Download Os X 10.11 Installer

Apple's latest update to Mac OS X, 10.11 El Capitan, is currently available in the Mac App Store for everyone to download and install at no cost. The new OS features Split View mode for better multitasking, a cleaner Mission Control, smarter Spotlight, a way to mute Safari tabs playing audio, enhanced Mail and Notes apps, and more. Download El Capitan OS X is also significant since it’s the last version of Apple Mac OS X released as its successor Sierra was released in the year 2016 under the brand macOS. El Capitan latest version. El Capitan 10.11.6 is now released as the latest version of Download El Capitan. For OS X El Capitan users this update is recommended.

So, you’ve decided to download an older version of Mac OS X. There are many reasons that could point you to this radical decision. To begin with, some of your apps may not be working properly (or simply crash) on newer operating systems. Also, you may have noticed your Mac’s performance went down right after the last update. Finally, if you want to run a parallel copy of Mac OS X on a virtual machine, you too will need a working installation file of an older Mac OS X. Further down we’ll explain where to get one and what problems you may face down the road.

A list of all Mac OS X versions

We’ll be repeatedly referring to these Apple OS versions below, so it’s good to know the basic macOS timeline.

Cheetah 10.0Puma 10.1Jaguar 10.2
Panther 10.3Tiger 10.4Leopard 10.5
Snow Leopard 10.6Lion 10.7Mountain Lion 10.8
Mavericks 10.9Yosemite 10.10El Capitan 10.11
Sierra 10.12High Sierra 10.13Mojave 10.14
Catalina 10.15

Install OS X El Capitan 10.11.6.dmg. Install OS X El Capitan 10.11.6.dmg (7.14 GB) Choose free or premium download.

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STEP 1. Prepare your Mac for installation

Given your Mac isn’t new and is filled with data, you will probably need enough free space on your Mac. This includes not just space for the OS itself but also space for other applications and your user data. One more argument is that the free space on your disk translates into virtual memory so your apps have “fuel” to operate on. The chart below tells you how much free space is needed.

Installer

Note, that it is recommended that you install OS on a clean drive. Next, you will need enough disk space available, for example, to create Recovery Partition. Here are some ideas to free up space on your drive:

  • Uninstall large unused apps
  • Empty Trash Bin and Downloads
  • Locate the biggest files on your computer:

Go to Finder > All My Files > Arrange by size
Then you can move your space hoggers onto an external drive or a cloud storage.
If you aren’t comfortable with cleaning the Mac manually, there are some nice automatic “room cleaners”. Our favorite is CleanMyMac as it’s most simple to use of all. It deletes system junk, old broken apps, and the rest of hidden junk on your drive.

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.4 - 10.8 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.9 (free version)

Download CleanMyMac for OS 10.10 - 10.14 (free version)

STEP 2. Get a copy of Mac OS X download

Normally, it is assumed that updating OS is a one-way road. That’s why going back to a past Apple OS version is problematic. The main challenge is to download the OS installation file itself, because your Mac may already be running a newer version. If you succeed in downloading the OS installation, your next step is to create a bootable USB or DVD and then reinstall the OS on your computer.

How to download older Mac OS X versions via the App Store


If you once had purchased an old version of Mac OS X from the App Store, open it and go to the Purchased tab. There you’ll find all the installers you can download. However, it doesn’t always work that way. The purchased section lists only those operating systems that you had downloaded in the past. But here is the path to check it:

  1. Click the App Store icon.
  2. Click Purchases in the top menu.
  3. Scroll down to find the preferred OS X version.
  4. Click Download.

This method allows you to download Mavericks and Yosemite by logging with your Apple ID — only if you previously downloaded them from the Mac App Store.

Without App Store: Download Mac OS version as Apple Developer

If you are signed with an Apple Developer account, you can get access to products that are no longer listed on the App Store. If you desperately need a lower OS X version build, consider creating a new Developer account among other options. The membership cost is $99/year and provides a bunch of perks unavailable to ordinary users.

Installer

Nevertheless, keep in mind that if you visit developer.apple.com/downloads, you can only find 10.3-10.6 OS X operating systems there. Newer versions are not available because starting Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.7, the App Store has become the only source of updating Apple OS versions.

