When I install mac os high sierra or mojave on my VirtualBox virtual machine. I meet an error that is can not select target disk to install the mac os. After investigate I finally find the method to fix this issue. This article will tell you how to fix it step by step. The issue may happen when you reinstall macOS on MacBook also, you can also follow below steps to fix it.
1. How To Reproduce Can Not Select Disk To Install MacOS Error Window.
- Start the virtual machine, then select the second item Reinstall macOS in macOS Utilities window, click Continue button.
- Then it will popup install mac os high sierra or mojave welcome window.
- Click Continue button in above window, then click Agree button in the next window. And then it will go to another window to let you select the disk where you want to install os x. But you can not select the disk because there is no disk to select.
2. How To Fix No Disk To Select Error When Install Mac OS On Virtual Machine.
The reason for this issue is because there does not has a partition on the virtual disk, so we should first create a partition on the virtual disk, then you can select the virtual disk partition to install mac os.
- Click Install macOS High Sierra —> Quit Install macOS menu item at the virtual machine window top-left corner to quit mac os installation wizard.
- Then select Disk Utility in macOS Utilities window, click Continue button.
- Select the virtual disk in Disk Utility left panel, then click Erase button at top bar, it will popup a window. Input the partition name, select partition format Mac OS Extended ( Journaled ) in the format drop-down list, click Erase button at bottom of the pop-up window to start creating the partition.
- When the creating partition process complete, click Done button to finish it. Then close the Disk Utility window to go back to macOS Utilities window. Now you can select Reinstall macOS to install it again, and you can select the virtual disk partition during the installation process now.
3. Tips When No Disk To Select Issue Happen On Physical MacBook.
If you find this issue when you reinstall macOS on a Physical MacBook, above method also make sense. But one thing you should take care of is the physical HDD cable, you should make sure the HDD cable is plugged in tightly.
Thank you for trying to help, but this did not work for me. I have the same problem as above, but I cannot click the “Erase” button in Disk Utility. It is light grey. I am able to click the First Aid button and it says that the repair is successful. There is still no disk to install when I am asked to select the disk I want to install OS X.
Did you figure out a fix? I’m having the same issue
Any luck? I am in the same boat now.
Did u figure it out? Im having same problem
Maybe you need to mount the disk by hand. You can right-click the Virtual Disk in Disk Utility window left panel and then click Mount button in right panel top area to mount it, then erase it.
Worked for me. macOS Catalina on VMware gave me that problem.
Can confirm this worked for me too on VMware
Worked like a charm for VMWare giving me that same issue. Thanks heaps!
Thank you. I can get past the no disk to select issue.
There is a small step missing that’s tripping up some.
You have to click VBOX HARDDISK Media on the left, then Erase.
Thank you so much ! This actually worked and I had no CLUE of what the heck I was doing . Thank you lifesaver .
This actually worked. Thank you, you saved me!!
This worked!! Thank you so much, you saved my day ??
This saved me and you’re amazing – thank you!
Thank you so much!! This is working!
Hi,
When I start the VM, it gets stuck with a grey screen, with nothing there except for the mouse. Please help me fix this.
Thanks
Thank you so much simple and to the point!
Thank you so much!!! I start college next week and it’s downloading with 6 minutes remaining so glad i found this and did take it to get fixed!! Thank you so much
If I only have a Macintosh HD listed under “Internal”, will selecting “Erase” delete all my existing data?
I had the same problem. Got desperate and tried it as a last resort and it seems to be working!
This worked perfectly! Thanks very much for the detailed step-by-step 🙂
thank you so much! It took hours but it worked!!!
Thank you so much! I wasted so much time trying to work this problem out!
Thank you so much ?
It worked just fine for me, Thanks!
It’s Working
thank you so much it’s work now.
thank you
I’m COMPLETELY computer illiterate and I did this and IT WORKED! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you so much I was actually crying I had exams the next day and assignments to do I tried for 5 hours to get the Mac to work but I couldn’t thank you so much!
ERASE PROCESS HAS FAILED.
UNMOUNTING DISK
ERASING
COULDNT OPEN DEVICE
OPERATION FAILED
I don’t have the disk that you used only the two which is the Apple disk Image and OS X Base System, what do I do?
Thank you! This really helped me. I had the same problem with the missing disk.
Thank you so much. It worked.
This step was labeled differently (I copy and pasted the step I’m referring to below). There was nothing labeled “virtual disk” or anything like “VBOX”. I also didn’t get a pop-up window, but there was a place to put in the partition name “Main Disk” kind of like the example. And it had a default partition default of “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)” and a place to click erase. Voila! The rest of the steps unfolded as presented in this AWESOME tutorial. Thanks, thanks, thanks!
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Select the virtual disk in Disk Utility left panel, then click Erase button at top bar, it will popup a window. Input the partition name, select partition format Mac OS Extended ( Journaled ) in the format drop down list, click Erase button at bottom of popup window to start creating the partition.
create-partition-use-mac-os-disk-utility
Thank you so much
This helped a lot for me
thank you so much it worked