Mac OS X 10.6.3 Installer says "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer."

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Level 1

5 points

Mac OS X 10.6.3 Installer says "Mac OS X can't be installed on this computer."

Hi, Ashton Neale here, I recently ran into a problem while upgrading my mac. I have a Mac OS X 10.6.3 Retail installer. When I create the installation disk and boot from it, it says "Mac Os X can't be installed on this computer." My 32gb flash drive is formatted as Mac OS X Extended (Journaled) with GUID Partition Table and when I boot up, I select main language and then it says "Mac Os X can't be installed on this computer." I cannot get to disk utility because all the utilities are grayed out, as a matter a fact, everything is. I researched for days and nothing helps. Here is my mac's info

Year: Late 2006 iMac G5

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo

Memory: 1 GB 667 MHz RAM

Version: Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger

If you need more info, i can get it. (except system profiler is missing)

iMac, Mac OS X (10.4.11), Late 2006

Posted on Jun 7, 2015 1:51 PM

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Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

238,889 points

Jun 7, 2015 2:19 PM in response to aneale2310

Hi Ashton, as of note it's not a G5, G5s are IBM CPUs & can run no higher than 10.5.8

Is it for sure a Core 2 Duo?

How much RAM does it have?

Snow Leopard/10.6.x Requirements...

General requirements

* Mac computer with an Intel processor

* 1GB of memory (I say 4GB at least, more if you can afford it)

* 5GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)

* DVD drive for installation

* Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.

* Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.

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Answer 2

rkaufmann87

Level 10

140,262 points

Jun 8, 2015 8:18 AM in response to aneale2310

Ashton,

Also please post a photograph of the install disc you have, also verify you have adequate RAM and disc space. Finally confirm the machine is an Intel based iMac by clicking About this Mac .

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Answer 3

aneale2310 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 9, 2015 9:55 AM in response to BDAqua

Hi bdaqua. I have already told you how much ram it has. And yes, it is an intel. I went to the apple menu and it showed "Intel Core 2 Duo" It has 1gb of memory, it has 209 gb available. I have a mac os x 10.6.3 retail installer.dmg. We have xfinity. And i don't use mobile me. I may have the wrong information because all i did was just look up late 2006 iMac and the pictures looked exactly like my mac. And once again i clarify, the cd is not grey, it is a white retail installation disk.

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Answer 4

Jun 9, 2015 10:41 AM in response to aneale2310

Have you confirmed if you can really jump from Tiger to Snow Leopard without installing Leopard first?

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Answer 5

aneale2310 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 9, 2015 6:24 PM in response to alxyamaguchi

I don't know. I will look it up. I also have a mac os x 10.5.4 leopard installer retail.dmg but it needs to be converted to iso first. If I can convert that, then I can either stay with it or get 10.5.8 leopard and then upgrade. What could help is if you guys could find me a converter program to do it. When I use disk utility, It syas the dmg is not recognized. Thats because it needs to be converted but I don't have a program

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Answer 6

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Jun 9, 2015 9:14 PM in response to aneale2310

You cannot use another Mac's install disks - the license is for only that Mac and it most likely will not work depending on the builds of either computer. It may work if it is a retail disk and the version is newer than what the Mac came with.

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Answer 7

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Jun 9, 2015 9:40 PM in response to babowa

Additional thought: does your install disk look like this:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard

Although this is now called a retail disk, it was originally sold as an update - I wonder if it would work if you install it over your Tiger system rather than trying to install it on a blank disk.

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Answer 8

aneale2310 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 24, 2015 5:04 AM in response to aneale2310

Well, I have even created a mac os x 10.4 installer and the computer is 10.4.11 and that still won't even work! I have a 10.5 installer but I can't convert it or put information to a usb from it. I need more suggestions. I'm working hard at home getting this figured out and nothings working.

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Answer 9

aneale2310 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 24, 2015 8:53 AM in response to aneale2310

I found one other thing, you can jump from 10.4.11 to 10.6.3. I'm thinking, maybe if I can install it on a blank HDD, it will shut-up. Problem is, how do I erase the hard drive because disk utility is not available because the stupid message must block it or something

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Answer 10

aneale2310 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 28, 2015 5:47 PM in response to aneale2310

Found it out, for those of you who have been following this post for an answer, this may be a bummer. Your Answer: Your computer can only run a 32-bit mac os x installation which snow leopard doesn't support. So, breaking it down means that you either have an Intel Core Duo, and not an Intel Core 2 Duo. But for all of you who came searching for this forum, the answer is Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. I have enjoyed the operating system actually. Leopard has over 300 improvements succeeding its predecessor Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. As for all Intel Macs that can't run OS X 10.6, you get boot camp assistant! This allows you to keep a partition of your hard drive for Windows. So Grab yourself an Installation Disk of OS X Leopard and upgrade your mac. NOTE: OS X 10.5 supports Power-PC based Macs!

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Answer 11

SeaPapp

Level 7

26,486 points

Jun 28, 2015 6:55 PM in response to aneale2310

All Intel iMacs, including the Core Duo models, are capable of running Snow Leopard. Perhaps you're confused about exactly which iMac you have or which install disc you're using.

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Answer 12

aneale2310 Author

Level 1

5 points

Jul 29, 2015 6:08 AM in response to SeaPapp

Yeah, your right. I actually had that figured ou a while ago after I posted that they could only be 10.5, I found a 10.6.0 Installer and used it on 2 macs and it worked fine

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Answer 13

babowa

Level 9

78,097 points

Jul 29, 2015 8:01 AM in response to aneale2310

I found a 10.6.0 Installer and used it on 2 macs and it worked fine

Since Snow leopard was/is only available on a DVD and not available as a 10.6.0 version, where did you find this installer?

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