Unable to install Mountain Lion because of Time Machine

I tried to install OS X Mountain Lion.
After I accepted the conditions, I have to choose the disk to install on.
But I'm unable to choose Macintosh HD because Time Machine uses it to save back-ups.
How do I unable Time Machine, and how do I delete the back ups, it takes half of my memory...

Do you, for some reason, have an item named "Backups.backupdb" on your hard drive? If so, you need to get rid of that in order to install.

Similar Messages

Unable to install Mountain Lion because HD is "being used for backups"?

I have been unable to install mountain lion because it is saying that my hard drive is being used for time machine backups. That makes no sense, because I use an external hard drive to backup my computer. I'm not sure why this is happening.

Do you, for some reason, have an item named "Backups.backupdb" on your hard drive? If so, you need to get rid of that in order to install.

HT4854 Unable to download Mountain Lion because it takes too long....

So far am unable to download Mountain Lion because it's taking so long that my computer goes to sleep then it stops downloading and I have to start all over. Says it takes 9 hours to download. This makes it almost impossible to get the product downloaded. I'm very frustrated and would like to either be able to get it done or get my money back.
Any suggestions? Thanks.

You need to go to Energy Preferences and set computer to
never sleep until you finish your download. Then you can
re-enable it.
BTW, since it takes that much time to download, when the
download completes and the install dialog comes up, cancel
the install and save the installer app to a safe place (USP memory
stick, external drive, etc.) so you don't need to download again
in the future.
After you have save it, then you can run the installer by just
double clicking the app in Applications.

I am unable to install Mountain Lion

I am unable to install Mountain Lion on my IMac which is running OS X 10.6.8. During the beginning of the installation process, after accepting the legal page, the installer said the HD I have chosen for the intallation (Machintosh HD) is used for Time Machine backups but I use another HD for them. Any help?

tntndr wrote:
I am unable to install Mountain Lion on my IMac which is running OS X 10.6.8. During the beginning of the installation process, after accepting the legal page, the installer said the HD I have chosen for the intallation (Machintosh HD) is used for Time Machine backups but I use another HD for them. Any help?
Your target installation drive most likely has a Time Machine folder or Time Machine boot picker file still on it that are blocking the installation. These will need to be gone before the installation process will proceed.
Look for these on the root of the target installation disk:
/Backups.backupdb
/tmbootpicker.efi
and maybe:
/.apdisk
Message was edited by: VikingOSX

MacBook won't let me let me install mountain lion because i don't have the previous owner's password how do i get around that

MacBook won't let me let me install mountain lion because i don't have the previous owner's password how do i get around that

What model year it the Mac you have? If it is a Late 2011 or newer model then you can first reinstall the Original version of OS X that came on it by using the Online Internet Recovery system. Hold down the Command+Option/Alt+r key at startup and hold them down until you see a Spinning Globe in the center of the screen. From the screen that comes up use Disk Utility to Repartition the drive as one partition aand when that is done close DU and Select Reinstall Mac OS X.
If it is older then a late 2011 model then you will need the Original System disks for that Mac. These can be order from Apple for a small charge.

Unable to install Mountain Lion on my hard drive

I'm trying to upgrade my early 2008 mac pro from Leopard to Mountain Lion using a bootable usb drive but I'm having trouble doing so. When I try installing mountain lion to my hard drive (Mac Drive 1) - The hard drive is greyed out and says 'you can't upgrade this version of OS X'. Yet it looks like I can install mountain lion onto my second hard drive (Mac Drive 2) for some odd reason.
Here's the details for my mac drive 1 which I'm having trouble with (I noticed the volume format is greyed out on disk utility as well).....
And here's the mac drive 2 info which I don't want to install mountain lion onto but looks like I can....
Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks a lot.

