MacOS – Can not download el Capitan

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I have an older Mac computer. Apple tells me it will run OS thru El Capitan. It is currently running snow leopard 10.6.8.

When I open "http://iTunes.apple.com/app/os-x-el-capitan/id1147835433?mt=12" I go to the Apple App Store and it says this is the El Capitan download. There is a blue button on the left side of screen under the large X that says "Get". If I click on this blue button, the button changes shade of blue as long as I hold the mouse button down, but nothing happens. If I click on the down arrow on the right side of the blue button, I get two options, "copy link" and "tell a friend".

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How do I download El Capitan? I called Apple tech support (tier 2) and spend several hours downloading to 10.6.8, but Apple can not tell me why I can not download El Capitan from the App Store. Any help appreciated!

Best Answer

If neither of the "direct" App Store links (1. El Capitan 2. El Capitan) as described in other answers like this one work, you can try to trick App Store - as elaborated here: Install OS X El Capitan on Mac Direct Download.

Here a local web server with all necessary files mimics the remote but stubborn Apple server.

  • Open a browser and download the following files:

    1. OS X El Capitan .pfpkg file (direct link)
    2. OS X El Capitan .pkg file (direct link)

  • Open Terminal.app and enter 

    sudo nano /etc/hosts
  • add the following line at the end of the file: 127.0.0.1 osxapps.itunes.apple.com
  • Hit ctrlO to write the file to disk and ctrlX to exit nano
  • Enter sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder to flush the DNS cache.
  • Enter cd Desktop to change your working directory to your desktop
  • Create a folder mkdir osxapps_local and cd to it: cd osxapps_local

  • Create to paths with:

    sudo mkdir -p ./apple-assets-us-std-000001/Purple60/v4/45/df/86/45df865d-d24d-01d6-2b2c-c003317293ac/
sudo mkdir -p ./apple-assets-us-std-000001/Purple20/v4/dc/94/05/dc940501-f06f-2a91-555e-3dc272653af5/

  • move the downloaded files to the respective folders:

    sudo mv ~/Downloads/signed.dcr.6112397842917719871.pfpkg ~/Desktop/osxapps_local/apple-assets-us-std-000001/Purple60/v4/45/df/86/45df865d-d24d-01d6-2b2c-c003317293a
sudo mv ~/Downloads/izt4803713449411067066.pkg  ~/Desktop/osxapps_local/apple-assets-us-std-000001/Purple20/v4/dc/94/05/dc940501-f06f-2a91-555e-3dc272653af5

  • Start a small web server:

    sudo python -m SimpleHTTPServer 80

  • Now you can check if your small web server works by entering 

    http://osxapps.itunes.apple.com/apple-assets-us-std-000001/Purple20/v4/dc/94/05/dc940501-f06f-2a91-555e-3dc272653af5/izt4803713449411067066.pkg

    in the address field of your browser. The file should be "downloaded" with a high download speed. Delete the downloaded file afterwards.

  • Launch App Store.app, go to the El Capitan page or your Purchased tab and download OS X El Capitan from there.
  • The OS X El Capitan Installer.app should be "downloaded", compiled in /Applications/ and launched. Quit the OS X Installer for now. Quit App Store.app.
  • Quit the http server by entering ctrlC in Terminal.app

  • Revert the changes of your hosts file:

    sudo nano /etc/hosts

    and remove the line 127.0.0.1 osxapps.itunes.apple.com.

  • Hit ctrlO to write the file to disk and ctrlX to exit nano
  • Quit Terminal.app
  • Open /Application/Install OS X El Capitan.app and install El Capitan
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