OS X El Capitan Installer Downloaded from Apple Site is Incomplete?

[Lakster37]

I'm trying to install El Capitan onto a USB stick using UniBeast and keep running into the same problem. From a machine running Snow Leopard, I download the OS X El Capitan installer from Apple's website (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206886) and run it to have the "Install OS X El Capitan" installer show up in the Applications folder. I then try to create the bootable USB with UniBeast 6.2.0, but when I select El Capitan and press Continue, it says "Selected Mac OS X Installer is Incomplete".

I have tried downloading the installer several times and each time I made sure to delete any previous downloads (and empty Trash), so I'm fairly certain that multiple copies of the installer isn't the problem. I even did a fresh install of Snow Leopard and downloaded El Capitan (and UniBeast) but got the same result, so there definitely shouldn't have been multiple copies of the Installer. I read that it could also be an issue with the Installer certificate being out-of-date, so I tried changing the system time to several suggested dates with no luck. I also read that the Installer certs were very recently updated (they previously expired Oct 24 2019 I think and are reupped until 2029, according to this: https://tidbits.com/2019/10/28/redownload-archived-macos-installers-to-address-expired-certificates/) so I tried several dates both before and after Oct 24, 2019 (including into the future) with no luck. I couldn't figure out how to find out what the expiration dates were for my specific installer but couldn't find it (I'm assuming it would be the most recent ones, since the most recent I've downloaded is today). I'm wondering if Unibeast isn't compatible with this newer installer from the Apple site (rather than from the App Store, where you used to download previously) for some reason? Is there some way I could check if it's actually incomplete (like running a hash on a certain file) or the certs are out of date or some other problem?

I'm ultimately trying to go from the Snow Leopard Install DVD to get to either Mojave or Catalina, and El Capitan seemed to be a good stop-gap in between them, but so far no luck upgrading to anything from Snow Leopard. Any help or further troubleshooting steps would be appreciated!

 

[intelmacosx86]

I just tested this for Sierra and I have the same problem. I think that main cause for this issue is that Unibeast at the time of compile accounted only for those installers from Apple App Store.

@tonymacx86 @MacMan
Do you think that Unibeast will be patched for these refreshed installers that can be downloaded from Apple's website? If they update certificates on couple of years basis should you update Unibeast on same basis or remove completely certificate check or check for receipt from App Store? If you are worried about building pirated installers which people are doing using different methods, think about deprecated legit versions of Mac OS that can be downloaded for free from Apple's site and how you should support those. You know that older installers are pulled of from App Store but we can still download them for free from the main site.

 

[ChrisFisher1987]

I just tested this for Sierra and I have the same problem. I think that main cause for this issue is that Unibeast at the time of compile accounted only for those installers from Apple App Store.

@tonymacx86 @MacMan
Do you think that Unibeast will be patched for these refreshed installers that can be downloaded from Apple's website? If they update certificates on couple of years basis should you update Unibeast on same basis or remove completely certificate check or check for receipt from App Store? If you are worried about building pirated installers which people are doing using different methods, think about deprecated legit versions of Mac OS that can be downloaded for free from Apple's site and how you should support those. You know that older installers are pulled of from App Store but we can still download them for free from the main site.

Did you guys get anywhere with this? Been banging my head against a brick wall and no idea what to do now as all the solutions online and here account for some files that arent being included anymore

 

[trs96]

Did you guys get anywhere with this? Been banging my head against a brick wall and no idea what to do now as all the solutions online and here account for some files that arent being included anymore

We're testing this approach using the El Capitan DMG from Apple. It does work for creating an El Capitan USB installer with Unibeast. You can find instructions and download links here: https://www.tonymacx86.com/threads/...mg-files-to-upgrade-from-snow-leopard.287340/

Note that you'll want to remove your Nvidia graphics and use just the HD3000. A GTX 690 has no support in Snow Leopard. If you need help post in the thread linked above.

 

[trs96]

I just tested this for Sierra and I have the same problem.

Apple doesn't allow an upgrade from Snow Leopard directly to Sierra. The newest OS X version you can upgrade to from SL is only El Capitan.

 

[ChrisFisher1987]

Apple doesn't allow an upgrade from Snow Leopard directly to Sierra. The newest OS X version you can upgrade to from SL is only El Capitan.

Yeah tried that, same issue as above, looks like any installer you download from apple has this new installer format

 

[trs96]

Yeah tried that, same issue as above, looks like any installer you download from apple has this new installer format

Try downloading the El Cap DMG. You can use a Windows PC or macOS. Open it up in Snow Leopard, leave the installer in Applications. Then make an El Cap Unibeast USB installer on that SL system. After that, clean install El Cap from the UB installer . That should work.

 

[ChrisFisher1987]

Hmm that didnt work either, i have also tried setting the date to the range of the OS release, but it looks like some files are missing, the receipt file and when i search for the ElCapitan.app via terminal it cant find it. the file is from the apple support aswell...

 

[ChrisFisher1987]

Also the SL install is fresh today, 10.6.8 combo installed, amd EasyBeast setting used

 

[trs96]

Hmm that didnt work either, i have also tried setting the date to the range of the OS release, but it looks like some files are missing, the receipt file and when i search for the El Capitan.app via terminal it cant find it. the file is from the apple support aswell...

Possibly @Going Bald can help you with this. He just completed making his El Capitan Unibeast installer successfully on Snow Leopard. He downloaded the El Cap DMG and went from there.