"You Cannot Install OS X on This Disk. OS X cannot start up from this disk".

Hey, I am running Lion on a Macbook Air 2010 model and i recently bought Mountain Lion through the MAC App Store. ive had problems installing it as i cant install it onto my Macintosh HD (startup Disk). Ive opened the ML installer and its rebooted my mac into the installer Menu, but when it goes to install, it stops and says You Cannot Install OS X on This Disk. OS X cannot start up from this disk." i want to be able to install ML overwriting Lion on my MacintoshHD (startup drive), are there any solutions that can fix this problem?

Glad to hear it!
I ran into another problem: The USB cable I was using for my external backup disk was not reliable. I kept getting "disk ejects" at various points during migration.
I bought a new "2.0 certified" cable and it worked fine. The first two attempts resulted in re-installs.
I'm happy to report that after the 3rd re-install of ML everything appears to be OK.
I disabled TM and keeping my last b/u offline for a few more days to be safe....

Similar Messages

Cannot install Snow Leopard over 10.5.8 because "can't boot from" boot disk

I closed all my apps.
I ran the installer.
I agreed the terms.
I am ask where to install Snow Leopard.
Only one disk is available - my boot disk.
It has a yellow triangle on it.
Selecting the disk tells me "Mac OS X cannot be installed on "Macintosh HD", because this disk cannot be used to start up your computer.".
Rebooting and attempting an install direct from CD yields the same results.
My machine is a six month old aluminium MacBook, and the only difference between it in the shop and today is that it has a customer-installed 500GB hard drive and ditto 4GB RAM in it.
Help.
Neil.

Hi Mike,
Sorry you're having the same problem. It's very frustrating! I'm making some noise about it because as a consequence of being in the software biz for years, I keep machines as vanilla and default as possible whilst serving my purposes as best I can - so I hopefully tread a very well worn QA path. That I am suffering problems probably means a great many more are doing the same.
Unfortunately your solution isn't a good one for me - I simply don't have 400GB of space anywhere nearby. I do have Time Machine backup to a Time Capsule so maybe a solution is to do a vanilla install and clean disk and then a restore. I don't fancy this much though.
I can't help feeling that this is a simple defect in the installer disk detection though, that it uses some custom code rather than systemwide routine to detect bootability.
Neil.

Can't Install Leopard "Cannot Start up from this volume"

I have 10.4.10 currently installed on my MacBook (120GB aftermarket HD).
HD works fine and is properly partition/formatted and working just fine in 10.4 (GUID partition, journaled, etc). Ran repair permission/disk to be safe and it checked out ok.
10.5 installer loads up ok but when I get the list of drives to install to my HD has a red exclaimation on it and when I try and select it I get the message "You cannot install Mac OS X on this volume. Mac OS X cannot start up from this volume."
I have no problems running 10.4 on that volume and I don't want to reformat unless I am 100% sure it will fix the problem.

Since nobody replied after 26 views I assumed nobody wanted to help me.
So I ended up reformatting my HD to the same options it currently had and that fixed it. SO I am starting to do the install now.
Thanks to the 26 people who viewed it and didn't offer any help.

Installing Leopard over Tiger: "MacOs X cannot start up from this [volume]"

That's the message I get on an iMac dual 2-GHz. Each partition has a yellow '!' with the message "MacOs X cannot start up from this [volume]" (I think it says volume) not 'cannot be installed on this..."
Trouble is, it says this about the current 10.4.11 start-up volume. Is this a GUID partition map thing? Any ways around it?
TIA,

TimDanaher wrote:
"MacOs X cannot start up from this [volume]" (I think it says volume) not 'cannot be installed on this..."
Trouble is, it says this about the current 10.4.11 start-up volume. Is this a GUID partition map thing?
That's easy to test. Launch Disk Utility, select that drive (not volume) in the column on the left, and look for "Partition Map Scheme" at the bottom of the window.
Any ways around it?
If it's not already GUID, you'll need to repartition the drive. That will erase everything on it.

Maverick upgrade issue : OS X cannot start up from this disk

Hi all, everytime I try to upgrade to Maverick for my new mackbook air, I got this problem 'OS X cannot start up from this disk' (MACOSX). I tried deleting files to get more space, repairing disk and determine that it is not time machine issue, but to no avail. I have 58 gb free space on my 128 gb SSD. Can anyone help ? It is really frustrating. I am not sure what is the other disk called OS X install ESD which is 5.42 GB total.

sigge44 wrote:
I'm trying to upgrade my tiger installation with leopard, but I get the message "Mac os x cannot start up from this volume". It is the internal disk and I have a Linux install too on that disk. Earlier I used Refit but I have removed it. Do I have to repartition? Partiontabel is GUID-partiontable in diskutil.
Removing an app or bootloader like rEFIt or OS such as Linux does not ensure that the drive is back to where it was before you installed these programs.
Even having a partition for TechTools eDrive will cause problems.
First I would run DU and check/repair your HD and then run a file permission verify/repair and zap the PRAM.
I would then suggest backing up Tiger and Linux with clones and completely erasing the HD using the full (not quick) erase and then installing Leopard and migrating your Tiger material back.