Purchase an older version of Mac operating system

You can purchase a boxed or email version of past Mac OS X directly from Apple. Both will cost you around $20. For the reason of being rather antiquated, Snow Leopard and earlier Apple versions can only be installed from DVD.

Buy a boxed edition of Snow Leopard 10.6
Get an email copy of Lion 10.7
Get an email copy of Mountain Lion 10.8

Download Os X 10.11 Installeraller

The email edition comes with a special download code you can use for the Mac App Store. Note, that to install the Lion or Mountain Lion, your Mac needs to be running Snow Leopard so you can install the newer OS on top of it.

How to get macOS El Capitan download

If you are wondering if you can run El Capitan on an older Mac, rejoice as it’s possible too. But before your Mac can run El Capitan it has to be updated to OS X 10.6.8. So, here are main steps you should take:

1. Install Snow Leopard from install DVD.
2. Update to 10.6.8 using Software Update.
3. Download El Capitan here.

“I can’t download an old version of Mac OS X”

If you have a newer Mac, there is no physical option to install Mac OS versions older than your current Mac model. For instance, if your MacBook was released in 2014, don’t expect it to run any OS released prior of that time, because older Apple OS versions simply do not include hardware drivers for your Mac.

But as it often happens, workarounds are possible. There is still a chance to download the installation file if you have an access to a Mac (or virtual machine) running that operating system. For example, to get an installer for Lion, you may ask a friend who has Lion-operated Mac or, once again, set up a virtual machine running Lion. Then you will need to prepare an external drive to download the installation file using OS X Utilities.

After you’ve completed the download, the installer should launch automatically, but you can click Cancel and copy the file you need. Below is the detailed instruction how to do it.

STEP 3. Install older OS X onto an external drive

The following method allows you to download Mac OS X Lion, Mountain Lion, and Mavericks.

  1. Start your Mac holding down Command + R.
  2. Prepare a clean external drive (at least 10 GB of storage).
  3. Within OS X Utilities, choose Reinstall OS X.
  4. Select external drive as a source.
  5. Enter your Apple ID.

Now the OS should start downloading automatically onto the external drive. After the download is complete, your Mac will prompt you to do a restart, but at this point, you should completely shut it down. Now that the installation file is “captured” onto your external drive, you can reinstall the OS, this time running the file on your Mac.

  1. Boot your Mac from your standard drive.
  2. Connect the external drive.
  3. Go to external drive > OS X Install Data.

Locate InstallESD.dmg disk image file — this is the file you need to reinstall Lion OS X. The same steps are valid for Mountain Lion and Mavericks.

How to downgrade a Mac running later macOS versions

If your Mac runs macOS Sierra 10.12 or macOS High Sierra 10.13, it is possible to revert it to the previous system if you are not satisfied with the experience. You can do it either with Time Machine or by creating a bootable USB or external drive.
Instruction to downgrade from macOS Sierra

Instruction to downgrade from macOS High Sierra

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Mojave

Instruction to downgrade from macOS Catalina

Before you do it, the best advice is to back your Mac up so your most important files stay intact. In addition to that, it makes sense to clean up your Mac from old system junk files and application leftovers. The easiest way to do it is to run CleanMyMac X on your machine (download it for free here).

Visit your local Apple Store to download older OS X version

If none of the options to get older OS X worked, pay a visit to nearest local Apple Store. They should have image installations going back to OS Leopard and earlier. You can also ask their assistance to create a bootable USB drive with the installation file. So here you are. We hope this article has helped you to download an old version of Mac OS X. Below are a few more links you may find interesting.

Article ID = 145
Article Title = How To Obtain/Download OS X Server for OS X 10.11 El Capitan
Article Author(s) = Graham Needham (BH)
Article Created On = 17th September 2015
Article Last Updated = 30th January 2020
Article URL = https://www.macstrategy.com/article.php?145
Article Brief Description:
Details of how to obtain/download OS X Server 5

How To Obtain/Purchase/Download OS X Server for OS X 10.11 El Capitan

WARNING: As of September 2018 Apple has gutted macOS Server and removed most/all of the useful Server features!

Os X 10.11 El Capitan

OS X Server 5 was replaced with macOS Server 5.2 on the 20th September 2016. However, you can still purchase/download it from the Mac App Store:

From The Mac App Store - If You Have NOT Purchased macOS Server Or OS X Server Previously

You need to install the latest version of macOS (currently macOS 11 Big Sur) and purchase the latest version of macOS Server (currently v5.11.1) first.

