Check compatibility
You can upgrade to OS X El Capitan from OS X Snow Leopard or later on any of the following Mac models. Your Mac also needs at least 2GB of memory and 8.8GB of available storage space.
MacBook introduced in 2009 or later, plus MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008)
MacBook Air introduced in late 2008 or later
MacBook Pro introduced in mid 2007 or later
Mac mini introduced in early 2009 or later
iMac introduced in mid 2007 or later
Mac Pro introduced in early 2008 or later
Xserve models introduced in early 2009
To find your Mac model, memory, storage space, and macOS version, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu . If your Mac isn't compatible with OS X El Capitan, the installer will let you know.
Make a backup
- Acrobat compatibility with the new Mac OS 10.11- El Capitan With the Fall release for Acrobat 11 and DC, we have made both the versions compatible with Mac OS El Capitan.
- Hello, I tried downloading a previous version of creative cloud as the new version doesn't work on my OS X EL CAPITAN 10.11.6 mac but it doesn't work. The creative cloud window opens but I don't see any application in it just a blue circle and then it disappears from my computer; perhaps it's not.
If you're running Mac OS X 10.8 or older, the Adobe Reader download page looks like this: You can install an older version of Acrobat Reader. For instructions, see Install an older version of Adobe Reader on Mac OS. When asked whether to save the.dmg file, select Save File. Adobe has discovered the compatibility issues listed below with running Photoshop CC 2015 with Mac OS 10.11 (El Capitan). We recommend that customers do their own testing on a non-production partition to ensure that new operating systems work with their current hardware and drivers.
Before installing any upgrade, it’s a good idea to back up your Mac. Time Machine makes it simple, and other backup methods are also available. Learn how to back up your Mac.
Get connected
It takes time to download and install OS X, so make sure that you have a reliable Internet connection. If you're using a Mac notebook computer, plug it into AC power.
Download OS X El Capitan
For the strongest security and latest features, find out whether you can upgrade to macOS Catalina, the latest version of macOS.
If you still need OS X El Capitan, use this link: Download OS X El Capitan. A file named InstallMacOSX.dmg will download to your Mac.
Install the macOS installer
Double-click the downloaded file to open a window showing its contents. Then double-click the file within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg.
Follow the onscreen instructions, which will guide you through the steps necessary to install.
Begin installation
After installation of the installer is complete, open the Applications folder on your Mac, then double-click the file named Install OS X El Capitan.
Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions. You might find it easiest to begin installation in the evening so that it can complete overnight, if needed.
Allow installation to complete
Please allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Your Mac might restart, show a progress bar, or show a blank screen several times as it installs both OS X and related updates to your Mac firmware.
Learn more
- OS X El Capitan won't install on top of a later version of macOS, but you can erase your disk first or install on another disk.
- You can use macOS Recovery to reinstall macOS.
Sign the petition to force Adobe to issue maintenance patches for Adobe Creative Suite CS5 and El Capitan by clicking here!
After installing the new Apple Mac OS X “El Capitan” software, users are reporting that they cannot load any earlier Adobe CS5 software products, such as Photoshop and Illustrator CS5 and many other versions of Adobe’s design software suites. Users are reporting a Java error as seen here:
This Java runtime error is a big deal in El Capitan!
These users will need to install Java SE 6 Runtime for El Capitan. This error simply means that you will have to downgrade your current version of Java, which is a major part of the Adobe CS5 suite. To download this older version of Java, simply visit our Java download page and download the older Java package, which resides on Apple’s servers.
Will you ever consider switching to Adobe Creative Cloud software?
- No (86%, 250 Votes)
- Unsure (10%, 28 Votes)
- Yes (4%, 12 Votes)
Total Voters: 290
After you install the Java SE 6 Runtime for El Capitan, your normal Adobe software functions will return, such as Photoshop and Illustrator CS5. Alternatively, you can purchase the newest Adobe Creative Cloud software from here and not have this Java issue.