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I want to reinstall El Capitan. After re=downloading from the App Store, a popup message says the file is too old. I absolutely want to revert to this OS, as I have had numerous issues with Sierra.

I would appreciate help in this issue, thanks.

MacBook Air OS Sierra 10.12

EtreCheck version: 3.0.6 (315) Report generated 2016-10-21 14:18:39 Download EtreCheck from https://etrecheck.com Runtime 2:05 Performance: Excellent

Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products. Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.

Problem: Other problem

Hardware Information: ⓘ MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013) [Technical Specifications] - [User Guide] - [Warranty & Service] MacBook Air - model: MacBookAir6,2 1 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2-core 4 GB RAM Not upgradeable BANK 0/DIMM0 2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok BANK 1/DIMM0 2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Battery: Health = Normal - Cycle count = 623

Video Information: ⓘ Intel HD Graphics 5000 Color LCD 1280 x 800

System Software: ⓘ macOS Sierra 10.12 (16A320) - Time since boot: about 2 hours

Disk Information: ⓘ APPLE SSD SM0256F disk0 : (251 GB) (Solid State - TRIM: Yes) EFI (disk0s1) : 210 MB Recovery HD (disk0s3) [Recovery]: 650 MB Untitled (disk1) / [Startup]: 249.78 GB (66.35 GB free) Encrypted AES-XTS Unlocked Core Storage: disk0s2 250.14 GB Online

USB Information: ⓘ Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Thunderbolt Information: ⓘ Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

Gatekeeper: ⓘ Anywhere

Kernel Extensions: ⓘ /Library/Application Support/Roxio [not loaded] com.roxio.TDIXController (1.7 - 2014-10-17) [Support]

    /Library/Extensions
[loaded]    com.bongiovi.DPSReflector (1.0.6 - SDK 10.11 - 2016-10-14) [Support]

    /System/Library/Extensions
[not loaded]    com.LaCie.ScsiType00 (1.2.13 - SDK 10.5 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded]    com.jmicron.driver.jmPeripheralDevice (2.0.4 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded]    com.lacie.driver.LaCie_RemoteComms (1.0.1 - SDK 10.5 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded]    com.olympus.CamBlockCommandsDevice (2.0.0 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded]    com.olympus.CamBlockCommandsDeviceUP (2.0.0 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded]    com.oxsemi.driver.OxsemiDeviceType00 (1.28.13 - SDK 10.5 - 2016-10-14) [Support]
[not loaded]    org.dungeon.driver.SATSMARTDriver (0.9 - SDK 10.7 - 2016-10-14) [Support]

    /System/Library/Extensions/OlympusDSCDriver.kext/Contents/PlugIns
[not loaded]    com.olympus.CamFWSerialBusProtocolTransport (2.0.0 - 2006-11-30) [Support]
[not loaded]    com.olympus.CamUSBMassStorageClass (2.0.0 - 2006-11-30) [Support]

System Launch Agents: ⓘ [not loaded] 8 Apple tasks [loaded] 167 Apple tasks [running] 80 Apple tasks [killed] 16 Apple tasks 16 processes killed due to insufficient RAM

System Launch Daemons: ⓘ [not loaded] 37 Apple tasks [loaded] 160 Apple tasks [running] 93 Apple tasks [killed] 13 Apple tasks 13 processes killed due to insufficient RAM

Launch Agents: ⓘ [not loaded] com.amazon.sendtokindle.launcher.plist (2016-09-27) [Support] [not loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist (2016-08-05) [Support] [failed] com.maintain.PurgeInactiveMemory.plist (2014-11-02) [not loaded] com.maintain.Restart.plist (2014-10-23) [not loaded] com.maintain.ShutDown.plist (2014-10-23) [not loaded] com.maintain.SystemEvents.plist (2014-10-23) [loaded] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist (2015-07-03) [Support] [running] jp.co.canon.ScanGearMF.appl.Canon-MF-Scan-Agent.plist (2012-09-12) [Support] [running] jp.co.canon.ScanGearMF.appl.Canon-MFSU-Agent.plist (2014-12-10) [Support] [not loaded] net.culater.SIMBL.Agent.plist (2011-11-30) [Support] [not loaded] org.chromium.chromoting.plist (2016-06-20) [Support]

