How to Download El Capitan OS X Installer
El Capitan is the 11th major release of OS X (now macOS), the operating system that powers Mac computers. It was released in 2015 and introduced many improvements and enhancements, such as split view, spotlight search, metal graphics, and performance optimization. If you want to download El Capitan OS X installer, you might have different reasons for doing so. Maybe you want to upgrade from an older version of OS X, reinstall the operating system on your Mac, or create a bootable installer for future use. Whatever your reason, this article will show you how to download El Capitan OS X installer from different sources, and what are the requirements and steps to do so.
What is El Capitan?
El Capitan is the name given to OS X 10.11, the 11th major release of OS X (now macOS), the operating system that powers Mac computers. It was named after a rock formation in Yosemite National Park, following Apple's tradition of naming OS X versions after California landmarks. El Capitan was released in September 2015 as a free update for Mac users who had OS X Yosemite or later installed on their devices.
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El Capitan introduced many new features and enhancements to OS X, such as:
Split view: This feature allows you to use two apps side by side in full screen mode, making multitasking easier and more efficient.
Spotlight search: This feature allows you to search for information on your Mac or online using natural language queries, such as "weather in New York" or "documents I edited yesterday".
Metal graphics: This feature allows you to enjoy better graphics performance and smoother animations on your Mac, especially if you have a gaming or creative app that supports Metal.
Performance optimization: This feature allows you to experience faster boot time, app launch time, app switching time, and email download time on your Mac, thanks to various improvements in memory management, security, and stability.
Why Download El Capitan?
You might want to download El Capitan OS X installer for different reasons, such as:
Upgrading from an older version of OS X: If you have a Mac that is running OS X Mavericks or earlier, you might want to upgrade to El Capitan to enjoy the new features and enhancements that it offers. El Capitan is compatible with most Mac models that were released in 2009 or later.
Reinstalling the operating system: If you have a Mac that is running El Capitan or later, you might want to reinstall the operating system to fix some issues or errors that you are experiencing. Reinstalling the operating system will not erase your personal data, but it will restore the default settings and remove any incompatible software or drivers that might be causing problems.
Creating a bootable installer: If you have a Mac that is running El Capitan or later, you might want to create a bootable installer for future use. A bootable installer is a device, such as a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, that contains the El Capitan OS X installer and can be used to install the operating system on any compatible Mac. A bootable installer can be useful if you want to install El Capitan on multiple Macs, or if you want to have a backup of the operating system in case of an emergency.
What are the Requirements for Downloading El Capitan?
Before you download El Capitan OS X installer, you need to make sure that your Mac meets the following requirements:
Compatible Mac Models
According to Apple's official support page, these are the Mac models that can run El Capitan:
iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009 or newer)
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
Xserve (Early 2009)
Available Storage Space
You also need to have enough storage space on your Mac to download and install El Capitan. The download size of El Capitan OS X installer is about 6GB, but you might need more space depending on your current version of OS X and the apps and files that you have on your Mac. Apple recommends having at least 15GB of free space on your startup disk before installing El Capitan.
If you don't have enough space on your Mac, you can try some of these tips to free up some space:
Delete unnecessary files and apps: You can use Finder to locate and delete any files and apps that you don't need anymore, such as old downloads, duplicates, caches, logs, etc. You can also use the Storage Management tool in System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud > Manage Storage to see how much space each app and file is taking up and delete them from there.
Empty the Trash: You can empty the Trash by right-clicking on its icon in the Dock and selecting Empty Trash. This will permanently delete any files and apps that you have moved to the Trash.
Use an external drive: You can use an external drive, such as a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, to store some of your files and apps that you don't use frequently. You can then disconnect the external drive from your Mac when you don't need it.
Internet Connection
You also need to have a reliable internet connection to download El Capitan OS X installer from the App Store or other sources. The download speed and time will depend on your internet service provider and network conditions, but it might take several hours or even days to complete the download. You should make sure that your Mac is plugged into a power source and connected to a stable Wi-Fi network during the download process. How to Download El Capitan from the App Store?
The easiest and safest way to download El Capitan OS X installer is from the App Store, using a Mac that is compatible with the operating system and has the latest version of OS X El Capitan, macOS Sierra, or any later version of macOS installed. Here are the steps to do so:
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Open the App Store app on your Mac and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
In the search box, type "El Capitan" and hit Enter. You should see the OS X El Capitan app in the results.
Click on the Download button next to the app. You might be asked to enter your Apple ID and password again, or to confirm that you want to download the app.
Wait for the download to complete. You can check the progress in the Purchases tab of the App Store app. The download size is about 6GB, so it might take some time depending on your internet speed and network conditions.
Once the download is finished, the OS X El Capitan installer will automatically launch. You can follow the on-screen instructions to install the operating system on your Mac, or quit the installer if you want to use it later.
Note: If you don't see the OS X El Capitan app in the App Store, it might be because you have already downloaded it before, or because it is not available in your country or region. In that case, you can try downloading it from other sources, as explained in the next section.
How to Download El Capitan from Other Sources?
If you can't download El Capitan OS X installer from the App Store, or if you want to have a copy of the installer file for future use, you can try downloading it from other sources. However, you should be careful and only download from trusted and verified websites, as some sources might contain malware or viruses that could harm your Mac. Here are two alternative methods of downloading El Capitan from other sources:
Download a Disk Image File
A disk image file is a file that contains the contents and structure of a disk, such as a CD or a DVD. A disk image file for El Capitan has the extension .dmg and can be used to install the operating system on your Mac. One website that provides a disk image file for El Capitan is archive.org, a non-profit digital library that preserves and provides access to historical and cultural artifacts. Here are the steps to download a disk image file for El Capitan from archive.org:
Go to on your web browser. You should see a page with information about OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 (15G31) [Intel] (USB Flash Drive Installer).
