Reinstall El Capitan

by

This content has been archived, and is no longer maintained by Indiana University. Information here may no longer be accurate, and links may no longer be available or reliable.

On this page:

Make sure the El Capitan installer (or at least a copy of it), called Install OS X El Capitan.app, is in its default location in your main Applications folder (/Applications). Select the text of. Aug 26, 2021 El Capitan has a multi-step process to build an installer, and that path requires a second Mac and particularly a second Mac capable of running El Capitan. That’s discussed both in the Apple article, and in the other link. OS X 10.11 is at the edge of being able to make a secure network connection these days, too.

  • Reinstall El Capitan on a computer alreadyrunning it

Upgrade from previous versions to OS X 10.11 (El Capitan)

  1. From the Apple menu, select App Store....
  2. When the App Store opens, search for and download El Capitan. If you don't already have an Apple ID, you'll need to create one. You can monitor the download process in the 'Purchased' section of the App Store.
  3. Once the download is complete, the installer should automatically open.

    If it doesn't, or you don't want to complete the installation at this time, you can come back later and double-click Install OS X El Capitan in your Applications folder.

    Within the installer, click Continue, agree to the license agreement, and then choose the disk where you want to install El Capitan.

    After you begin the installation, your computer may need to restart more than once before finishing, and then you may be asked to enter basic information.

  4. From the Apple menu, select App Store..., and then install any available updates.
Reinstall El CapitanReinstall El Capitan

Reinstall El Capitan on a computer already running it

To reinstall or recover El Capitan, you must have an active internet connection. If you are on campus at IU, UITS recommends the wired Ethernet network instead of wireless. However, if IUSecure is your only option, see Connect to an IU wireless network in macOS if booted from your Recovery HD.

How To Reinstall El Capitan From Disk Utility

Reinstall while keeping files, applications, and settings

  1. Restart your computer, and immediately hold down command-r until the gray Apple logo appears.
  2. If prompted, select your main language and then click the arrow.
  3. Click Reinstall OS X, and then Continue. Follow the instructions on the screen, and then choose your hard disk. Click Install, and enter your Apple ID information if prompted.
  4. When the installation is complete, select App Store... from the Apple menu, and install any available updates.

El Capitan Will Not Install

Reinstall while erasing everything on your computer

Reinstall El Capitan Without Losing Data

  1. Restart your computer, and immediately hold down command-r until the gray Apple logo appears.

  2. If you see a screen asking you to select your main language, choose it, and then click the arrow.
  3. Click Disk Utility, and then Continue.
  4. In Disk Utility:
    1. Click your hard disk in the left column, and then click the Erase tab.
    2. Next to 'Format:', make sure OS X Extended (Journaled) is selected. In the 'Name:' field, give your disk a name. Click Erase.
    3. Once it's completed, quit Disk Utility.
  5. Click Reinstall OS X, and then Continue:
    1. Follow the instructions on the screen, and then choose your hard disk.
    2. Click Install. If prompted, enter your Apple ID information.
    3. Once the installation is complete, you'll be asked to enter basic information, and have the option to transfer data from another computer or backup.
  6. From the Apple menu, select App Store, and then install any available updates.