As expected, OS X El Capitan has been released and is currently available for download from the Mac App Store. Here’s how to perform a clean install of OS X El Capitan.
While keeping the same overall look and feel as OS X Yosemite, OS X El Capitan comes with a handful of new features, including the ability to capture windows so you can take advantage of Split View multitasking (similar to Windows’ Aero Snap feature).
You can also take advantage of some new swipe gestures in the Mail app where you can swipe to delete email and in Safari you can pin tabs and save them for later.
There are also several Spotlight Search enhancements that give you better and more results when you search for something. In El Capitan, Spotlight Search will now show you the weather, sports scores, calendar events, and other things you couldn’t search for before.
Also, as with iOS 9, OS X El Capitan comes with an updated Maps and Notes app, which includes transit directions and the ability to do much more in the app, respectively.
And of course, let’s not forget the overall performance improvements that Apple boasts of OS X El Capitan, claiming to give users up to 1.4x the speed of launching apps and up to 2x the speed of switching between apps.
If you’re interested in installing OS X El Capitan, here’s how to perform a clean install.
Clean Install and Simple Update
When you perform a clean install of OS X, you first wipe your entire Mac and then install a fresh copy of OS X, so you start from scratch.
Apple only allows you to update OS X and keep all your files and applications intact, but some users find that when a new version of OS X is released, just like when they first get their Mac and have a clean slate to work with, some users find that the new version of OS X is released. likes to make a start. with.
Of course, you should back up your important files before performing a clean install, but everything else will be deleted. It’s an easy way to clear out the clutter that was created when you last started with a clean slate.
Preparation
Before you get too carried away and dig deeper into the OS X El Capitan installation process, you’ll want to make sure the new operating system is supported on your particular Mac model.
You can now get public transit directions in Apple Maps, just like in iOS 9.
Fortunately, any Mac that can run OS X Yosemite can also run OS X El Capitan, but for reference, here is the list of Macs that support OS X El Capitan:
Performing a Clean Install
The process of performing a clean install of OS X is really easy thanks to an app called. DiskMaker Xcreates a bootable USB drive for you. In the past this was the hardest part, but now it’s fully automated.
First, you will want Download OS X El Capitan from the Mac App Storeand once downloaded it may start automatically, but it just shuts down.
Next, insert a USB flash drive of at least 8 GB and open DiskMaker X. Click on OS X El Capitan 10.11 and let the application do the rest. When you’re done, you’ll be left with a bootable USB drive.
If you still want to create a bootable USB drive with Terminal the old-fashioned way, here’s how to do it.
Plug in your USB drive and turn it on. Select your USB drive in the sidebar and click tab.
From there, select the box and name it (although it’s already named that way). Click it and wait for the format to finish.
When it’s done, close Disk Utility and open the folder in it. Type (or copy and paste) the following command and press:
sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/Untitled --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app --nointeraction
This command will create the USB boot drive and will take around 20 minutes to complete depending on how fast your flash drive is (USB 3.0 is ideal). Don’t mess with the Terminal or remove the flash drive while it’s doing its job. Once done, it will say
Now you have a bootable USB flash drive with OS X El Capitan ready to use and it’s time to install it on your Mac.
Installing OS X El Capitan
Restart your Mac with the USB drive inserted and hold the key. This will open a menu where you will select an installation driver. Select the USB drive you just made. Click the up arrow under the drive icon to get started.
It will write “OS X El Capitan” instead of “OS X Yosemite”
This next step is important to perform a clean install. You’re going to want to wipe and reformat your hard drive, so when you get to the screen go to the top menu bar and go to .
Once there, follow these steps:
Click your main hard drive (usually ) in the left sidebar and then click tab. Make sure the field is selected.
Give the hard drive a name. If you want to stick with the traditional Mac naming convention, go with , but if you’re feeling creative you can name it anything.
Click on the lower right corner to begin the deletion process. Once done, exit Disk Utility where you will be brought back to the screen.
Click and follow the onscreen steps to start the OS X El Capitan installation process.
As you may have noticed, this is quite a complicated method, but once DiskMaker X releases the final OS X El Capitan, the process will be much easier and we will update this article when that happens.
Enjoy this process for now and have fun with OS X El Capitan!
