Downloading El Capitan is like eating nails

[kirkbross]

I have El Capitan installed.

However, I want to download the El Cap installer, make a bootable thumb drive and install it clean on a new SSD.

In the App store, I can initiate a download (I *think*??) but have no way of knowing if it's download or not, other than an endlessly spinning progress wheel in the upper left corner of the App store window (see pic).

I am on the Purchased tabs and if I change tabs and go back the spinning wheel goes away and the download button becomes active again. No sign of the (partial) download anywhere. WTF?

Is there any way to download this mafk and monitor it like a civilized human being, i.e. with a download manager that doesn't quit unless you power down and with a progress bar that let's you know where you are in the multi gig download?

 

[ardchoille50]

I recently downloaded El Capitan for the exact same reasons. When I was downloading, I noticed a small blue progress bar underneath the launch pad icon in the dock. That's the only way I knew when the download was complete. I'm wondering if a reboot will help you.

 

[JohnDS]

Try changing your DNS before trying to downloading. You might get to a faster server that way.
Try 8.8.8.8
or
204.13.248.112

 

[kirkbross]

Tried that... it just doesn't seem to want to connect. It's not a speed thing, it's simply not connecting to Apple's servers for some reason. Maybe it's just bogged down right now.

 

[Arocker]

I'm trying to do a clean El Cap OS install for a new ssd via 8gb flash drive etc.
I'm already using El Cap. I'm trying to download the installer from the app store and it just gives me the spinning wheel in the upper left hand corner of the store (not the beach ball) and nothing happens!
WTF?!

 

[Arocker]

I'm trying to do the same thing (Bootable thumb, clean install) and having the exact same problem. Any luck?

 

[JohnDS]

Try changing your DNS in the system prefs to 203.122.233.11

 

[Mcmeowmers]

Check your Applications folder. You cannot download the installer if the installer is already present in some location on your mac. You just have to find it

 

[JohnDS]

See also: http://www.theshell.guru/fix-slow-os-x-el-capitan-download-speed/

 

[cynics]

I find myself using Activity Monitor / Network to monitor downloads on occasion. When an iOS update is downloading via iTunes it doesn't give you a progress bar so its impossible to tell if the download is slow, frozen, working perfectly, etc...

Watching network activity doesn't tell you how much longer is left (unless you know the download size) but you can at least see the speed of the transfer.

 

[dsemf]

I find myself using Activity Monitor / Network to monitor downloads on occasion. When an iOS update is downloading via iTunes it doesn't give you a progress bar so its impossible to tell if the download is slow, frozen, working perfectly, etc...

Watching network activity doesn't tell you how much longer is left (unless you know the download size) but you can at least see the speed of the transfer.

For me, the IOS download status shows in the upper right corner of the iTunes screen.

DS

 

[Arocker]

I finally got it. What worked for me was signing out of the App Store, signing back in and giving it a shot. Now I see the bar under the Launchpad icon and can see the progress in the finder under the El Cap icon. It is very slow but maybe that's on the server end?

 

[kirkbross]

OP here... yeah... I realized that the spinning gray progress wheel that appears in the upper left corner when you first click download is NOT the download progress... it's the "connecting to Apple's download server" progress.

When you are ACTUALLY downloading, you'll get a regular blue horizontal progress bar. If you don't get that, you haven't even connected yet so you can try signing out and back into the App store... whatever... just keep trying until you actually see a downloading progress bar (blue, horizontal).