I want to reinstall El Capitan. After re=downloading from the App Store, a popup message says the file is too old. I absolutely want to revert to this OS, as I have had numerous issues with Sierra.
I would appreciate help in this issue, thanks.
MacBook Air
OS Sierra 10.12
EtreCheck version: 3.0.6 (315)
Report generated 2016-10-21 14:18:39
Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com
Runtime 2:05
Performance: Excellent
Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.
Problem: Other problem
Hardware Information: ⓘ
MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013)
[Technical Specifications] – [User Guide] – [Warranty & Service]
MacBook Air – model: MacBookAir6,2
1 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2-core
4 GB RAM Not upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Good – Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Battery: Health = Normal – Cycle count = 623
Video Information: ⓘ
Intel HD Graphics 5000
Color LCD 1280 x 800
System Software: ⓘ
macOS Sierra 10.12 (16A320) – Time since boot: about 2 hours
Disk Information: ⓘ
APPLE SSD SM0256F disk0 : (251 GB) (Solid State – TRIM: Yes)
EFI (disk0s1) : 210 MB
Recovery HD (disk0s3) [Recovery]: 650 MB
Untitled (disk1) / [Startup]: 249.78 GB (66.35 GB free)
Encrypted AES-XTS Unlocked
Core Storage: disk0s2 250.14 GB Online
USB Information: ⓘ
Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
Thunderbolt Information: ⓘ
Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
Gatekeeper: ⓘ
Anywhere
Kernel Extensions: ⓘ
/Library/Application Support/Roxio
[not loaded] com.roxio.TDIXController (1.7 – 2014-10-17) [Support]
/Library/Extensions
[loaded] com.bongiovi.DPSReflector (1.0.6 - SDK 10.11 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded] com.LaCie.ScsiType00 (1.2.13 - SDK 10.5 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded] com.jmicron.driver.jmPeripheralDevice (2.0.4 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded] com.lacie.driver.LaCie_RemoteComms (1.0.1 - SDK 10.5 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded] com.olympus.CamBlockCommandsDevice (2.0.0 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded] com.olympus.CamBlockCommandsDeviceUP (2.0.0 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded] com.oxsemi.driver.OxsemiDeviceType00 (1.28.13 - SDK 10.5 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded] org.dungeon.driver.SATSMARTDriver (0.9 - SDK 10.7 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
/System/Library/Extensions/OlympusDSCDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded] com.olympus.CamFWSerialBusProtocolTransport (2.0.0 - 2006-11-30) [Support]
[not loaded] com.olympus.CamUSBMassStorageClass (2.0.0 - 2006-11-30) [Support]
System Launch Agents: ⓘ
[not loaded] 8 Apple tasks
[loaded] 167 Apple tasks
[running] 80 Apple tasks
[killed] 16 Apple tasks
16 processes killed due to insufficient RAM
System Launch Daemons: ⓘ
[not loaded] 37 Apple tasks
[loaded] 160 Apple tasks
[running] 93 Apple tasks
[killed] 13 Apple tasks
13 processes killed due to insufficient RAM
Launch Agents: ⓘ
[not loaded] com.amazon.sendtokindle.launcher.plist (2016-09-27) [Support]
[not loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-08-05) [Support]
[failed] com.maintain.PurgeInactiveMemory.plist (2014-11-02)
[not loaded] com.maintain.Restart.plist (2014-10-23)
[not loaded] com.maintain.ShutDown.plist (2014-10-23)
[not loaded] com.maintain.SystemEvents.plist (2014-10-23)
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist (2015-07-03) [Support]
[running] jp.co.canon.ScanGearMF.appl.Canon-MF-Scan-Agent.plist (2012-09-12) [Support]
[running] jp.co.canon.ScanGearMF.appl.Canon-MFSU-Agent.plist (2014-12-10) [Support]
[not loaded] net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist (2011-11-30) [Support]
[not loaded] org.chromium.chromoting.plist (2016-06-20) [Support]
Launch Daemons: ⓘ
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-09-23) [Support]
[loaded] com.bombich.ccc.plist (2012-06-16) [Support]
[loaded] com.bresink.system.securityagent3a.plist (2014-04-17) [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist (2016-09-01) [Support]
[loaded] com.klieme.TimeMachineScheduler.plist (2012-05-31) [Support]
[loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist (2015-03-03) [Support]
[loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist (2015-07-03) [Support]
[loaded] com.timesoftware.timemachineeditor.backup-auto.plist (2013-01-21) [Support]
[loaded] com.timesoftware.timemachineeditor.helper.plist (2012-12-21) [Support]
[failed] com.vmware.launchd.vmware.plist (2011-05-21) [Support]
[loaded] net.sourceforge.MonolingualHelper.plist (2013-07-05) [Support]
[loaded] org.macosforge.xquartz.privileged_startx.plist (2012-05-24) [Support]
User Launch Agents: ⓘ
[not loaded] com.shoebox.launched.plist (2015-12-07) [Support]
[loaded] com.shoebox.launched.pliste (2015-12-07) [Support]
[not loaded] com.spotify.webhelper.plist (2016-10-14) [Support]
