.dmg acts like a CD and won't install

[4running]

Hello-

I am having a problem installing a program that is a .dmg. If I double click on it, it will open, and setup. But, the software shows up as a CD under the device column in finder. and I can eject it! but its not a CD! I cant actually install it in applications because my mac is treating this software as a CD.

This is a legacy shareware program, that I had on OS X Tiger. My new mac has Leopard, and I want to install this shareware. The website associated with this shareware is of no help.

Kyle

 

[Consultant]

Read the proper mac guides on this page (colored background)

https://forums.macrumors.com/forums/78/

 

[4running]

Thanks for the link!

I had read that already, and is where my problem differs is that If I drag and drop the DMG into my applications folder, I get a short cut to the DMG that is on the desktop. The software will run, and it works, but as soon as I try to drag the old DMG to the trash, the short cut will disappear.

It seems I can't get it to mount properly or at all. Why would the software run if it isn't mounted?

almost like it wont copy it to my hard drive, just wants to run as a disk application.

 

[logana]

I had read that already, and is where my problem differs is that If I drag and drop the DMG into my applications folder, I get a short cut to the DMG that is on the desktop. The software will run, and it works, but as soon as I try to drag the old DMG to the trash, the short cut will disappear.

It seems I can't get it to mount properly or at all. Why would the software run if it isn't mounted?

almost like it wont copy it to my hard drive, just wants to run as a disk application.

You need to read it again - seems what you are doing is dragging the .dmg file to the applications folder. Mount the .dmg file and look at what is inside it - is it an application file - if it is drag this to the application folder - if it is a package then double-click it to run the installer.

Mac OSX will happily run applications from the .dmg file without them being installed - that is why the software is running, even though you have not installed it. Hope this makes sense.

I know lots of people with MacBooks with lots of .dmg files on their desktops and they run the applications from there - so you are not alone.

 

[4running]

Thanks Everyone

Ok-

I think is what I was doing was not waiting long enough for the applications folder to open before I dropped.

But Im still not clear as to why it would only copy a short cut to the DMG and not copy as it did above. Im new to Macs, but not that new!

It works, and thanks so much for having me take a second look!


Kyle

 

[Macky-Mac]

Ok-

I think is what I was doing was not waiting long enough for the applications folder to open before I dropped.

But Im still not clear as to why it would only copy a short cut to the DMG and not copy as it did above. Im new to Macs, but not that new!

It works, and thanks so much for having me take a second look!


Kyle

the .dmg is indeed going to act like a CD because it's supposed to act that way.

what you have to is open the .dmg (just like opening a CD), select the files that are inside and then drag those files to your application folder......don't drag the .dmg itself......once you've finished copying the files from inside the .dmg, you'll need to eject the .dmg (just as you would a CD)