You do not need to wipe out your Mac Operating system anymore to reinstall it via the recovery mode. And even if you have to, for any reason, we have provided for your reading and knowing pleasure, steps to using Apple’s recovery mode to reinstall the latest version of the Mac Operating System.
Your Mac may be working badly, and you could think that a clean install of the operating system may be the remedy or, you could be thinking of selling your Mac to a potential buyer – here, you will need to return your Mac to factory settings.
Whatever your reason is, it just could be motivating enough for you to want to reinstall mac Operating System or the macOS X. This article will take you through one of the ways to do this. And this involves using the Recovery mode.
With recovery mode, you can reinstall the latest version of the macOS you installed on your Mac. Nothing about this requires a physical installation disc because the macOS is installed through Software Update.
Requirements to Reinstall Mac Operating System using Recovery Mode
Your backup and an internet connection are the essential requirements to reinstall your MacOS using recovery mode.
Just because you want to sell your computer or just because you want to wipe out the entire thing on your system, a back up of your vital documents should be the first step. You could make use of the iCloud to sync all your documents.
Having a stable internet connection is also as good as gold.
As an addition, if you are going to make use of internet recovery, bear in mind that you will need a network with WEP or WPA security. Most home Wi-Fi networks make use of this, so you are all clear (except you are on a proxy network or PPPoE).
How Do I Reinstall Mac Operating System Through Recovery?
We have provided steps you can follow to reinstall the latest version of macOS installed on your Mac:
Step 1: First, start up your Mac system. Hold down Command+R and do it that way until you hear the startup sound and until you see a spinning globe or the Apple logo.
Step 2: You will see a macOS utility window open. You will also see options such as Restore From Time Machine Backup, Reinstall macOS, Get Help Online, and Disk Utility. What you choose here is dependent on if you want to wipe the Mac before reinstalling the operating system. If you wish to wipe your disk, hit Disk Utility. If you are not doing this, keep reading, we’ll provide the necessary details. Continue if you have clicked Disk Utility.
Step 3: In this step, you will need to select the volume you want to Erase. To see the volume, hit View and then Show All Drives. You have a different process of doing this if you run another MacOS version, like the MacOS Catalina. If you run the MacOS Catalina, you will see two volumes called Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD-Data. Delete the Data volume first and then delete the Macintosh HD. If you don’t operate the Catalina, delete only Macintosh HD volume.
Step 4:This, too, depends on the version of MacOS you run. If you run Catalina, the next step will be APFS. But, if it is an older Mac system running an equally older macOS version, set the format to Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Ensure you have GUID Partition Table selected as your Scheme.
Step 5: Next, hit Erase and wait. You will see options under Security Options, which will secure you to erase your disk.
Step 6: For step six, choose Disk Utility, then choose Quit Disk Utility. You can also press Command + Q.
Step 7: Again, you will see the utility screen. Here, Reinstall macOS.
Step 8: After you have achieved step 7, press Continue.
Step 9: Next, do enter your Apple ID, then wait while MacOS is reinstalled. It will take a while.
Step 10: You will see the setup wizard starting. Continue to set up your Mac. But if you intend to sell your Mac, just quit. Let the new owner set up their own details.
Install Mac OS using an older version of Recovery mode.
There is another combination you can use to reinstall macOS using Recovery mode. These combinations will allow you to decide if you wish to install the latest version of macOS, compatible with your Mac, or if you wish to install the version of macOS that came with your Mac.
Possible combinations to consider;
- Command + R. This will install the latest version installed on your Mac. Note that it will not upgrade you to the latest version.
- Option/Alt + Command + R. This will upgrade you to the latest macOS compatible with your Mac.
- Shift + Option/Alt + Command R. If you run a Sierra 10.12.4 or later version, thus combination will install the version of MacOS that came with your Mac, or it will install the closest version to it that is still available.
Then, to reinstall MacOS recovery, follow the steps above.
Connect to the internet in Mac Operating System Recovery Mode.
You will need to connect to the internet to use the recovery mode. If your Mac has not automatically connected, try these steps;
Step 1: Click the Wi-Fi menu located in the upper-right corner of the screen.
Step 2: Next, select a Wi-Fi network.
Step 3: If prompted, enter the Wi-Fi password.
Step 4: By now, the Recovery mode should be connected to the internet, and you should be able to download the macOS installation software.
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