In the event of a serious problem with your Mac, you may need to reinstall your Mac operating system. There's a simple style to do this using your Mac Recovery partition or via Mac Internet Recovery. Yous can admission the Recovery mode via the keyboard combination Control + R on an Intel Mac (the procedure on an M1 Mac is slightly different as we volition discuss below).

But what exercise yous practise if Mac recovery fashion isn't working or Command + R doesn't work?

We'll look at the best solutions to these problems below. If yous want to larn how to reinstall Mac OS using Recovery Fashion we comprehend that in a separate article (via the link to a higher place).

What is Mac Recovery?

A quick word on what Mac Recovery way can do and how it works.

Most people don't really think near their hard drives (well, SSD these days) in terms of partitions. They simply see the whole drive as ane thing. A hard drive is typically a single volume, but information technology is and then carve up into multiple areas, known as partitions or volumes. Recall of your hard drive as the business firm, and the partitions as different rooms. (Read: How to segmentation a Mac difficult drive or SSD, or create a APFS volume for more data.)

You're used to simply seeing one room in the house, the 1 which has your Desktop, Folders and Applications. Only there are actually four partitions, and 1 is used in extreme cases where you may want to completely reinstall the operating system macOS (or Mac OS X on really old Macs).

Fifty-fifty if you completely wipe your Mac, and beginning once again from scratch, the Recovery partition should all the same be at that place to make information technology possible to reinstall macOS, restore from your Time Car backup, and repair or erase your hard deejay. We look in particular at what you lot can do in Recovery mode here.

It's a problem if you demand to reinstall the operating system from scratch and the Recovery partition is missing or for some reason you tin can't admission. A problem, but luckily in that location are solutions available.

Dorsum in the days before Mac Os X Lion launched in 2011 at that place wasn't a Recovery partition, instead y'all needed to have a physical disc with the software on it and an optical drive to insert it into. These days it's rare to discover a Mac with a optical bulldoze, let alone observe someone who has their original discs - not that Macs take shipped with install discs in recent times. Nosotros'll look at what to practise if you fit into this category later in this article.

Why is Command R not working?

There are a few reasons why you might find that Command + R doesn't work and your Mac won't start up in Recovery Mode:

  • Number one reason correct now is that your Mac is a M1 Mac - one of the new Macs introduced since November 2020 which uses one of Apple'due south new processors rather than Intel. If that sounds similar you lot there is a new way to enter Recovery on an M1 Mac. We cover this in new ways to do things on M1 Macs, merely we'll besides talk over it below.
  • If your Mac is really old - every bit in so old it'south running Mac OS 10 Snow Leopard or older - it will non accept a Recovery partition, the only style to reinstall the Os is to use the discs that shipped with the Mac. We'll look at what to exercise in that instance later.
  • If your Mac is running a version of macOS older than Sierra (which launched in 2016) and then you won't have all the Recovery options available that you may have heard of.
  • The keyboard might be faulty or your Mac may not connect to it via Bluetooth - in which case, effort using another - we suggest one that plugs in directly.
  • Something might have corrupted your Recovery division, or you might have deleted it while replacing your hard drive, or installing Windows via Kicking Camp.

M1 Mac

How to enter Recovery when Control+R doesn't work

Follow these steps to discover out why Recovery mode isn't working for you lot.

Step ane: Effort again

The first thing to attempt is to restart your Mac and printing Command and R again as you kicking up. It may work the 2d time.

Footstep two: Bank check your keyboard

You may also want to check your keyboard (especially if it'southward a Bluetooth keyboard). Try using a wired keyboard if possible. Perhaps you can't enter Recovery considering your keyboard isn't working.

Footstep iii: Make sure you lot are using the right Recovery command on an M1 Mac

You may as well exist using the wrong command for your Mac. If you have an M1 Mac then you lot should follow these steps to showtime in Recovery fashion:

How to enter Recovery on an M1 Mac:

  1. Turn off the Mac.
  2. Press the on button - and keep it pressed.
  3. When the Apple logo appears text will appear informing you lot that if yous go on holding the power button you will be able to access startup options.
  4. Eventually you will be able to select Options > Continue and this will open up Recovery.

