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goodfidelity

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 15, 2015
193
31
I tried for two days to install El Capitan into new disk on my Mac Pro 2009.

First i had an old disk with installer, and that installer would not run because i think Apple made something with the certificates.

So that installer would just throw some error message.

I just downloaded the latest installer from Apple, and i am starting the installer to install into another disk mounted in the same machine.

However all the volumes that does NOT have a OSX install has a warning triangle, and will not allow for installation since they are "empty".

So, empty volumes gives the alert: "OSX cant be installed on this Disk, OSX isn't installed"

So is there something weird now, that OSX cant be installed on a disk in the same computer?

How can i solve this problem..

thanks!

//GF
 

DeltaMac

macrumors G5
Jul 30, 2003
13,453
4,403
Delaware
How large is your El Capitan installer? It should be about 6.22 GB. If it is much smaller, then you don't have the full installer.
If the size looks OK, then you should try making a bootable installer, using that installer app as the source.
There's several different methods for making the installer. I like to use the good app DiskMakerX, which makes it simple.
An 8 or 16 GB USB flash drive is ideal for this.
Boot to that bootable drive. That should allow you to install to the drive that you choose, assuming it is formatted correctly for El Capitan (GUID, and formatted Mac OS Extended (journaled)
 

goodfidelity

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 15, 2015
193
31
But drive is formatted correctly, and i have never- ever - used a bootable USB drive to install OSX. The Mac Pro has many drive slots so i just put a empty drive and start the installer and install to that other disk. Very easy.

But now i can do that with sierra, high sierra and those, but capitan refuses for the reason that the disk has no OSX on it?

I could always do a net install and stuff like that but thats just silly.

I have some disks with multiple partitions on them, and one OSX on each. Very good as installer, cause i can just boot into any version i like and install whatever OS i want from there.

The installer was 6gb to download for sure. And its a DMG file.

//GF
 

CoastalOR

macrumors 68040
Jan 19, 2015
3,021
1,147
Oregon, USA
I tried for two days to install El Capitan into new disk on my Mac Pro 2009.

First i had an old disk with installer, and that installer would not run because i think Apple made something with the certificates.

So that installer would just throw some error message.

I just downloaded the latest installer from Apple, and i am starting the installer to install into another disk mounted in the same machine.

However all the volumes that does NOT have a OSX install has a warning triangle, and will not allow for installation since they are "empty".

So, empty volumes gives the alert: "OSX cant be installed on this Disk, OSX isn't installed"

So is there something weird now, that OSX cant be installed on a disk in the same computer?

How can i solve this problem..

thanks!

//GF
See my Post #19 in this thread:
There is a problem with the El Capitan download delivered in as a InstallMacOSX.dmg file.
 

goodfidelity

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 15, 2015
193
31
Problem solved.

The installer first installs installer on the main drive, and then that second installer can install El capitan. Ill se how this goes.

thanks for answers!

//GF
 
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ccil

macrumors newbie
Jan 25, 2021
1
0
Problem solved.

The installer first installs installer on the main drive, and then that second installer can install El capitan. Ill se how this goes.

thanks for answers!

//GF
Just encountered this issue and found this thread. Thanks for the update. At least a little strange, have to install the Installer.
Installing OS to hd other than startup disk now.
 
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