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I cannot re-install OS X El Capitan on my MacBook Pro 13" mid 2009. I want to reset to factory defaults. After erasing through Disk Utility the re-installation does not work. I have the message that "OS X could not be installed. No packages were eligible for install". What should I do to have the MacBook running with OS X El Capitan again ?
Never reset your mac without having your own means to reinstall the OS, relying on Apples Recovery Servers is not
a good idea as explained below.
Before resetting your mac you should have downloaded the El Capitan install dmg and used that to get the
Mac OS X El Capitan.app then you make a bootable USB flash drive installer and use that to erase your mac
and reinstall Mac OS X El Capitan.
How to create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support (UK)
The certificates for several of Apples OS's expired in October 2019, Apple haven’t bothered getting these updated on
their Recovery Servers with valid certificates.
Try this workaround, we are going to set the time and date on your mac to a date previous to the expiry date of the certificates.
Connect your mac to your router via cable, not WiFi
Boot to your Recovery HD, click on Utilities in the menubar select Terminal.
Make sure WiFi is switched off, it can reset the date back to today.
Enter a new date, for example or just copy and paste
sudo date -u 011421002017
press Return
enter your password
press Return
If Terminal returns an error saying sudo : command not found, then try again without sudo.
just enter
date -u 011421002017
press Return
You won't be prompted for a Password if you did not need to use sudo
Once the date has changed you can quit Terminal.
Now try downloading the OS.
Click on Install OS X, press Continue.
If this works then when the OS is installed and booted up you can Open System Preferences> Date & Time
and reset the time back to today.
Never reset your mac without having your own means to reinstall the OS, relying on Apples Recovery Servers is not
a good idea as explained below.
Before resetting your mac you should have downloaded the El Capitan install dmg and used that to get the
Mac OS X El Capitan.app then you make a bootable USB flash drive installer and use that to erase your mac
and reinstall Mac OS X El Capitan.
How to create a bootable installer for macOS – Apple Support (UK)
The certificates for several of Apples OS's expired in October 2019, Apple haven’t bothered getting these updated on
their Recovery Servers with valid certificates.
Try this workaround, we are going to set the time and date on your mac to a date previous to the expiry date of the certificates.
Connect your mac to your router via cable, not WiFi
Boot to your Recovery HD, click on Utilities in the menubar select Terminal.
Make sure WiFi is switched off, it can reset the date back to today.
Enter a new date, for example or just copy and paste
sudo date -u 011421002017
press Return
enter your password
press Return
If Terminal returns an error saying sudo : command not found, then try again without sudo.
just enter
date -u 011421002017
press Return
You won't be prompted for a Password if you did not need to use sudo
Once the date has changed you can quit Terminal.
Now try downloading the OS.
Click on Install OS X, press Continue.
If this works then when the OS is installed and booted up you can Open System Preferences> Date & Time
and reset the time back to today.
Do you have the Grey Install/Restore DVDs as noted in What’s in the box section of MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) - Technical Specifications?
Factory reset failure on MacBook Pro mid 2009 wit OS X El capitan