I can't answer the bad hard drive question without some guessing. Not that smart.
Do you have a bootable copy of the Mountain Lion installer?
If not download the following. The site says it will work with 10.6:
http://blog.gete.net/lion-diskmaker-us/
That program will allow you to make a bootable DVD or USB with Mountain Lion on it.
You can boot off of it, erase the disk, and then install Mountain Lion.
I think you should be able to reinstall from carbon copy cloner, but I haven't used that program. During the setup it will ask you if you want to import files, but I don't know if it can read carbon copy cloner. I know it can read a Time Machine backup.
A clean install is generally better anyway.
If you get Mountain Lion installed, not everything works like it did in 10.5/10.6. For an example, scrolling is reversed, but you can change it back to the way it is in 10.5/10.6 in System Preferences. After spending some time in System Preferences, my computer acts pretty much the way it always did.

Unable to install Mountain Lion - S.M.A.R.T. errors My hard disk error?

Unable to install Montain Lion after purchasing form store and download on Mac Pro 13 inch 2.3 Intel i5 OS 10.7.4. When I am presented with install options, my HD option is dimmed and there is a message: "This disk has S.M.A.R.T. errors. This disk has a hardware problem that can't be repaired. Back up as much of the data as possible and replace the disk."

Well that's good advice. SMART errors are only presented when the hard drive is about to die. This is a dire warning.
You should ensure you have a current backup, and then replace the hard drive. You may need to take it into an Apple Store... if it's < 3 years old and you have AppleCare they will probably replace it for you.

Unable to install mountain lion...disk error??

Guys..is there any way to skip this mountain lion installation? i dont understand why i got
this disk error message when i tried to upgrade in Mountain Lion even though my MBP 2011 LION is OK.
I need your expertise here..Please!! Thank you!! :(

Just quit the installer - you should be able to do that. There should be a file still in your Applications folder named "Install OS X Mountain Lion.app". Just leave it alone for a moment. Then download Lion DiskMaker and make a bootable USB install flash drive and/or DVD.
Then start up using your Recovery partition (Command and R keys held down on boot) and select Disk Utility and verify and, if need, repair your disk. Reboot and try installing Mountain Lion using your USB installer. Everything should work fine - unless there are errors found on your disk that can't be repaired.
Good luck,
Clinton

I can't install Mountain Lion because I can't install Mac App Store

I have Snow Leopard, and have purchased a download of Mountain Lion. The instructions say I can't get the download without going to the Mac App Store. I tried, and that seemed to require a download of Yosemite. I downloaded Yosemite, which took an hour, and now can't install it because I get a message saying this computer uses Time Machine for backups. In fact, I don't use Time Machine, so I tried taking it out of applications. However, I still get the same message. I am totally stuck, going around in circles. Is there a way to get the Mac App Store without going through Yosemite? Is there a way to download my purchased update to Mountain Lion without encountering all these extra problems? Thank you for any help.

See OS X- Cannot install on a volume used by Time Machine for backups. You should not have delete the Time Machine application.
If you have 10.6.8 installed then you can open the App Store on your computer. On the right under Quick Links is a link, "Redeem." Click on that. Enter the redemption code you were sent for Mountain Lion. After it is accepted the download will start. If you now click on the Purchases icon in the toolbar, you will find Mountain Lion entered and a progress bar for your download. You should see something similar on the Launchpad item in the Dock, if you have one.
After the Mountain Lion download has successfully completed it will automatically launch. My advice: before you click on the Install button locate the Mountain Lion installer in your Applications folder and put a copy of it in your Downloads folder for safe keeping. Once you have completed the Mountain Lion installation the installer will be deleted automatically. By having your own copy you can make a USB flash drive installer:
Make Your Own Mavericks, Mountain/Lion Installer
After downloading the installer you must first save the Install Mac OS X application. After the installer downloads DO NOT click on the Install button. Go to your Applications folder and make a copy of the installer. Move the copy into your Downloads folder. Now you can click on the Install button. You must do this because the installer deletes itself automatically when it finishes installing.
2. Get a USB flash drive that is at least 8 GBs. Prep this flash drive as follows:
Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
After DU loads select your flash drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the leftside list. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.
Select the volume you just created (this is the sub-entry under the drive entry) from the left side list.
Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, check the button for Zero Data and click on OK to return to the Erase window.
Click on the Erase button. The format process can take up to an hour depending upon the flash drive size.
Use DiskMaker X to put your installer clone onto the USB flash drive. Wait for the process to complete which will take quite some time.

