Can't reinstall

azcoderazcoder
Posted:
in Genius Bar edited January 2014
I have a 17" MacBook Pro with the original install disks (I think they are the original - they may have been mixed up with a 15" MacBook Pro).



When I try to reinstall Mac OS X, I get



Alert - The Software cannot be installed on this computer.

<restart> <Startup Disk>





What do I do?



I have reinstalled Mac OS X on this machine in the past.



Thanks in advance for any help

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 9
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Describe what you did to get the message.



    Of course, if they are the wrong disks they are not going to pass the model check.
  • Reply 2 of 9
    azcoderazcoder Posts: 44member
    I booted with the disk in the drive and held down c.



    Then I selected continue and I got the error message.



    I am worried I gave the 17" macbook pro disks to the co-worker when I gave them a 15" macbook pro.



    Would the 15" macbook pro media fail to reinstall os x on a 17" macbook pro?
  • Reply 3 of 9
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by azcoder View Post


    I booted with the disk in the drive and held down c.



    Then I selected continue and I got the error message.



    I am worried I gave the 17" macbook pro disks to the co-worker when I gave them a 15" macbook pro.



    Would the 15" macbook pro media fail to reinstall os x on a 17" macbook pro?



    I don't know. I have heard people say that the disks aren't necessarily one-to-one for each exact model.



    I assume it doesn't say 15" on the disk itself.



    Now if what you are seeing is an image of the hard drives with a red caution sign through it, then that means that the version of OS X that you are wanting to install is older than what is already on the disk, in which case it wants you to choose "Options" and then choose "Archive and Install" or "Erase and Install."



    But if you are getting an actual dialog box, then I don't know what to tell you. If it is under warranty just bring it in to an Apple Store.
  • Reply 4 of 9
    azcoderazcoder Posts: 44member
    Well it keeps getting stranger. Even the disks from a new 17" Macbook Pro fail to work on the old 17" Macbook Pro.



    Both are 17" Intel Core Duo 2. The newer one is slightly faster processor speed.



    Could there be something else? Is there anything like a bios lock that will prevent it from reinstalling OS x?



    I may just go in to the genius bar....but it is a long drive....
  • Reply 5 of 9
    smaxsmax Posts: 361member
    Not necessarily. Older 17" MBPs were Core Duo. A bunch of hardware changed between generations too.
  • Reply 6 of 9
    lundylundy Posts: 4,466member
    Quote:

    Is there anything like a bios lock that will prevent it from reinstalling OS x?



    No - you can set the firmware not to allow booting from the CD, but if it is booting, then it isn't the firmware causing your problem.
  • Reply 7 of 9
    mrtotesmrtotes Posts: 760member
    May I ask why you are re-installing? I wonder if you motivation for this would give us some clue.
  • Reply 8 of 9
    applespotapplespot Posts: 1member
    I have the same problem,I have MBP 15" that I have replace the hdd with a 160g and now I too get that same message.The agents want to sell me a new installation disc set(2)

    There must be some way around this.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by azcoder View Post


    I have a 17" MacBook Pro with the original install disks (I think they are the original - they may have been mixed up with a 15" MacBook Pro).



    When I try to reinstall Mac OS X, I get



    Alert - The Software cannot be installed on this computer.

    <restart> <Startup Disk>





    What do I do?



    I have reinstalled Mac OS X on this machine in the past.



    Thanks in advance for any help



  • Reply 9 of 9
    azcoderazcoder Posts: 44member
    You know - come to mention it - I inherited this macbook pro from an ex co-worker who had changed the hard drive as well....
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