date 0101010015 (That sets the date to Jan 1, 2015, at 01:00 AM)
The post-install script is trying to verify firmware or reconfigure the Recovery HD partition. macOS 10.11.6 has a race condition on older spinning hard drives (not SSDs).
Share your experience in the comments below. And if this guide helped you finally install macOS 10.11.6, bookmark it – you will need it again when you inevitably have to reinstall five years from now. Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes and for users who own a legitimate license for OS X El Capitan (which is free software from Apple). Always comply with Apple’s software licensing agreements.
Last Updated: May 2026