Launch Daemons: ⓘ [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist (2016-09-23) [Support] [loaded] com.bombich.ccc.plist (2012-06-16) [Support] [loaded] com.bresink.system.securityagent3a.plist (2014-04-17) [Support] [loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist (2016-09-01) [Support] [loaded] com.klieme.TimeMachineScheduler.plist (2012-05-31) [Support] [loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist (2015-03-03) [Support] [loaded] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist (2015-07-03) [Support] [loaded] com.timesoftware.timemachineeditor.backup-auto.plist (2013-01-21) [Support] [loaded] com.timesoftware.timemachineeditor.helper.plist (2012-12-21) [Support] [failed] com.vmware.launchd.vmware.plist (2011-05-21) [Support] [loaded] net.sourceforge.MonolingualHelper.plist (2013-07-05) [Support] [loaded] org.macosforge.xquartz.privileged_startx.plist (2012-05-24) [Support]

User Launch Agents: ⓘ [not loaded] com.shoebox.launched.plist (2015-12-07) [Support] [loaded] com.shoebox.launched.pliste (2015-12-07) [Support] [not loaded] com.spotify.webhelper.plist (2016-10-14) [Support] [running] com.srib.pssddaemon.plist (2015-07-17) [Support]

User Login Items: ⓘ Flux Application (/Applications/Flux.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ⓘ Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: 2.3.8.1 (2014-04-17) [Support] FlashPlayer-10.6: 23.0.0.185 - SDK 10.9 (2016-10-11) [Support] QuickTime Plugin: 7.7.3 (2016-09-06) Flash Player: 23.0.0.185 - SDK 10.9 (2016-10-11) [Support] JavaAppletPlugin: Java 8 Update 101 build 13 (2016-08-19) Check version SharePointBrowserPlugin: 14.3.5 - SDK 10.6 (2014-04-17) [Support] nplastpass: 2.0.15 (2014-04-17) [Support] PepperFlashPlayer: 23.0.0.185 - SDK 10.9 (2016-10-11) [Support] Silverlight: 5.1.50709.0 - SDK 10.6 (2016-09-20) [Support] iPhotoPhotocast: 7.0 - SDK 10.8 (2014-04-17)

User internet Plug-ins: ⓘ CitrixOnlineWebDeploymentPlugin: 1.0.105 (2013-04-25) [Support]

Safari Extensions: ⓘ Adblock Plus - Eyeo GmbH - https://adblockplus.org/ (2016-10-17) NoMoreiTunes - Florian Pichler - http://nomoreitunes.einserver.de/ (2016-08-26) Tab Across - [email protected] - http://tabacross.com (2016-07-15) Evernote Web Clipper - Evernote Corp. - http://evernote.com (2016-10-17) Reddit Enhancement Suite - Steve Sobel - http://redditenhancementsuite.com/ (2016-10-14) Save to Pocket - Read It Later, Inc. - http://getpocket.com/ (2016-06-29) AdBlock - BetaFish, Inc. - https://getadblock.com (2016-09-29) Sessions - David Yoo - https://sessions-extension.github.io/Sessions/ (2016-08-26)

3rd Party Preference Panes: ⓘ remoting_host_prefpane (2016-08-05) [Support] Flash Player (2016-09-23) [Support] Java (2016-08-19) [Support] TimeMachineScheduler (2014-04-17) [Support]

Time Machine: ⓘ Skip System Files: NO Mobile backups: ON Auto backup: YES Volumes being backed up: Untitled: Disk size: 249.78 GB Disk used: 183.42 GB Destinations: Seagate [Local] Total size: 4.00 TB Total number of backups: 4 Oldest backup: 9/7/16, 8:57 PM Last backup: 10/2/16, 7:29 PM Size of backup disk: Excellent Backup size 4.00 TB > (Disk size 249.78 GB X 3)

