09-16-2009, 08:23 AM

After replacement of a broken hard drive on a Macbook (vintage mid-2007) reinstallation of OSX comes up with warning "cannot install on this device" . iS this because the disks may have come with another Macbook? Are they machine specific?

09-16-2009, 08:30 AM

When it comes to select HDD, go into disc utilities and format the drive again and try again.

09-16-2009, 08:47 AM

Did you buy a new drive or use something you alredy had maybe from a different computer? From what I can tell the warning you get is a Hard Drive problem and not a problem with your installation disks (dvds) ... I'd do what B&O suggested, reformat the drive to the MacOS filysystem and try again ... do this by booting off your installation dvd and use Disk Utility from there

I'm not sure if it's completely impossible to install the system from installation disks that came with the computer, but it is against the EULA (or so I believe) and might not work

09-16-2009, 09:48 AM

I have reformatted the new hard disc using disc utilities (it is brand new) and still get this message. It is possible the discs I have are from another Macbook

09-16-2009, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by keithjones

I have reformatted the new hard disc using disc utilities (it is brand new) and still get this message. It is possible the discs I have are from another Macbook

If the install disk is not for "exactly" the same model computer, yes it is very possible, in fact it would be "totally probable".