Unable to install Mountain lion after defense grade erase

Hello All,
I just sold my 13-inc macbook pro on eBay. As I am paranoid about my privacy, I decided to do a "defense-grade" erase. It took 10 hours after doing a 7 pass process. However, I am unable to install anything on it (Mountain Lion, Lion, Ubuntu). When I try to install Mac OSX I get the error, "Error installing OS X, try reinstalling". Huh??
Please let me know what I should do. Can I not install anymore? Should I get a new one?
Thanks,
Singlebinary
Message was edited by: singlebinary

Here's what I did:
Plugged in my USB drive and started the computer with the option key pressed. I get one choice "Install OS X" which is from my USB drive. After I got an error message, I can cancelled it and under tools selected "Disk Utility". I then selected one partition and the default P table of GUID. So, this has already been done to the drive.
There is no option to select "Reinstall Mac OS X". All I have is the following:
OS X Installer, File, Edit, Utilities, Window.
Under Utilities, I have Disk Utility, Terminal, Network, Restore from Time Machine. I do not have a time machine backup so that does not work either.
Looking at the Installer Log errors, I find the following lines:
OS X Installer application started
1 display(s) found.
@(#) PROGRAM: Install PROJECT:Install-729
@(#) PROGRAM: OS X Installer PROJECT:OSInstaller-419
Harware: MacbookPro8,1 @ 2.40 GHz (x4), 8192 MB RAM
Running OS Build: Mac OS X 10.8
Failed to locate volume with UUID AA4A097D-B85A-37FF-A0A6-8EB66DAEC942
Couldn't find OS X (server) install data.
2013-03-31 07:24:05.685 OS X Installer[317:707] *** WARNING: -- [NSImage CompositeToPoint:fromRect:operation:] is deprecated in MACOSX 10.8 and later. Please use - [NSImage drawAtPoint:fromRect:operation:fraction:] instead
Thanks,
Singlebinary

Unable to install Mountain Lion

October 2011 MacBook Pro running 10.7.4; 4 GB RAM
Events
MacBook Pro running Lion.
Up to date (all software).
Also has Windows installed on Bootcamp.
Repaired permissions. Then download MLion.
Installed.
On restart, does not recognise internal hard drive (circle with diagonal line across it).
Restart using external emergency disk.
All fine. Ran disk utility again-verified disk, repaired permissions. Same problem on restart.
Restart with external drive again. Ran Disk Warrior 4.3. All fine.
But same problem on restart.
Restart using the inbuilt Lion emergency drive; redownload MLion etc. Same problem.
The restart with ext drive again. Download another copy of MLion in case 1st is corrupt. Burn onto DVD.
Reinstall this copy of MLion.
Same problem.
BUt can boot into Windows using bootcamp.
The tried to see if I could reinstall LION but it won’t let me unless I want to wipe the drive… and thus delete all the programmes like Office, Iwork etc installed (there is no important data on the MAC partition, just the Windows part).
APPLE HARDWARE TEST
Cannot run it. Will not boot into it if I press D before startup and my Mac did not come with any DVD for installation. I was also unable to run a internet based hardware test. Nonetheless for reasons above, I find it hard to see how it is a hardware problem.
Interpretation.
I cannot see that this is a problem with the actual hardware; Bootcamp works fine as does MPro with ext hard drive.
Seems to be that Mountain Lion, for whatever reason, has stuffed up the software/drive in some other way ? how.
This is the Macbook I use for lectures, so I while I have Lion copy on emergency drive with utilities, I do NOT have Time Machine backup to be able to restore machine to previous state (there are online instructions for this).
Having spent so much time on it, I am dropping it back to the Mac shop for repair but the explanation remains unclear.

