cant start install get error : date.timezone not set in php.ini.

Any help on this would be appreciated! when i go to install i get this error message
ERROR: date.timezone not set in php.ini. Please contact your hosting company to set the timezone in the server PHP configuration before continuing.

i am using a mac
Parallels Plesk Panel 11.0 for Linux Systems
installed ** zen-cart-v1.5.1-full-fileset-09182012**
i looked at the preferences in the panel under general setting and system time and its set one part was greyed out but still the correct time, the area was not established but i have done that and still nothing..
I must be missing something or something is hidden!

If your Plesk panel isn't advanced enough to give you controls over PHP in order to configure it properly by setting the server's timezone into the server's php.ini file (which controls all PHP configuration settings), then you'll have to patch your Zen Cart yourself to override your PHP configuration deficiency. See this post for suggestions: http://www.zen-cart.com/showthread.php?208662-date-timezone-patch

My parallels panel is up to date it was just installed yesterday shouldnt it be advanced enough? and the time is correct anyway!

spidermn:

My parallels panel is up to date it was just installed yesterday shouldnt it be advanced enough? and the time is correct anyway!

While your server's time might correct, and the operating system might show it correctly, if your server administrator hasn't ALSO configured PHP to know what timezone it's in, you're going to get timezone errors from PHP. Hence the fact that the error message specifically tells you to correctly set the PHP configuration.

PHP is not Plesk.
PHP is not Parallels.
PHP is not Linux.
PHP is not the operating system.
PHP is not the server.

PHP is a separate component which must be properly configured. And to do that you edit the php.ini that's being used by PHP.
If you don't have the skills, or security clearance, to fix that problem, get someone involved who does.