    Data [Network]
    Total size: 2.00 TB
    Total number of backups: 112
    Oldest backup: 4/16/14, 11:47 PM
    Last backup: 10/21/16, 3:31 AM
    Size of backup disk: Excellent
        Backup size 2.00 TB > (Disk size 249.78 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: ⓘ 16% mdworker(17) 5% WindowServer 2% fontd 2% kernel_task 1% launchd

Top Processes by Memory: ⓘ 827 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent(6) 524 MB kernel_task 324 MB mdworker(17) 279 MB Safari 98 MB iTunes

Virtual Memory Information: ⓘ 18 MB Free RAM 3.98 GB Used RAM (523 MB Cached) 240 MB Swap Used

Diagnostics Information: ⓘ Oct 21, 2016, 12:10:19 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-21-121019_[redacted].crash /Library/ScriptingAdditions/SIMBL.osax/Contents/Resources/SIMBL Agent.app/Contents/MacOS/SIMBL Agent Oct 21, 2016, 12:09:29 PM Self test - passed Oct 21, 2016, 11:16:09 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-21-111609_[redacted].crash Oct 21, 2016, 11:00:51 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/mds_stores_2016-10-21-110051_[redacted].cpu_res ource.diag [Details] /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/Metadata.framework /Versions/A/Support/mds_stores Oct 21, 2016, 09:12:27 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-21-091227_[redacte d].crash /Applications/StellarDriveToolBox.app/Contents/MacOS/StellarDriveToolBox.app/Co ntents/MacOS/StellarDriveToolBox Oct 21, 2016, 09:11:40 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-21-091140_[redacte d].crash Oct 21, 2016, 09:11:00 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-21-091100_[redacted].crash Oct 21, 2016, 07:15:09 AM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-21-071509_[redacte d].crash Oct 21, 2016, 03:08:13 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/TMScheduler_2016-10-21-030813_[redacted].crash /Library/PreferencePanes/TimeMachineScheduler.prefPane/Contents/Resources/TMSch eduler Oct 20, 2016, 08:11:03 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-20-201103_[redacte d].crash Oct 20, 2016, 08:09:57 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/StellarDriveToolBox_2016-10-20-200957_[redacte d].crash Oct 20, 2016, 07:49:42 PM ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/SIMBL Agent_2016-10-20-194942_[redacted].crash Oct 19, 2016, 06:13:56 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/TMScheduler_2016-10-19-181356_[redacted].crash Oct 18, 2016, 07:28:28 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Finder_2016-10-18-192828_[redacted].cpu_resourc e.diag [Details] /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app/Contents/MacOS/Finder

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In order to use the Install OS X El Capitan.app from macOS Sierra you need to create a USB Installer and boot the Mac with it. You'll also need to erase the Macintosh HD and perform a clean install. Make sure you have proper User Data Backups from which to restore your Data before erasing the Macintosh HD.

Have a look at Create a bootable installer for OS X. Excerpt show below:

Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal

  1. Download the OS X installer from the Mac App Store. Quit the installer if it opens automatically after downloading. The installer will be in your Applications folder.
  2. Mount your USB flash drive or other volume. You could also use a secondary internal partition.
  3. Open the Terminal app, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  4. Use the createinstallmedia command in Terminal to create the bootable installer. Examples of this command are in the next section. For detailed usage instructions, make sure that the appropriate Install OS X app is in your Applications folder, then enter one of the following paths in Terminal:

Path for El Capitan:

/Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia

Examples

This is the basic syntax of the command. Replace volumepath with the path to your USB flash drive or other volume, and replace installerpath with the path to the Install OS X app. 

createinstallmedia --volume volumepath --applicationpath installerpath

The following examples assume that the OS X installer is in your Applications folder and the name of your USB flash drive or other volume is MyVolume:

Example for El Capitan:

sudo /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/MyVolume --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ OS\ X\ El\ Capitan.app
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