How to reinstall macOS

Use macOS Recovery to reinstall the Mac operating system.

Start up from macOS Recovery

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Turn on your Mac and continue to printing and concord the power button until you see the startup options window. Click the gear icon labelled Options, then click Continue.

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Plow on your Mac and printing and hold Control (⌘)-R immediately until you see an Apple logo or other prototype.

If you're asked to select a user you lot know the password for, select the user, click Next and enter their administrator password.

Reinstall macOS

Reinstalling macOS won't remove data from your Mac. To starting time the installation process, select Reinstall macOS from the utilities window in macOS Recovery, and then click Go on and follow the onscreen instructions.

macOS Recovery options with

Follow these guidelines during installation:

  • If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password yous employ to log in to your Mac.
  • If the installer can't encounter your disk or notifies you that it can't install macOS on your computer or volume, you lot may demand to erase your disk first.
  • If the installer offers you the selection between installing on Macintosh Hard disk or Macintosh Hard disk drive – Information, choose Macintosh Hard disk drive.
  • Permit installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Your Mac may restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen may exist empty for minutes at a time.

When the installation is complete, your Mac may restart to a setup assistant. If yous're selling, trading in or giving abroad your Mac, press Control-Q to quit the assistant without completing setup. So click Close Down. When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can apply their own information to complete the setup process.

Other macOS installation options

When you install macOS from Recovery, you'll get the current version of the most recently installed macOS, with some exceptions:

  • On an Intel-based Mac, yous can employShift-Option-Control-R during the startup process to exist offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still bachelor. Or y'all can utilizeOption-Command-R during the startup process to be offered either the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac, or in some cases the macOS that came with your Mac or the closest version still available.
  • If the Mac logic lath has just been replaced, you may only be offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac.
  • If you've just erased your entire startup deejay, you may only exist offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version still available.

Yous can besides employ these methods to install macOS, if the macOS is compatible with your Mac:

  • Utilise the App Store to download and install the latest macOS or an earlier macOS.
  • Utilise a USB wink drive or other secondary volume to create a bootable installer.

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