If Recovery mode isn't working on your M1 Mac so try 'fallback recovery fashion'. This is a new feature for M1 Macs (detailed by Apple here). It esseicnally replaces the Internet Recovery pick establish on Intel Macs.

To enter Fallback Recovery Way on an M1 Mac you need to:

  • Double printing the power button: beginning press it, release, and and so press and hold down the ability push.

This gives yous admission to a second copy of the recoveryOS.

Pace four: Try culling Recovery options for Intel Macs

At that place are a few other ways you lot might be able to forcefulness your Mac to start upwards in recovery manner if Command + R isn't working for you lot. Apple has a couple of other commands that you could try:

You could use Internet Recovery Style - an option that we will discuss in more detail below. This method will download a version of macOS from the internet, which might be a solution if y'all can't access the Recovery sectionalization on your Mac. We discuss Internet Recovery Mode in more than detail in a section beneath.

  • Press Pick/Alt + Command + R when yous kick up to enter Net Recovery Mode.

Once you enter this mode you will be able to access an Apple server to download the version of macOS. This volition be the latest macOS uniform with your Mac. Note: If yous aren't running Sierra 10.12.4 of later on, this will install the version that came with your Mac.

If you don't desire to install the latest version of macOS try this:

  • Shift + Selection/Alt + Command R (if you are running Sierra 10.12.4 of after) will install the version of macOS that came with your Mac, or the one closest to it that is all the same bachelor.

Note that if your Mac has a T2 chip there may be a simple reason why Command + R isn't working for you. In that case:

  • Choice/Alt + Control + R will install the latest macOS on your Mac if yous have a T2 bit.

What to do if Mac recovery mode isn't working

Perhaps you lot take tried the above and had no luck. Or maybe y'all got into Recovery Mode but for everything to freeze upwardly.

Maybe your Mac's disc is beyond repair and Recovery Mode inaccessible. In that example our article about How to recover data from a damaged Mac might be helpful. For ways to check whether your Recovery division is broken or missing jump to this section below.

In that location are some other options to effort before you try to set your Recovery partition though. Nosotros explicate how to utilize Internet Recovery on Intel Macs and Fallback Recovery on M1 Macs adjacent. Nosotros also run through how to install macOS from a bootable USB stick beneath and in a separate article here: How to create a bootable USB macOS installer.

How to use Cyberspace Recovery to reinstall macOS (Intel Macs)

How to restore a Mac without a recovery partition: Internet recovery

Here's what to do if you oasis't got a recovery segmentation on your Mac and need to reinstall macOS (in fact, even if yous don't demand to reinstall macOS yous probably should, because a missing Recovery Sectionalisation is non a skillful sign).

The outset approach is to utilise a characteristic chosen Internet Recovery. Newer Macs are able to kicking directly from an internet connection, fifty-fifty with no Recovery partition available. Here is how to use macOS Internet Recovery:

  1. Close down your Mac.
  2. Hold down Command-Option/Alt-R and press the Power button. (On some Mac keyboards the Option cardinal will be named Alt).
  3. Concord down those keys until you a spinning globe and the message "Starting Internet Recovery. This may have a while".
  4. The bulletin volition be replaced with a progress bar. Wait for it to fill. Expect it to accept a while...
  5. Expect for the MacOS Utilities screen to appear.
  6. Click Reinstall macOS and follow the installation process.

If you accept accessed Internet Recovery mode it might be a very slow process depending on your connection speed. When we experienced this problem nosotros connected our Mac to the hub via an Ethernet cable (you may demand an adapter, such as this Thunderbolt to Ethernet Adapter from Apple, £29/$29).

How to use Fallback Recovery to reinstall macOS (M1 Macs)

If there is a problem with Recovery Mode on the M1 Mac at that place is a new 'fallback Recovery mode', that is detailed past Apple here. In this case yous double press the power button: first printing information technology, release, then press and hold downwardly the power push.

Fallback recovery mode accesses a second re-create of the recoveryOS on the SSD of the Macs with M1 Chip. Apple tree says the second copy is there for resiliency.

