'm still a little confused. What year MacBook is this?

So you have installed a new hard drive and you are trying to install the OS on that new drive? If you are able to get to Internet recovery and that still will not work with a new drive, you may have a bad internal drive cable. Fairly common issue.

It's a 2011 or so unibody. Yes new hard drive I am trying now. I formatted the old one too and have tried the old and new one. When you say internal drive cable is that the ribbon cable that attaches to the hard drive?

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Does your iMac have access to the App Store?

 

[Weaselboy]

It's a 2011 or so unibody. Yes new hard drive I am trying now. I formatted the old one too and have tried the old and new one. When you say internal drive cable is that the ribbon cable that attaches to the hard drive?

Yes. iFixit sells replacements.

If you have a USB enclosure, try putting the new drive in there then go to Internet recovery and see if you can install to the drive while it is in the enclosure (format again first). If that works, but the same drive does not work internally, then you have a bad internal cable.

 

[MSC71]

Yes. iFixit sells replacements.

If you have a USB enclosure, try putting the new drive in there then go to Internet recovery and see if you can install to the drive while it is in the enclosure (format again first). If that works, but the same drive does not work internally, then you have a bad internal cable.

Actually I tried installing to the HD in a external HD enclosure and it failed that way too.

Mr Brightside, yes my iMac does have access but it will not let me download the OSX since the iMac is older.

 

[Weaselboy]

Actually I tried installing to the HD in a external HD enclosure and it failed that way too.

To the NEW hard drive? Is this a known good enclosure?

So you get the spinning globe when you start Internet recovery, followed by the recovery screen?

 

[MSC71]

To the NEW hard drive? Is this a known good enclosure?

So you get the spinning globe when you start Internet recovery, followed by the recovery screen?

View attachment 645493

Yes I do recall that and it started downloading El Captain and then would fail.
[doublepost=1471549485][/doublepost]I have access to another MacBook. Can I download El captain onto an external from app store and install that way?

 

[Weaselboy]

Yes I do recall that and it started downloading El Captain and then would fail.

Okay... so once you see the spinning globe after a bit your should see this recovery screen. Then from their use Disk Utility to format the drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then quit Disk Util and click reinstall OS. That will download the OS version that came from the factory (I think Lion and for sure not El Capitan).

Are you getting the recovery screen like this after the globe?

 

[MSC71]

Okay... so once you see the spinning globe after a bit your should see this recovery screen. Then from their use Disk Utility to format the drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Then quit Disk Util and click reinstall OS. That will download the OS version that came from the factory (I think Lion and for sure not El Capitan).

Are you getting the recovery screen like this after the globe?

View attachment 645500

Yes, I did that multiple times with both drives (the old and new) and even tried them both internal and on the external. It would start downloading and then stopped due to an error. I don't remember the error but it was a big yellow exclamation point saying it couldn't download.
[doublepost=1471551861][/doublepost]The error message was "Mac OS X could not be installed on your computer. The installer could not copy the necessary files. Click restart to restart your computer and try installing again."

 

[Weaselboy]

Hmm... at this point I would try replacing the internal cable.

Another option might be to try installing the OS to the new drive in the enclosure from the older iMac. What OS version is on the iMac? If it is Lion or up, you can command-r boot to recovery on the iMac then format the new drive in the external enclosure and install the OS to that.

 

[MSC71]

Hmm... at this point I would try replacing the internal cable.

Another option might be to try installing the OS to the new drive in the enclosure from the older iMac. What OS version is on the iMac? If it is Lion or up, you can command-r boot to recovery on the iMac then format the new drive in the external enclosure and install the OS to that.

I tried last night installing from the external HD. It downloaded 90% or so and is stuck saying 9 minutes remaining for the last 10hours or so. I moved the the cursor with the track pad and just clicked the track pad and now the spinning beach ball is showing.

I am doing a time.machine backup with a neighbors new Mac now. I wonder if I can restore that backup to mine?? I also have el captain downloaded and not sure if I can put that in the external and install that way? Or I can try and and download again and hope it finishes. This morning when I checked my time capsule had yellow flashing light.

 

[Weaselboy]

I am doing a time.machine backup with a neighbors new Mac now. I wonder if I can restore that backup to mine?? I also have el captain downloaded and not sure if I can put that in the external and install that way?

Yes... either of those should work.

This morning when I checked my time capsule had yellow flashing light.

I wonder if you have something else going on here with your Internet connection and that is why the install never finishes?

 

[MSC71]

Yes... either of those should work.



I wonder if you have something else going on here with your Internet connection and that is why the install never finishes?

Could be. The modem was fine so I was thinking maybe becaue I was doing a huge time machine backup to he time capsule plus having my MacBook downloading OSX at the same time maybe caused that.

So can I put the el captain on the external,. Connect it to my iMac and just browse to the external drive and double click the install file? Will it let me install it to the external that way?
[doublepost=1471607426][/doublepost]Then out the external back in the MacBook

 

[Weaselboy]

Could be. The modem was fine so I was thinking maybe becaue I was doing a huge time machine backup to he time capsule plus having my MacBook downloading OSX at the same time maybe caused that.

So can I put the el captain on the external,. Connect it to my iMac and just browse to the external drive and double click the install file? Will it let me install it to the external that way?
[doublepost=1471607426][/doublepost]Then out the external back in the MacBook

That should not cause your Time Capsule to do that. I think something is up with it. When that happens, start Airport Utility and see what it says.

To install El Capitan like that, you would need to download the installer on another Mac then make a USB key installer following this.

 

[MSC71]

Tried restoring time machine backup I made with new computer to my MacBook. Came back to the screen that said

 

[Weaselboy]

Tried restoring time machine backup I made with new computer to my MacBook. Came back to the screen that said

How exactly did you try to restore? The best would be to go to Internet recovery then format the disk again, then click restore and point to the Time Machine disk as the source.

 

[MSC71]

How exactly did you try to restore? The best would be to go to Internet recovery then format the disk again, then click restore and point to the Time Machine disk as the source.

That is what I did. Went to recovery.......partioned external disc to 1 partion and named it "Macintosh HD". Went to restore from time machine backup.... Selected backup I made with other computer.

I have the snow leopard disc in the computer and it's booting to recovery from that. I believe

 

[Weaselboy]

That is what I did. Went to recovery.......partioned external disc to 1 partion and named it "Macintosh HD". Went to restore from time machine backup.... Selected backup I made with other computer.

I have the snow leopard disc in the computer and it's booting to recovery from that. I believe

Where was the new drive when you did this... internal? If so, I think we are back around to the bad cable again.

 

[MSC71]

Where was the new drive when you did this... internal? If so, I think we are back around to the bad cable again.

external drive. I think my last chance is to put the El Captain download on the external and try that way