Warning: Please follow these instructions at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage or information loss that could result from following this guide. Also, note that installing OS X on PC is illegal. Please buy a real Mac if you're satisfied with your Hackintosh. This guide is for evaluation purposes only.

Apple does not sell an optical media version of El Capitan. You need to use OS X Recoveryor a USB drive to re-install El Capitan, which is relatively simple to create. All you need is an 8 GB USB drive and a computer running OS X. Instructions on how to create such an installer are here: How to make a bootable OS X 10.11 El Capitan installer drive. Tip: Click Security Options to select options for securely erasing the disk. 6) After the disk has been erased, select Disk Utility → Quit Disk Utility. 7) Now choose Reinstall OS X and click Continue. 8) In the pane where you select a disk, select your newly formatted partition and follow the onscreen instructions. I am working with a MacBook Air 2010 that already had El Capitan installed. I tried to do a fresh install because the storage was all taken up by Other. When I attempt to reinstall El Capitan I am prompted with the 'OS X could not be installed on your computer. No packages were eligible for install. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance. I booted into internet recovery and attempted to re-install OS X El Capitan, however going through the prompts I reach a dead end where it asks me to 'Select the disk where you want to install OS X'. There are no disks listed. Disk Utility in internet recovery also does not list any disks. Clicking Startup Disk underneath the apple sign further.

Requirements

• An Intel-based PC with UEFI bios
• A USB flash drive with at least 16GB capacity
• A dedicated hard drive (SSD highly recommended)
• A computer running OS X (10.9 or later) for preparing the installation USB flash drive

I chose to avoid the UniBeast installer (by Tonymacx86) because of its commercialized nature, as described here. Here is a vanilla guide to installing El Capitan on your PC!

Preparing the USB Installation Drive

First things first. We need to prepare a USB thumb drive that will contain the installation files as well as the bootloader and custom kexts for our specific Hackintosh build.

Download El Capitan from the Mac App Store

Head over to your existing OS X environment running 10.9 or later and open the Mac App Store.

Search for 'El Capitan' and click Download. The download is completely free if you're running OS X 10.9+.

Wait for the download to finish (this could take some time).

Format the USB Drive

Open Disk Utility in Applications/Utilities and locate your USB device. Make sure you've backed up anything important on that drive as it will be erased forever.

Select it, and then on the right, click the partition tab.

1. Click Curent Layout and change it to 1 Partition.
2. Set the Name to USB.
3. Set the Format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
4. Click Options and select GUID Partition Table.

Click Apply to format the drive.

Copy the Installation Files to the USB Drive

Now that we've downloaded the installation files from the Mac App Store and formatted our USB drive, let's copy the installation files to it.

Run the following command in the Terminal (Applications/Utilities):

The command will run a script inside the Install OS X El Capitan application that will copy the installation files to the USB drive.

This process takes about 15 minutes. Go out for a quick run, or a hamburger, or both. When you come back, it should have finished.

Installing a Bootloader

If you tried to boot from the USB drive as is after the previous step on a PC, it wouldn't work. We need a bootloader that makes it possible to boot OS X on x86 and x86_64 PCs.

There are 3 popular bootloaders to choose from.

• Clover
• Chameleon
• Chimera

I went with Clover as it seems to be the most popular choice among other El Capitan installers, mostly for the following reasons:

Clover is an open-source EFI-based bootloader created on Apr 4, 2011. It has a totally different approach from Chameleon and Chimera. It can emulate the EFI portion present on real Macs and boot the OS from there instead of using the regular legacy BIOS approach used by Chameleon and Chimera. For many, Clover is considered the next-gen bootloader and soon it will become the only choice since BIOS in being replaced by UEFI in every new motherboard. One big feature of Clover is that iMessage, iCloud, the Mac App Store works along with Find My Mac, Back To My Mac and FileVault since Clover can use the EFI partition. (Read more)

Install Clover on Your USB Drive

Installing Clover on your USB drive is relatively easy. It involves running an installation wizard and selecting some options.

Download the latest Clover installer from here.

1. Run the installer.
2. Click Continue twice.
3. Click Change Install Location and set it to your formatted USB drive.
4. Click Customize and check the following options:
   
   • [x] Install for UEFI booting only
   • [x] Install Clover in the ESP
   • [ ] Drivers64UEFI
     • [x] OsxAptioFixDrv-64 - fixes memory map created by AMI Aptio EFI. Booting OS X is impossible otherwise.

1. Click Install and wait for the installation to finish. It shouldn't take more than a minute.

Copy Essential Kexts to the USB Drive

Next, we'll need to copy some kexts (kernal extensions, similar to drivers on Windows) to the USB drive.

• FakeSMC.kext - open source SMC device driver/emulator developed by netkas. Tricks OS X into thinking it's installed on Apple hardware. Absolutely required for Hackintosh installation.
• NullCPUPowerManagement.kext - disables AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext which may cause kernel panics when you try to boot from the USB drive. It's optional, copy it only if you get an AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement-related kernel panic.
• ApplePS2Controller.kext and AppleACPIPS2Nub.kext - adds support for PS2 devices (such as PS2 keyboard/mouse). They're optional, copy them only if you still use PS2 devices.