It's possible it's reporting accurately and did download. If you open your "Applications" folder, look for an App named "Install OS X Mountain Lion.app" under the "I"'s section alphabetically, and if its there click on it to open it and start the installation of Mountain Lion. Many other people also have reported this problem, if that's what yours is, and have had to solve it this way.
Hope this helps

Unable to install Mountain Lion on Mac Pro 4,1

I originally wanted to do a Clean Install on my Mac Pro 4,1 (Early 2009 - Single Quad).
1ST BRICK WALL: After running Install OS X Mountain Lion.app in Lion, it reboots to a Grey Screen/Prohibitory (Circle Cross Line) Screen. Resetting PRAM did not resolve issue.
Ok, how about a USB Thumb Dive Install...
2ND BRICK WALL: After booting off a Mountain Lion Install USB drive, none of my internal hard drives show up in the "Select Destination Drive" (i.e. no drives mounted).
I tried both methods with 2 different hard drives (1 Solid State Crucial M4 and 1 Stock Platter Drive)
Anyone else have similar problems? Any suggestions?
P.S. I have a "Apple Store" ATI Radeon HD 5870 installed.

@Pete_B100, thank you for a different direction. I was able to start an install with the drive in an external USB bay. However, I could not get it to boot ML inside the internal bays. This got me thinking...
SOLUTION: This was an error on my part. I bought my MacPro 4,1 without the WiFi card in it. Around the time I bought it, I had a Mac Mini that I was using for parts. I took the WiFi card (Model No. AR5BXB6) out of the Mac Mini and put it in the Mac Pro. Worked like a champ for SL and Lion. While I was in there yanking out drives, I decided to yank that out. The hint was that the ML USB boot could not see my WiFi card. After I took it out, it was operating like it should. I was able to do a Clean Install of Mountain Lion on my Crucial M4 SSD with no problems.
Thank you all for your help and suggestions!

HT5293 Have a older MacBook Air want to install Mountain lion but every time I try it comes back and says you cant down load on this coumputer. Why apple support said i could after they got my Serial Number. HELP

How do I install Moutain Lion Apple support said I could after they got my serial number. but evry time i try it comes back and say's cant download on this computer.

Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks.
To check the model number hold down the option/alt key, go to the Apple menu and select System Information.
MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer) model number 2,1 or higher

Cannot install Mountain Lion because of a S.M.A.R.T error.

I just bought the Mountain Lion Upgrade, (Mac OS X 10.8) from the app store, and I can't install it because of a S.M.A.R.T error. How can this be resolved???

If you are getting SMART errors immediately backup the drive.
If the system is still under warranty (or AppleCare) contact Apple to make plans to have the drive replaced. If not you have to decide if you want to get the drive replaced or replace the system. How old and what is the system?
SMART errors cannot be repaired you need to change the drive.

Nable to install Mountain Lion because i havent purchased it.

Hi to everyone.
I just bought this Macbook Pro off a friend of mine and i whipped the hard drive clean only leaving the boot.
I got a Mountain Lion system file and tried to reinstall it as it was but with a clean hard drive but it wont let me because i have not purchased it. I then tried to purchase it but the only way to purchase it is off the app store (which i cant access due to not having a operating system installed).
I dont know anyone i could go on their computer to purchase it so i feel stuck!! Please help.
Thanks in advance, Phil.

gridsnap wrote:
wow. no patience for newbies here, huh?
It's not that you're a newbie, it's that you just dismissed the advice.
And, like many others, I've been helping folks here for the better part of 14 hours today. And we're all volunteers.
did YOU read that I read on another site that it didn't work for someone? So that's why I didn't read the whole article.
Everything doesn't work for someone. Don't put a lot of stock in what one person may say -- he/she may have done it wrong, or there may have been an entirely different cause.
I only have a 256 GB SSD, so yeah, I do have bigger storage problems.
You are seeing 128 MB, not GB, right? That's 0.05% of 256 GB.

Unable to install Mountain Lion because of Time Machine

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