"Install Mac OS X" cannot be used from this volume

Hello,
I have a first generation MacBook, and the CD-R drive doesn't always function reliably anymore. So recently I've taken to putting my mom's iMac into Target Disk mode for installing software.
Normally this works just fine. However, this evening I tried to do this for installing Snow Leopard and cannot. What happens is:
1) I connect the 2 computers with FireWire and put the iMac in Target Disk mode.
2) I insert the Snow Leopard disc and double-click on the "Mac OS X Install DVD" icon on my desktop
3) I double-click on "Install Mac OS X"
It is at that point that I receive this message:
The application "Install Mac OS X" cannot be used from this volume.
I searched the forum here, but actually didn't find this exact question. Any help will be very appreciated!
Jim

Try following these steps instead:
1) Insert the Install DVD into the machine with a working disc drive.
2) Power off both machines, and connect them with a Firewire cable.
3) Start the machine with the DVD inside in Target Disk Mode.
4) When the Firewire symbol appears on that machine, boot the other with the Option key held down.
5) Choose the Install DVD from the list of options, then proceed with the install.
That should work for you.
Are you using a retail copy of Snow Leopard (black disc)? Machine-specific gray discs will not work.
~Lyssa

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The application "install mac os x" cannot be used from this volume

I have an older 2008 macbook, with leopard, I am trying to download snow leopard and when i try to install I keep getting the message, "the application "install mac os x" cannot be used from this volume". Can someone please help

There is no way to download the upgrade to Snow Leopard.
What you are downloading are updates.
In order for the update to work your Mac must have Snow Leopard installed first.
The only way to upgrade to Snow Leopard is to purchase the Snow Leopard DVD from Apple Online.
Allan

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.

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.

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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."
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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?
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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.
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Hi there,
I really hope someone can help me as I am tearing my hair out trying to get this resolved!
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http://www.experts-exchange.com/Software/Office_Productivity/Office_Suites/MS_Office/Q_28475448.html
Please Note: Since the web site is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Best regards,
Greta Ge
TechNet Community Support
It's recommended to download and install
Configuration Analyzer Tool (OffCAT), which is developed by Microsoft Support teams. Once the tool is installed, you can run it at any time to scan for hundreds of known issues in Office
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Am trying to install the mas os yosemite and its giving me an error message that "The Install OS X Yosemite application can't be used from this disk". What is the problem?

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HT203088 I have the CANON REBEL T5 1200D, and when i connect it to my mac which is 10.10 the new OS X YOSEMITE it says that it "Cannot be used with this version of the operating system" why does it say that?

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Message was edited by: Kuffdam

Install disks that ship with the computer are highly machine-specific even within the same product line. According to [THIS PAGE|http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1159?viewlocale=en_US] your MBP was probably the model introduced in Feb 2006, which never shipped with an OS version higher than 10.4.6. The only MBP model that shipped with 10.4.9 was the one introduced in June 2007, so it could not have been the same model as yours.
I think all Apple need is your MBP's serial number in order to sell you the proper disks for your machine.

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"Install Mac OS X" cannot be used from this volume

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