Download these files from here and copy them to the EFI mounted volume at /EFI/Clover/kexts/10.11/.

Now that the installation USB drive is ready, let's install OS X El Capitan!

Boot from the USB Drive

Restart your computer and boot from the USB drive (Press Esc/F8/Del to access the boot selection menu).

Use the arrow keys to select Boot OS X Install from Install OS X El Capitan (It should be selected by default). Press the spacebar and select Boot Mac OS X in verbose mode. Verbose mode means that you'll be able to see exactly what's going on under the hood as OS X attempts to boot up its installer. You'll be able to see the exact error message if booting fails.

Press Enter and cross your fingers. Clover will now boot the installer from your USB drive. This could take some time, in my case, it takes around 5 minutes (Don't worry -- the startup time is around 5 seconds after installing on an SSD).

Did it fail?

It's more than likely that the boot will fail. Don't panic (ha-ha), as kernel panics usually mean that you forgot to copy an essential kext to the EFI partition. Look up the exact error you're getting before the boot log comes to an end and search Google for a solution.

Once you find an additional kext that your system needs, you'd attempt to copy it to the EFI volume, only to discover that it's gone! Not to worry, it's just unmounted and hidden. Follow this guide to mount the hidden partition, and then, follow the Copy Essential Kexts section above to copy it to the USB drive's EFI partition.

Format the Target Hard Drive

Once the installation wizard boots, the next step is to prepare the hard drive that you want to install OS X on.

Click Continue, followed by Disk Utility.

Select the target drive to install to (not the USB drive!) and click the Erase button. Make sure to back up anything important on that drive, as it will be deleted forever.

1. Set the Name to El Capitan.
2. Set the Format to OS X Extended (Journaled).
3. Set the Scheme to GUID Partition Map.

Click Erase to format the drive.

Install OS X to the Target Drive

Exit the Disk Utility and click Install OS X.

Click Show All Disks and select the drive you just formatted to install OS X on it. Finally, click Install.

The process takes about 25 minutes. Be patient. For me, it hung at the end ('1 second remaining') for around 5 minutes. Don't be tempted to reset or cancel the installation.

When that's done, the system will reboot. Make sure to boot from the USB device again, and select Boot OS X Install from Install OS X El Capitan once again, in verbose mode. The installation is a two-part process that continues once you re-boot into the USB drive.

Finally, after about 25 more minutes, OS X El Capitan should be successfully installed on the target drive.

Boot into El Capitan via the USB Device

After the second reboot, boot from the USB device once again, but this time, select Boot OS X from El Capitan, and select verbose mode.

Press Enter and cross your fingers again. If all goes well, you'll be presented with the setup wizard:

Take a minute to set up your new Hackintosh. Once you're done, there are a few things you need to do to finish off the installation.

Reinstall Clover on the Hackintosh Drive

In the previous step, we used Clover on our USB drive to boot our Hackintosh. This is fine, but most of us aren't going to keep that USB drive plugged in forever. Let's make it possible to boot El Capitan independently by reinstalling Clover on it.

Os X El Capitan No Disk To Install Free

Go back up to the Install Clover on Your USB Drive section and follow the steps again, but this time, select your El Capitan volume instead of the USB drive.

Once again, copy the essential kexts to the EFI partition that shows up after installing Clover.

Finally, make sure to add Clover EFI boot options which is possible by pressing Clover Boot Options in the Clover boot window (if there are 2 boot options -- find the one for your SATA drive). I literally spent 3 hours figuring out why Clover would not boot when I disconnected the USB drive before I figured out that I need to manually add the EFI boot options.

Now you'll be able to boot directly from the El Capitan hard drive, as it should be!

Audio and Networking

If you're lucky, audio and networking will work right out of the box. If not, you're on your own from here. You'll need to research your exact hardware (by using System Information in Applications/Utilities) and searching Google to find the right kext or installer to make it work on El Capitan.

Clover Themes

The default Clover theme is pretty ugly (no offense). Check out this theme database to improve Clover's appearance.

This is YosemiteLogin by xenatt:

Enjoy!

That's it! Enjoy your new Hackintosh, and if you absolutely love it, consider buying a Mac!

'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. Follow this guide, you can download and install Mac OS X 10.11.6 on your computer with ease:

Tips on this page also work to upgrade macOS Mojave, High Sierra to the latest macOS Big Sur. You may also interest in: update and install 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. 1. Connect an external hard drive to Mac.
2. 2. Click the Apple menu icon, click 'System Preference', and click 'Time machine'.
3. 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

Os X El Capitan No Disk To Install Linux

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 EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 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

Os X El Capitan App

Here you can also download El Capitan or other new versions of macOS from the Apple support page, and install on your Mac:

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.

You May Also Interest In:

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.

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, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 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. Where was data lost after operating system update? Choose the location and click Scan.

Step 2. EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scanning results on the left pane.

Step 3. 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 EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Do for You？

Besides macOS update file recovery, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard 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, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac can bring your files back.

Now, it's your turn. Go and get it now.