Little Help w/ El Cap Install from Mavs?

[SteveO]

On a '10 MBP 16/1 with last Mavs. Downloaded the most recent installer* El Cap install from Apple which I believe someone here led me to a few weeks ago...it is about 5.8gb package but during install, it tells me it will be a 7mb install. I ran the first one, took about a minute or less, my OS obviously didn't change. What gives? Is this an incremental update package?

*NOTE I have an installer saved from 2016. Wonder if I should just try that one as maybe this new one doesn't work? Does the old installer require that weird sh9te about setting the computer clock back before 2014 or whatever?

[GGD]

Carefully look at step 6 in the directions.

That first install you did just created the real installer application in your applications folder, you now need to run that real installer.

[space-time]

I just unpacked a NEW Mac Mini 2012 with Mavericks and I used this link to updated to El Cap, first, then High Sierra and later Mavericks. Somewhere along the way it did change the format from HFS+ to APFS, and I think it also did some firmware updates along the way.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

I used those links 2 days ago. Worked for me.

Now need to take the spinner our and put an SSD

[SteveO]

Dang rrrreading comprehension. I should try that! Thanks.

[MrNoBody]

just my 2¢, I would not use ElCap. Sierra or High Sierra would be my choice.
Neither should be a problem on a 2010 MBP.

[SteveO]

space-time wrote:
I just unpacked a NEW Mac Mini 2012 with Mavericks and I used this link to updated to El Cap, first, then High Sierra and later Mavericks. Somewhere along the way it did change the format from HFS+ to APFS, and I think it also did some firmware updates along the way.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

I used those links 2 days ago. Worked for me.

Now need to take the spinner our and put an SSD

Thanks, gonna try the reading comprehension route first. Ha. ;-)

[space-time]

GGD wrote:
Carefully look at step 6 in the directions.

That first install you did just created the real installer application in your applications folder, you now need to run that real installer.

yes, I think that is the problem. I recall that is how it works on the Mac, but funny, I just tried from the work laptop (Windows 10) and here it downloads the 5.8 GB directly

[RAMd®d]

Installing High Sierra is where/when one's internal SSD (or HD?) gets the partition map changed to APFS.

I forgot this and upgraded my MB to High Sierra.

For me, the downside of that move means no more directory repair via DiskWarrior.

[MrNoBody]

Installing High Sierra is where/when one's internal SSD (or HD?) gets the partition map changed to APFS.

Not required. I have HS installs on a cMP 5,1 & MBP 2012. Both GUID/HFS+.
I'm posting from a cMP 5,1 using Mojave on a PCIe NVMe SSD, it too is GUID/HFS+.

[space-time]

I believe there are tricks to keep HFS+, but by default the format will be changed to APFS

And I thought that applies only to SSD, but I learned that even hard drives get converted to APFS