Mac os x cannot start up from this disk

I have a 2008 MacBook Air which runs Leopard. I want to upgrade to Snow Leopard and then Lion. I have the Snow Leopard family pack disk and try to do the install but it say 'Mac OS X cannot start up from this disk' and shows a yellow triangle with a !
I went to the genius bar and they told me to put the Snow Leopard disk in the superdrive and restart holding down C and it would then work - but it did not. I also saw on a forum about using disk utility and partion and resizing the partition then putting it back as it was originally and then re trying but I get the same message.
Anybody got any ideas?

Saw an article by Topher Kessler: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-10330520-263.html
The extract from that article below worked for me.
Note when I first resized the partion (comment above) I did not 'apply', this time I did and then resized back to the original full size and hit 'apply' again. Although when the install starts it shows the size of the partion to be the smaller (temporary) size, it is not and the install completes with no issues.
Boot from the Snow Leopard DVD and select your language. Then launch "Disk Utility" from the "Utilities" menu and perform the following steps:
Select your boot device (the device above the boot volume name), and select the "Partition" tab.
Resize the partition by selecting the volume name in the rectangular volume representation and drag the bottom-right corner of it to change its size.
Click "Apply" to change the partition's size.
Revert the change by dragging the same resizing corner back to the bottom, and click "apply."
After this is done, quit out of Disk Utility and try installing Snow Leopard again. Since you are booted from the Snow Leopard DVD you should be able to continue immediately without having to reboot your system.
Hope this helps others. Thanks Topher!

HT6030 I have 2011 iMac it came with os x 10.6.6 i just upgraded the hard drive and now i cannot install OS X 10.6.6 every time i start installing after selecting the language it come up with error " OS X can't be installed on this mac " please help

I have 2011 iMac it came with os x 10.6.6 i just upgraded the hard drive and now i cannot install OS X 10.6.6 every time i start installing after selecting the language it come up with error " OS X can't be installed on this mac " please help

Be sure to start your iMac using its original grey System Install DVD: Insert that disc and start your Mac while holding the d key. At the Mac OS X Utilities screen select Disk Utility and format the hard disk. Select "Mac OS X Extended (Journaled)".
Then, install OS X.

I am purchasing a hard drive with OSX v 10.5 installed on it. can I make a usb or disk copy of 10.5 Leopard from this hard drive copy

I am purchasing a hard drive with OSX v 10.5 installed on it. can I make a usb or disk copy of 10.5 Leopard from this hard drive copy
Regards
Jay

If the Mac in your signature is what you desire to use 10.5 with, you can't do so, it is too new.
If PowerPC application compatibility is what you desire with that Mac, look at this solution:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2295#ROSETTALION
10.5 only was distributed by CD and updates to 10.5 from free online downloads. Why do you want 10.5, and what do you desire to put it on? Is the person sending 10.5 using 10.5 for anything? If he is, he can't sell the drive.

I bought PhotoShop 12.0 for Windows 8. I cannot find the Curves function in the program. Is Curves excluded from this version? If so, how can I upgrade to get Curves? Thank you!

I bought PhotoShop 12.0 for Windows 8. I cannot find the Curves function in the program. Is Curves excluded from this version? If so, how can I upgrade to get Curves? Thank you!

teddy27 a écrit:
Thank you, Michel, for your helpful answer. I have downloaded SmartCurve and saved the files in C:\program files\adobe\Photoshop elements\plug-ins. I re-started PhotoShop. Do I access SmartCurve to adjust curves from within PhotoShop?
You can acces it from the menu 'Filters', there is a line called 'Easy.Filter', click it and it shows 'Smartcurve'.
Separately, can I upgrade my PhotoShop Elements to Photoshop without signing up to the CC 'rental' system of monthly payments? Sincere thanks, Ted
I know that you don't need the CC 'rental' subscription to have Photoshop, but as far as I know, there is no upgrade path from Elements except periodical special offers.

Solution: mac os x cannot start up from this volume

I purchased a new WD 300GB SATA drive recently to replace a failing OEM 250GB drive in a G5 tower. I installed the new drive and ran the 10.4.3 Installer DVD. I opened Disk Utility, selected the new drive, clicked the Erase tab, etc., etc. Went back to the Installer, saw an error: "You cannot install OS X on this volume. Mac OS X cannot start up from this volume."
Long story short, it appears that sometimes Disk Utility doesn't actually correctly format the drive. The key thing to look for is that if you go to Disk Utility and select the physical drive volume, then hit Get Info, under Partition Type it will say "FDiskpartitionscheme," even though it claims to be formatted Mac OS Extended, Journaled. The Installer will reject any disks not listed as "Applepartitionscheme."
The solution is to go back into Disk Utility and try different methods of reformatting (select the physical drive, select the logical volume, Erase, Partition, etc.) until you get "Applepartitionscheme." Then it should work fine.