Mac Os X 10.11 Download

  1. Download and install macOS 11 Big Sur on a compatible computer:
    • Use a different computer to the one that you currently have an earlier macOS / OS X installation on (if you have one).
    • Install macOS 11 Big Sur to a spare internal storage volume (if you have one).
    • Install macOS 11 Big Sur to a spare partition/volume on your boot drive (if you have one).
    • Install macOS 11 Big Sur to an external storage device e.g. hard disk, SSD, or even a USB stick.
  2. Once macOS 11 Big Sur is installed and you are booted from it, make sure you are connected to the internet by using a web browser to go to Apple.
  3. Go to the latest version of macOS Server (5.11.1) on the Mac App Store .
  4. This should open the Mac App Store application (if it doesn't click the 'View in Mac App Store' button).
  5. In the Mac App Store application click the 'Buy' button.
  6. Enter your Apple ID and password if you are not already signed in to the Mac App Store.
  7. The macOS Server 5.11.1 software should start to download (an icon will appear in your Dock with a progress bar).
  8. When the macOS Server application has downloaded it may automatically launch and ask you to continue.
  9. If it does, do not click Continue yet.
  10. Quit the macOS Server installer application (yes, quit it).
  11. Now you can go to your older macOS / OS X installation and download/install the earlier version of macOS / OS X Server - see the instructions below.
  12. If you used a computer/storage device that you do not own, you should securely erase it/sign out of the Mac App Store + delete macOS Server (from the Applications folder), after successfully installing the older macOS Server version on your own computer using the instructions below.

From The Mac App Store - If You Have Purchased macOS / OS X Server Previously

These instructions will only work if you have already purchased macOS / OS X Server. If you haven't already purchased macOS / OS X Server, please go to the instructions above first.
  1. To be safe:
    • Restart your computer.
    • Quit all running applications.
    • Disconnect all external devices except for monitor, keyboard, mouse and required storage volumes.
    • Eject all optical discs.
    • Unmount all servers.
  2. Make sure you are connected to the internet by using a web browser to go to Apple.
  3. Go to macOS Server on the Mac App Store .
  4. This should open the Mac App Store application (if it doesn't click the 'View in Mac App Store' button).
  5. In the Mac App Store application click the 'Buy', 'Get', 'Download' or 'Install' button.
  6. NOTE: 'Buy' usually means you never purchased this item on the Mac App Store before and there will be a charge. 'Get' usually means you never purchased this item on the Mac App Store before and there will be no charge. 'Download' usually means you have purchased this item on the Mac App Store before and you can now download it. 'Install' usually means you have purchased this item on the Mac App Store before and already downloaded - the Mac App Store has found it on one of your currently connected storage volumes - be careful here as Install may actually install a different/incorrect version.
  7. Enter your Apple ID and password if you are not already signed in to the Mac App Store.
  8. The Mac App Store will warn you that the current version requires a later version of macOS but you can download an older version that is compatible with OS X 10.11 (OS X Server 5) - click 'Download'.
  9. The OS X Server 5 software should start to download (an icon will appear in your Dock with a progress bar).
  10. When the OS X Server 5 application has downloaded it will automatically launch and ask you to continue.
  11. Do not click Continue yet.
  12. Quit the OS X Server 5 installer application (yes, quit it).
  13. Go to Macintosh HD > Applications and make a copy of/backup the 'Server' item e.g. zip it and/or copy it to another disk or a DVD-R
  14. Go to Macintosh HD > Applications and open 'Server'.
  15. Click Continue, agree to the EULA and then click Continue to download and install the rest of the Server software and finish the configuration.
  16. Follow the on screen instructions.
  17. Once OS X Server 5 has installed you should go to Apple menu > App Store… > Updates > and update all other Apple software (An Apple ID may be required for some updates).

Os X 10.12.6 Download

Article Keywords: OS X OSX 1011 El Capitan Server obtain buy purchase OS X Server 5 OSXserver5

This article is © MacStrategy » a trading name of Burning Helix. As an Amazon Associate, employees of MacStrategy's holding company (Burning Helix sro) may earn from qualifying purchases. Apple, the Apple logo, and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc.

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Download Os X 10.11 Installer Installer

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