Upgrade to Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.6, No Data Loss [2022 Tutorial]
"Can I still upgrade to El Capitan though the official update is outdated?" "How do I upgrade to El Capitan? I'm using Yosemite, is there a way that can upgrade Yosemite to El Capitan?"
On this page, we collected the complete process of how to upgrade to Mac OX S El Capitain 10.11.6 without losing any data. Following this guide, you can download and install Mac OS X 10.11.6 on your computer with ease:
| Page Content | More Details |
|---|---|
| Check If Your Mac is Available for Update | Supported Mac devices: iMac (Mid 2007 or newer) MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009...Full steps |
| Prepare Mac Ready before Update | Check the hardware requirements of the new OS, and back up data...Full steps |
| Update Mac to New macOS | Go to the Mac App Store search for the latest macOS version...Full steps |
Tips on this page also work to upgrade macOS Mojave, High Sierra to the latest macOS Big Sur. You may also be interested in: update and installing macOS.
What Is Mac OS X El Capitan
El Capitan, the last edition known as Mac OS X 10.11.6, is an operating system between Yosemite and macOS Sierra, released on July 18, 2015.
Here is a list of new features that Mac OS X 10.11.6 brings to most old Mac OS X users. And you may feel like downloading and installing the system on your Macs:
- Support multitask
- Better performance
- Better user experience
- Free download
So how to download or upgrade your Mac computer to El Capitan? Follow through the guides, any one of Mac users can make it.
1. Check If Your Mac Is Available for El Capitan Update
Before you take steps to update your present Mac OS X to El Capitan 10.11.6/10.11.2, check whether your Mac computer is available to download and install the new El Capitan. Check the below list and see whether your device or OS X can get the new update:
Supported Mac devices:
- iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
- MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, Early 2009, or newer)
- MacBook Pro (Mid 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 OS X for El Capitan:
- OS X Yosemite v10.10
- OS X Mavericks v10.9
- OS X Mountain Lion v10.8
- OS X Lion v10.7
- Mac OS X Snow Leopard v10.6.8
If your Mac OS X and devices are just right on the list, read on and follow tips to prepare your Mac OS ready for El Capitan update.
2. Prepare Mac Ready Before El Capitan Update
Let's see what you should do to prepare your Mac devices fully ready for the new El Capitan 10.11.6, etc. update. And if this is your first time updating Mac OS X, follow the tips below carefully:
#1. Hardware Requirement
- Leave at least 2GB memory and 8.8 GB of storage space on Mac
- Leave at least 45% battery on Mac
- Connect Mac to the internet or WiFi
- Update your Mac Apps to the latest versions
#2. Back-Up All Important Mac Data (to An External Disk)
It's vitally important to back up important data on Mac to external storage devices, which will certainly help to avoid data loss issues due to Mac OS X update.
To do so, you have two options:
- Option 1. Back up all your data via Time Machine
- 1. Connect an external hard drive to Mac.
- 2. Click the Apple menu icon, click "System Preference", and click "Time machine".
- 3. Click "Select Backup Disk..." and choose the external drive as a backup disk.
- Option 2. Fully back up your Mac data via reliable Mac backup software
For a step-by-step guide, please follow: How to Back Up Mac without Time Machine for help.
If you have forgotten to backup data, reliable Mac data recovery software like Deep Data Recovery is the best tool to help you restore lost data.
So now, you can follow the next tutorial tips to update your present Mac OS X into El Capitan.
3. Update Mac OS X to El Capitan (Download OS X 10.11.6)
You can update your Mac OS X to El Capitan now. Follow the below guide to update to El Capitan with ease:
#1. Download and Install Mac OS X from Mac App Store
Step 1. Go to Mac App Store and search El Capitan.
Step 2. Click the Download button for El Capitan.
Step 3. Click Continue and follow the instructions to install El Capitan on your Mac.
#2. Manually Download El Capitan 10.11.6 from Apple
Here you can also download El Capitan or other new versions of macOS from the Apple support page, and install on your Mac:
Download El Capitan from Apple
When the downloading process is finished, the El Capitan installer will launch automatically. All you just need to follow the onscreen guide to install the Mac OS X 10.11.6 on your Mac computer.
Note that the El Capitan upgrade process will not take long. Just wait patiently to let the El Capitan installation process accomplish on your Mac.
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Don't worry if you meet some problems during the Mac OS X or macOS update process. Click the below troubleshooting guide and follow to resolve the respective issue on your own.
macOS Update, Install & Troubleshooting
When you encounter macOS update stuck, macOS or Mac OS X update failed, stay calm. Follow this guide to install the desired macOS or Mac OS X on your Mac.
Bonus Tip: Restore Lost Data after Upgrading Mac to El Capitan 10.11.6
If you didn't create backups before the Mac OS X El Capitan update, and you lost some important Mac files after the update process, your last chance is to turn to reliable Mac data recovery software for help.
Here, Deep Data Recovery for Mac is available for you to download and restore all lost files after macOS or Mac OS X update.
This software is fully compatible with all Mac OS X such as El Capitan, Yosemite, Mavericks, and the latest new macOS Mojave, High Sierra, etc.
Download it and follows to restore lost data due to the El Capitan update now:
Step 1. Launch Deep Data Recovery. Choose file types and click "Next" to start.
Step 2. Where was data lost after operating system update? Choose the location and click Scan.
Step 3. Deep Data Recovery for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scanning results on the left pane.
Step 4. After the scan, select the target files that were unknowingly lost during or after the update and click Recover button to get them all back.
What Else Can Deep Data Recovery Do for You?
Besides macOS update file recovery, Deep Data Recovery dedicates to restoring lost data for Mac users under complex circumstances, such as:
- Data deletion
- Mac hard drives formatting
- Storage device corruption
- Mac system crash
- Mac OS X reinstallation
El Capitan Still Works on Old Macs, Go and Get It Now
Don't worry if your Mac computer is not available for updating to Mac OS X El Capitan. Follow this page, you'll see if your computer can install this operating system.
If yes, follow to download and install this excellent system and renew your Mac computer now. Don't worry if you lost some files during the process, Deep Data Recovery for Mac can bring your files back.
Now, it's your turn. Go and get it now.
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