To install Panther, you need the retail install version CDs (black with silver X). I suspect you are trying to use a model specific version or upgrade version (gray), that won't work.
When you formatted the new drive, did you check to install the OS 9 drivers? The drivers need to be installed if you want to be able to boot OS 9.x. If you just want to be able to run in classic mode, the drivers are not necessary.
If OS X has never been installed on your Mac, you need to check if your Mac requires a firmware (Boot ROM version in System Profiler) update. Mac OS X: Available firmware updates
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86117 If an update is required, the update must be installed (using OS 9) BEFORE you install OS X.
 Cheers, Tom

Upgrade "Mac os x cannot start up from this volume"

I'm trying to upgrade my tiger installation with leopard, but I get the message "Mac os x cannot start up from this volume". It is the internal disk and I have a Linux install too on that disk. Earlier I used Refit but I have removed it. Do I have to repartition? Partiontabel is GUID-partiontable in diskutil.

sigge44 wrote:
I'm trying to upgrade my tiger installation with leopard, but I get the message "Mac os x cannot start up from this volume". It is the internal disk and I have a Linux install too on that disk. Earlier I used Refit but I have removed it. Do I have to repartition? Partiontabel is GUID-partiontable in diskutil.
Removing an app or bootloader like rEFIt or OS such as Linux does not ensure that the drive is back to where it was before you installed these programs.
Even having a partition for TechTools eDrive will cause problems.
First I would run DU and check/repair your HD and then run a file permission verify/repair and zap the PRAM.
I would then suggest backing up Tiger and Linux with clones and completely erasing the HD using the full (not quick) erase and then installing Leopard and migrating your Tiger material back.

"If you turn off iCloud Drive, all documents stored on iCloud will be deleted from this Mac.

My wife changed her iCloud password on her iPhone, and when she went to her iMac she changed her iCloud password there to match the iPhone. Then she got the following message:
"if you turn off iCloud Drive, all documents stored on iCloud will be deleted from this Mac. This appears under her iCloud account. She has Yosemite on her iMac.
So she's stuck. Any ideas?

The documents remain in iCloud, but are removed from your mac. So if she turns it off, they will be removed. If she turns it back on, the documents would again be available.

Mac Book Pro 15" mid 2009 after installing new hard drive and 8 gb memory, start up disk is still full, start up from power off is very slow, and programs open immediately after start up EX. word, excel. Help?

I installed a new 1tb WD hardrive in my mid 2009 macbook pro along with upgrading from 4gb to 8 gb.
My start up disk is still almost full, booting up is extremely slow, and programs open up by themselves once booted up ex:word, excel.
New TB drive shows up alng with 8 GB but, new hard drive not updating somehere? What am I missing? See screenshots below

Thanks for the response, but I'm looking for answers to a few of the other answers before I look at completeing the steps above.
1. Whyis the new TB drive recognized in image 1 but still have the original 256GB size still recognized(and almost full) in image 1 also? The HD should now be 1 TB, not 256 correct? If this were the case, the HD, would only be fraction of full capacity, Where is the disconnect between reconizing the installed tb HD but, it not being used?
2.Image Number 2 shows once again that the new tb internal HD is recognized. However, in image 3, the HD 256GB drive is still shown underneath the new HD. Does this show that I am misssing something, some step, related to confirming the new HD should be fully reconized instaed of this old 256 that still remains?
3. In image 4, the SATA heading, shows the TB hardrive, However, in image 5, the 256GB drive is still being shown under the storage heading? Once again, seems like I've missed some simple step to make this all the same?
4.Why is the start up from boot up soooo slow now. I was never even close to this slow(slower than PC startup slow) before the new HD was installed. IS this common when updraging to a new HD? Doesn't seem right?
5. Why now all of a sudden when the computer finally boots up are certain programs automatically opening up, word, excel, when they have never opened up like this before?
Summary: 1. New memory issues, 2. Very slow start up, 3. Programs opening up automatically at startup.
Until I address these issues, I'm not going to worry about loking through and deleting heavy folders.
All responses welcomed!

I am trying to get my ipod to work and when i plug my ipod in to my computer with i tunes on i get the message " the ipod cannot be used because the mobile device service is not started" what does this mean

I got the message "the ipod cannot be used because the mobile device service is not started"...when i plugged my ipod in with itunes running

I'd start with the following document with that one:
iPhone, iPad, iPod touch: How to restart the Apple Mobile Device Service (AMDS) on Windows

Start up from Installation Disk

In Disk Utility it says that to test the start up disk, boot from the OS X Installation Disk, then open Utilities and Disk Utility. You can't. You can only re-install the operating system (placing the existing system in a folder called, 'Previous System').
I did run the Apple Hardware Test (okay), but I don't think that's the same as testing the start up disk.
What am I doing wrong?
Power MAC G5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Yes you can.
After booting from the Tiger install disc, select your language and at the next screen (Installer window), select Utilities > Disk Utility from the Installer menu bar.
System troubleshooting procedures including instructions for running Disk First Aid repair when booted from the Tiger install disc (1st procedure) included per this link.
http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/repairprocess.html

"You Cannot Install OS X on This Disk. OS X cannot start up from this disk".

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