can't install El Cap with Parallels 15

C

CharlieJ2

Bit poster
i downloaded the free trial of Parallels 15 to try to set up a VM with El Cap for a couple of applications that won't work on anything after that OS version that I need for work stuff. i got Parallels installed (machine is running Mojave), downloaded El Cap from my purchases, created the blank VM and it saw the installer and made the image it said it needed. it boots up into the whole Mac Recovery looking screen and lets me select to install the OS. then after about 10 minutes it craps out saying
If I let it reboot it just tries again and the same result.
I've deleted the attempted VM, deleted the installer app and redownloaded it. I even tried to clone an old VM from when I used Parallels 12 and it opened fine but wouldn't install any updated OS versions.
all the instructions online say it should just work but it's not.
 
whoops. somehow I deleted the error. it was "OS X could not be installed on your computer. No packages were eligible for install"
 
CharlieJ2 said:
whoops. somehow I deleted the error. it was "OS X could not be installed on your computer. No packages were eligible for install"
Click to expand...

I have the same problem, running under Catalina 10.15.1 Parallels 15.1.1, it stops in the middle of the installation with an error like yours. Any help is much appreciated. I'm runing Windows 10 and Ubuntu without problems and have lots of free disk space.
 
I have the same problem now.

Since I was able to create new El Capitan instance several weeks ago (not sure if it was on PD 14 or 15), I thought downgrading to PD 14 might work, only to see the same error unfortunately.
 
I can't get El Capitan installed in a Guest OS.
I downloaded El Capitan directly from Apple and followed the instructions to create a bootable usb drive.
(https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372)
The installation starts until the first reboot and than the installation stops with an error message.
OS X could not be installed on your computer
No packages were eligible for install. Contact the software manufacturer for assistance.
Quit the installer to restart your computer and try again.
Click to expand...

Parallels 15.1.4 (247270)
macOS Catalina 10.15.6
Mac mini (2018)
 
Sonderpa said:
I can't get El Capitan installed in a Guest OS.
I downloaded El Capitan directly from Apple and followed the instructions to create a bootable usb drive.
(https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372)
The installation starts until the first reboot and than the installation stops with an error message.


Parallels 15.1.4 (247270)
macOS Catalina 10.15.6
Mac mini (2018)
Click to expand...

Ok, I had this problem and I've got an El Capitan VM running - took me FOREVER to get going through. I did this:
1. Assuming El Cap is in your purchases (it was for me)
2. http://anadoxin.org/blog/creating-a-bootable-el-capitan-iso-image.html --> Used this method to create the ISO
3. turn off sync time with the host os
4. Before you install, set your system's time like this (you can even use that date) --> https://techsparx.com/computer-hardware/apple/macosx/install-osx-when-you-cant.html On an apple discussion forum apparently it's something to do with the certificate in the installer, so the date needs to be before some time in 2017 (I think)
5. If you have a fail/restart - always jump back into the terminal to re-verify that the time is the one you set
6. Finally got it installed!
 
I should clarify above - Using the Parallels process to create an install image (it helpfully detects the macos installer and asks if you want to use that) - did not work with the process above. Only when I created my own ISO was I able to get it going.
 
@Geekdan
Thank you.
I was finally able to install El Capitan.
The bootable USB drive was working fine.
Eventually I only had to set the system time in terminal (Sync time turned off in the Guest OS).
After I had done that, El Capitan installed without any problem.
 
If you download a new copy of the installer from your Apple purchases tab in the App Store app, you don't need to play with the date. The new download has an updated certificate that hasn't expired :)
 
oztrev said:
If you download a new copy of the installer from your Apple purchases tab in the App Store app, you don't need to play with the date. The new download has an updated certificate that hasn't expired :)
Click to expand...

That was where I got it from: Pulled directly from the app store in early August 2020.
 
Weird. I Installed a new version of the installer from late July 2020 and installed in real hardware with no issues. The previous installer I'd saved from years ago did not work because of the expired Apple certificate..
 
finally got it to work: 2020 MBP 16 in MacOS 10.15.5 / downgraded parallels to 14 based on failure with Parallels 15. Used the link from other parallels help to reach inside the apple store and download the el capitan OS X. Then used the date/time preferences ( did not have to use the terminal mode ) to set the date to Sept 2017. Then successfully added the virtual machine. After so many frustrating failures. Wish the every works perfectly first time support forum parallels staff would be more straightforward on the difficulty it is to get a VM running. Have not yet transferred the 32 bit programs I need to run yet / fingers crossed.
 
I'm running into this problem too. I have spent all morning trying to get a Catalina Mac Mini to run a VM of El Capitan so that I can still use some of my old 32bit software. I keep running into this:

"OS X could not be installed on your computer. No packages were eligible for install"

I've tried the trick of loading from a USB and turning back the clock but then I get a message that "I do not have the right to use this machine". I'm stuck in a vicious cycle. Is there any further help in this area?

I read about 1 workaround that involved pasting a bunch of code into a terminal. But I don't want to do that... terminal commands scare me! Is there really no easier way?
 
AndrewK15 said:
I'm running into this problem too. I have spent all morning trying to get a Catalina Mac Mini to run a VM of El Capitan so that I can still use some of my old 32bit software. I keep running into this:

"OS X could not be installed on your computer. No packages were eligible for install"

I've tried the trick of loading from a USB and turning back the clock but then I get a message that "I do not have the right to use this machine". I'm stuck in a vicious cycle. Is there any further help in this area?

I read about 1 workaround that involved pasting a bunch of code into a terminal. But I don't want to do that... terminal commands scare me! Is there really no easier way?
Click to expand...
Hello,
it looks like a known issue and it currently under investigation with the Parallels Engineering Team.
Also did you check this KB article?
 
Maria@Parallels said:
Hello,
it looks like a known issue and it currently under investigation with the Parallels Engineering Team.
Also did you check this KB article?
Click to expand...
Hi Maria,
I'm having this issue as well. I did try following that article and it didn't work either... Very frustrating. I've tried numerous times in all permutations to get this to work with no luck.

No matter what... I keep running into this:
El%20Cop%20won%27t%20install%20on%20Parallels.png


Any updates on this? Can I get a refund?
 
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