Upgrade to Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.6, No Data Loss [2025 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"Can I still upgrade to El Capitan though the official update is outdated?"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?"

3 Steps to Run Mac OS X EL Capitan 10.11.6 Update

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:

Tips on this page also work to upgrade macOS Mojave, High Sierra to the latest macOS Big Sur. You may also be interested in updating 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 Mac users can make it. 

1. Check If Your Mac Is Available for the 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 the tips to prepare your Mac OS ready for the 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 of 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 the 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

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 to 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 encounter problems during the Mac OS X or macOS update process. Download EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac, and you can upgrade to El Capitan from USB without effort. Follow the troubleshooting guide below to resolve the respective issue on your own.

Get this program and give it a try！

Step 1. Select macOS installer

Launch EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac and click "macOS Installer" on the left side. In tab 1, unfold the macOS version list by clicking "Select macOS intaller".  You can also select "Refresh" button after downloading the macOS installer from App Store.

You can download macOS installer to upgrade or downgrade macOS, and you can find all the available versions, no matter the latest or older versions. Morever, you can apply macOS installer to dual boot Mac and run two macOS together.

Step 2. Format the USB flash drive

Connect a USB flash drive (larger than 16 GB) to the Mac as your macOS boot drive. Choose the USB drive you prepared in tab 2 and click the "Erase and create" option in the pop-up window to format your USB flash drive. Then click the "Create macOS installer" button to start the creating.

1. Important: This progress will delete all data on your USB flash drive, please back up the data before, or use EaseUS data recovery software to recover your data.

Step 3. Create the macOS installer boot drive

Click the "Finish" button after the macOS installer creating is finished. Follow the prompts on the interface to perform subsequent installation operations.

Bonus Tip: Restore Lost Data after Upgrading 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 a 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. Select the location

Select the disk where you lost data after updating to macOS Sonoma/Ventura/Monterey/Big Sur. Then, click "Search for lost files".

Step 2. Find lost data after the scan

EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard for Mac will immediately scan your selected disk volume and display the scanning results on the left pane. Use the file type and file path to find wanted data on Mac.

Step 3. Recover data after macOS update

Select the target files that were unknowingly lost during or after the update and click the "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.

Mac OS X EL Capitan 10.11.6 Upgrade FAQs

Read the questions and answers below to get additional help about OS X EL Capitan 10.11.6 upgrade.

1. Is OS X El Capitan 10.11 6 still supported?

macOS El Capitan is no longer supported by Apple. It was replaced by Sierra 10.12, High Sierra 10.13, and the current release, macOS 13 Ventura.

2. Can OS X El Capitan 10.11 6 be updated?

If you are running macOS 10.11 or newer, you should be able to upgrade to at least macOS 10.15 Catalina. To see if your computer can run macOS 13 Ventura, check Apple's compatibility info and install macOS Ventura with the guide.

3. What is the oldest Mac that can run El Capitan?

These MacBooks are compatible with OS X El Capitan:

• MacBook (Early 2015)
• MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
• Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
• iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
• Xserve (Early 2009)