Click on the Download Options button on the right side of the page. You should see a list of different formats and sizes for downloading the file.
Select the ZIP format, which has a size of 5.7GB. This will download a compressed file that contains the disk image file for El Capitan.
Wait for the download to complete. You can check the progress in your web browser's download manager. The download time will depend on your internet speed and network conditions.
Once the download is finished, locate the ZIP file on your Mac and double-click on it to extract it. You should see a folder named "OS X El Capitan 10.11.6 (15G31) [Intel] (USB Flash Drive Installer)" that contains a file named "Install OS X El Capitan.app". This is the disk image file for El Capitan.
Double-click on the disk image file to launch the OS X El Capitan installer. You can follow the on-screen instructions to install the operating system on your Mac, or quit the installer if you want to use it later.
Create a Bootable Installer
A bootable installer is a device, such as a USB flash drive or an external hard drive, that contains the El Capitan OS X installer and can be used to install the operating system on any compatible Mac. A bootable installer can be useful if you want to install El Capitan on multiple Macs, or if you want to have a backup of the operating system in case of an emergency. To create a bootable installer, you need to download the El Capitan OS X installer from Apple's support page, using Terminal commands and an external drive or secondary volume with at least 14GB of available storage. Here are the steps to create a bootable installer:
Go to on your web browser. You should see a page with information about how to create a bootable installer for macOS.
Scroll down to the section that says "Download macOS" and click on the link that says "OS X El Capitan". This will open the App Store app on your Mac and take you to the OS X El Capitan app page.
Click on the Download button next to the app. You might be asked to enter your Apple ID and password, or to confirm that you want to download the app.
Wait for the download to complete. You can check the progress in the Purchases tab of the App Store app. The download size is about 6GB, so it might take some time depending on your internet speed and network conditions.
Once the download is finished, locate the OS X El Capitan installer in your Applications folder. It should be named "Install OS X El Capitan.app". Do not launch or delete the installer, as you will need it to create the bootable installer.
Connect an external drive or secondary volume to your Mac. It should have at least 14GB of available storage and be formatted as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). You can use Disk Utility to check and format your drive or volume. Note that creating a bootable installer will erase all the data on your drive or volume, so make sure you have a backup of any important files before proceeding.
Open Terminal from your Applications > Utilities folder. Terminal is an app that allows you to enter commands and interact with your Mac using text.
In Terminal, type or paste the following command and press Enter: sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app. Replace MyVolume with the name of your drive or volume. You might be asked to enter your administrator password, which is usually the same as your login password.
Wait for the command to complete. This might take several minutes or longer depending on your drive or volume speed and capacity. You should see a message that says "Done" when the process is finished.
Quit Terminal and eject your drive or volume. You have successfully created a bootable installer for El Capitan. You can use it to install the operating system on any compatible Mac by holding down the Option key while booting up and selecting your drive or volume from the list of startup disks.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned how to download El Capitan OS X installer from different sources, and what are the requirements and steps to do so. El Capitan is a great operating system that offers many features and enhancements for your Mac, such as split view, spotlight search, metal graphics, and performance optimization. Whether you want to upgrade from an older version of OS X, reinstall the operating system, or create a bootable installer, you can follow this guide to download El Capitan OS X installer and enjoy its benefits. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the most common questions that people have about downloading El Capitan OS X installer:
Q: Can I download El Capitan OS X installer on Windows?
A: No, you cannot download El Capitan OS X installer on Windows, as it is only compatible with Mac computers. You need to have a Mac that meets the requirements for downloading El Capitan, as explained in this article.
Q: Can I download El Capitan OS X installer on an older version of OS X?
A: Yes, you can download El Capitan OS X installer on an older version of OS X, such as Mavericks or Yosemite, but you might not be able to download it from the App Store, as it might not be available in your country or region. In that case, you can try downloading it from other sources, such as archive.org or Apple's support page, as explained in this article.
Q: Can I download El Capitan OS X installer on a newer version of macOS?
A: Yes, you can download El Capitan OS X installer on a newer version of macOS, such as Sierra, High Sierra, Mojave, Catalina, or Big Sur, but you might not be able to install it on your Mac, as it might not be compatible with your hardware or software. In that case, you can use a bootable installer to install El Capitan on a separate partition or drive, or use a virtual machine to run El Capitan on your Mac.
Q: How long does it take to download El Capitan OS X installer?
A: The download time of El Capitan OS X installer depends on your internet speed and network conditions, but it might take several hours or even days to complete the download. The download size of El Capitan OS X installer is about 6GB, so you should make sure that you have a reliable internet connection and enough storage space on your Mac before downloading it.
Q: How can I verify the integrity of the El Capitan OS X installer file?
A: You can verify the integrity of the El Capitan OS X installer file by checking its checksum, which is a unique code that identifies the file and ensures that it has not been corrupted or tampered with. You can use Terminal to check the checksum of the El Capitan OS X installer file by following these steps:
Open Terminal from your Applications > Utilities folder.
In Terminal, type or paste the following command and press Enter: shasum /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/SharedSupport/InstallESD.dmg. This will calculate the checksum of the disk image file for El Capitan.
Compare the checksum that appears in Terminal with the official checksum provided by Apple on . They should match exactly. If they don't match, it means that the file is corrupted or modified, and you should delete it and download it again from a trusted source.
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