[running] com.srib.pssddaemon.plist (2015-07-17) [Support]
User Login Items: ⓘ
Flux Application (/Applications/Flux.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ⓘ
Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: 2.3.8.1 (2014-04-17) [Support]
FlashPlayer-10.6: 23.0.0.185 – SDK 10.9 (2016-10-11) [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-09-06)
Flash Player: 23.0.0.185 – SDK 10.9 (2016-10-11) [Support]
JavaAppletPlugin: Java 8 Update 101 build 13 (2016-08-19) Check version
SharePointBrowserPlugin: 14.3.5 – SDK 10.6 (2014-04-17) [Support]
nplastpass: 2.0.15 (2014-04-17) [Support]
PepperFlashPlayer: 23.0.0.185 – SDK 10.9 (2016-10-11) [Support]
Silverlight: 5.1.50709.0 – SDK 10.6 (2016-09-20) [Support]
iPhotoPhotocast: 7.0 – SDK 10.8 (2014-04-17)
User internet Plug-ins: ⓘ
CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: 1.0.105 (2013-04-25) [Support]
Safari Extensions: ⓘ
Adblock Plus – Eyeo GmbH – https://adblockplus.org/ (2016-10-17)
NoMoreiTunes – Florian Pichler – http://nomoreitunes.einserver.de/ (2016-08-26)
Tab Across – support@tabacross.com – http://tabacross.com (2016-07-15)
Evernote Web Clipper – Evernote Corp. – http://evernote.com (2016-10-17)
Reddit Enhancement Suite – Steve Sobel – http://redditenhancementsuite.com/ (2016-10-14)
Save to Pocket – Read It Later, Inc. – http://getpocket.com/ (2016-06-29)
AdBlock – BetaFish, Inc. – https://getadblock.com (2016-09-29)
Sessions – David Yoo – https://sessions-extension.github.io/Sessions/ (2016-08-26)
3rd Party Preference Panes: ⓘ
remoting_host_prefpane (2016-08-05) [Support]
Flash Player (2016-09-23) [Support]
Java (2016-08-19) [Support]
TimeMachineScheduler (2014-04-17) [Support]
Time Machine: ⓘ
Skip System Files: NO
Mobile backups: ON
Auto backup: YES
Volumes being backed up:
Untitled: Disk size: 249.78 GB Disk used: 183.42 GB
Destinations:
Seagate [Local]
Total size: 4.00 TB
Total number of backups: 4
Oldest backup: 9/7/16, 8:57 PM
Last backup: 10/2/16, 7:29 PM
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 4.00 TB > (Disk size 249.78 GB X 3)
Data [Network]
Total size: 2.00 TB
Total number of backups: 112
Oldest backup: 4/16/14, 11:47 PM
Last backup: 10/21/16, 3:31 AM
Size of backup disk: Excellent
Backup size 2.00 TB > (Disk size 249.78 GB X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ⓘ
16% mdworker(17)
5% WindowServer
2% fontd
2% kernel_task
1% launchd
Top Processes by Memory: ⓘ
827 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(6)
524 MB kernel_task
324 MB mdworker(17)
279 MB Safari
98 MB iTunes
Virtual Memory Information: ⓘ
18 MB Free RAM
3.98 GB Used RAM (523 MB Cached)
240 MB Swap Used
Diagnostics Information: ⓘ
Oct 21, 2016, 12:10:19 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-21-121019_[redacted].crash
/Library/ScriptingAdditions/SIMBL.osax/Contents/Resources/SIMBL Agent.app/Contents/MacOS/SIMBL Agent
Oct 21, 2016, 12:09:29 PM Self test – passed
Oct 21, 2016, 11:16:09 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-21-111609_[redacted].crash
Oct 21, 2016, 11:00:51 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/mds_stores_2016-10-21-110051_[redacted].cpu_res ource.diag [Details]
/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mds_stores
Oct 21, 2016, 09:12:27 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-21-091227_[redacte d].crash
/Applications/StellarDriveToolBox.app/Contents/MacOS/StellarDriveToolBox.app/Co ntents/MacOS/StellarDriveToolBox
Oct 21, 2016, 09:11:40 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-21-091140_[redacte d].crash
Oct 21, 2016, 09:11:00 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-21-091100_[redacted].crash
Oct 21, 2016, 07:15:09 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-21-071509_[redacte d].crash
Oct 21, 2016, 03:08:13 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/TMScheduler_2016-10-21-030813_[redacted].crash
/Library/PreferencePanes/TimeMachineScheduler.prefPane/Contents/Resources/TMSch eduler
Oct 20, 2016, 08:11:03 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-20-201103_[redacte d].crash
Oct 20, 2016, 08:09:57 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-20-200957_[redacte d].crash
Oct 20, 2016, 07:49:42 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-20-194942_[redacted].crash
Oct 19, 2016, 06:13:56 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/TMScheduler_2016-10-19-181356_[redacted].crash
Oct 18, 2016, 07:28:28 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Finder_2016-10-18-192828_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details]
/System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder
Best Answer
In order to use the Install OS X El Capitan.app from macOS Sierra you need to create a USB Installer and boot the Mac with it. You'll also need to erase the Macintosh HD and perform a clean install. Make sure you have proper User Data Backups from which to restore your Data before erasing the Macintosh HD.
Have a look at Create a bootable installer for OS X. Excerpt show below: