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Factory reset failure on MacBook Pro mid 2009 wit OS X El capitan

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 ?

Posted on Aug 9, 2021 7:30 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Aug 9, 2021 7:56 PM

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.

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 9, 2021 7:56 PM in response to Rossky

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.

Factory reset failure on MacBook Pro mid 2009 wit OS X El capitan

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