Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer

When I setup the partition for what an Intel based Mac needs, I made sure to setup the drive for GUID so that is not the problem. I even verified the status of the drive using the Disk Utility, which reports that the S.M.A.R.T. status as verified and the Partition Map Scheme is set as a GUID Partition Table. Oh, the partition was formated using the Mac OS Extended (Journaled) method.

The drive is formatted correctly. Though I just noticed this:

"Do the OEM gray DVDs have to be used with the exact same type of HDD in order for the installer to work right?"

No, the drive is mostly irrelevant. I say 'mostly' because older Macs don't recognize Apple's Fusion drives well, or at all. But a plain ol' hard drive of any size or type shouldn't make a bit of difference. What the OS installer is looking for more than anything else is that the hardware drivers for that Mac exist on the disk you are installing from.

Are those gray DVDs the ones that came with that Mac?

Yes the DVDs are the original ones that came with the machine. I actually have 15 of these machines that are all identical, and have 15 sets of the exact same DVDs. I've used these DVDs to wipe the machines before and reinstall the OS on the original HDD, but I've never tried to install to a replacement HDD like I'm tryin to do now.

Then I am also stumped. You shouldn't be getting any type of error message installing the OS to that drive. Unless you used some other sort of software to partition the drive, rather than Disk Utility.

Just to try something, boot to the DVD and run Disk Utility to repartition the drive. Make sure to choose 1 Partition (or however many you want) to force DU to rebuild the drive map. That will also enable the Options button at the bottom so you can check to be sure the drive is GUID. Then try to install the OS.

Okay, now I feel like a total dumb &$%#! I went with your question of the DVDs and thought I should double check everything that I have. My thought is better safe than sorry. I have to sometimes do this with my students who say that they absolutely did something in class. Well guess what I found out. I have 15 sets of DVDs, but one of the sets says MAC Pro version 10.6.4 and all of the other DVDs say iMac version 10.6.4. How in the world I got one set of DVDs that doesn't match is beyond me, but you were correct in catching my screw up. I tried one of the DVDs with iMac and it works. I never really knew how much those DVD had to match until now. Thanks so much for your patience with me Kurt Lang and helping me solve this problem. Kudos to you sir! :-)

I was in your same position some years back. Our first home computer was an IBM XT clone, running MS-DOS 3.1. Built a handful of computers running various CPUs and versions of DOS/Windows before starting to learn Macs at all in the printing prepress industry. Starting my own small business doing Photoshop work essentially required purchasing my own first Mac since almost all prepress shops use Macs. It was especially necessary at the time since OpenType fonts didn't exist, and Windows/Mac Type 1 PostScript fonts could not in any way by used on the opposite platform. That meant using the same OS as your clients.

I found my way here with my first issue I couldn't resolve on my own. When you see the boatload of information here you can use to learn about Macs just by reading questions and answers, I spent at least two months here for at least an hour a day just reading, reading, reading.

Yup, though it does depend on the age of the Mac, and the release of the OS you're trying to install from disk.

For instance, the Mac Pro I'm on right now shipped with 10.6.4. The retail 10.6.3 disk will not for any reason install on this Mac, due to the driver issue. The drivers for this Mac are not on the retail disk, so it won't let me proceed.

If you're working at it the other way, then it normally doesn't matter. Our other Mac Pro (a 2008 model) shipped with Leopard, 10.5.x. The retail SL 10.6.3 of course works on that one because the Mac is older than the retail disk and has its drivers on the 10.6.3 disk. Apply that to generally any Mac.

What you don't get with the retail disks are the bundled software. If I were to wipe the drive on the older Mac using the 10.6.3 retail disk and reinstall, none of the iLife apps would be included. Those only exist on the bundled gray disks the Mac shipped with.

Want to install Mavericks to my iMac 20" 2007. Already make a bootable Mavericks Installer in my USB (search this thing easily in google). After restart and press the option key, the USB did not detected by my iMac and want to install from Mac OS X DVD that came with the iMac, instead a successful install i got the dooms day message "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer". Research a ton of Apple Discussions forum also. After a long haul of try and still got an error. Got an idea to partition the Macintosh HD to 2 partition. 1st partition is the main HD, the 2nd is the (8GB) installer. Plug my installer USB (Disk Utility will detect it). Restore the Installer USB to the 2nd partition of the Macintosh HD (installer partition). And restart and press the option key. Voila, the 2nd partition detected and you can install from there! Solved my problem.

Hope this helps.

I just solved the "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer" on two computers - one a 2007 Macbook Pro, and the other a 2005 iMac with an upgraded hard drive.

On both computers, trying to install with a 10.6.7 bootable USB gave me the error "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer". This happened no matter what I did with the partition creation.

I tried again with a Snow Leopard Retail 10.6 image. On both machines, the install worked. After installing, I was able to update to 10.6.8 through the online updates.

Comments on this thread about the grey disks were very helpful - they only contain the drivers for the specific computer they were released for. Your best bet is to buy the 10.6.0 DVD, or in a pinch, download the Leopard 10.6.0 dmg, and create a bootable USB from this. Still buy the DVD for peace of mind and karma points.

I found the directions here for creating a bootable and installable USB drive to be helpful:

http://computers.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-bootable-usb-drive-with- os-x-snow-leopard--cms-21491

=k

What exactly happens when you follow my procedure? Exact errors and error messages are helpful.

Then take it in for service. I haven't a clue where to go from here.

OK, but can you access Disk Utility from the install DVD, once you've chosen your language?

One thing I forgot to ask: did you fully update your Mac before you tried to reinstall SL on it? By this I mean, apply firmware updates (such as they are) too?