On M1:

  1. Close downwards your Mac.
  2. Press and hold the Power button and wait while your Mac starts up.
  3. Eventually you will see the Apple Logo. One time a "Loading Startup Options" message appears you can let become of the Power button.
  4. Now click on Options.
  5. This will take you to the Recovery Fashion.
  6. Choose your linguistic communication and click on Adjacent.
  7. Wait for the internet recovery screen to load.

How to restore a Mac with no Recovery sectionalisation

It is possible to restore a Mac without a recovery partition, simply it can exist tricky (peculiarly on older Macs). You take a few approaches available:

  • Apply Internet Recovery to reinstall macOS on an Intel Mac with a missing recovery sectionalization. Jump to this section to find out how to do that.
  • Create a bootable macOS installer to install a re-create of macOS from.
  • Employ your Fourth dimension Machine backup as your showtime-up bulldoze.
  • Yous may as well be able to create a Recovery partition, nosotros await at how to practise that hither: How to create a Recovery division on Mac.

We're going to look at these options beneath - but first, a quick explanation of what a recovery partition is.

How to cheque if your Recovery partitioning is working

Recovery Mode macOS

First you should check that your Mac definitely hasn't got a working Recovery partition. Information technology's possible that you have been using the incorrect key combination, or that your keyboard wasn't working, for example.

As above, you lot need to follow the usual method to reach Recovery Mode. So, on an Intel Mac press Control + R, and on an Intel Mac printing On and keep it pressed until you lot meet Pick.

Nevertheless, despite pressing these cardinal combinations the Mac boots up to your normal view, or yous're faced with a completely blank screen, then you haven't got a Recovery sectionalisation.

If your Mac does kicking into macOS then you lot can at to the lowest degree check Last to come across if you have a recovery partition, here's how to exercise that:

  1. Open Final.
  2. Enter diskutil list.

You should run across a listing of all the volumes and partitions on your computer. The commencement drive (/dev/disk0) should take a partition (typically listed as "iii" with Apple_Boot Recovery HD after it). Try using the Command-R process again.

Y'all could also these tips to run across if it makes your Recovery sectionalization miraculously appear.

  • Reset your PRAM or NVRAM: If yous take an Intel Mac you could shut down your Mac and hold down Control-Option-P-R during kick. Wait for the chimes and let go. (This isn't actually an option on M1 Macs though, NVRAM does exist in M1 Macs, merely information technology's not the same - we do discuss how to reset it here though if y'all want to try: How to reset NVRAM on an M1 or Intel Mac).

Okay, so either your Recovery Division is missing, or doesn't work and you've tried everything. And so it'southward fourth dimension to look at reinstalling macOS without information technology. Start, if it's an option here, y'all should take time to back up up your Mac using Time Automobile. This volition enable you lot to restore all your files, folders and apps in one case you lot've reinstalled macOS.

Create a macOS bootable installer on a flash drive

Terminal createinstallmedia

If you can't admission Internet Recovery, so you lot are left with the option to create a bootable installer from a flash bulldoze (at least 12GB in size). Annotation that this completely erases the USB flash bulldoze, and then be careful to remove any files from it commencement. Nosotros cover how to create a bootable installer for macOS hither, simply we'll give an overview of the method below.

The simplest fashion to create a USB flash installer it to utilise Terminal:

Open up your Applications folder and await to see if you take the Install files for the version of macOS or Mac Bone X you lot require. In the instance of Sierra or Loftier Sierra you lot''ll come across: something similar this, for case.

Install files for macOS

If you don't accept the files read about how to get older versions of macOS or Mac Bone X hither.

When yous take got agree of the installer for the version of macOS that yous require, follow these steps:

  1. Attach your USB flash drive to your Mac.
  2. Open up Disk Utility.
  3. Select the volume (nether External) in the sidebar. The Volume is the top part, non the segmentation (which is underneath).
  4. Click Erase.
  5. Make sure information technology says "Untitled" in the Name field. Don't change this. Click Erase.
  6. Open up Concluding.
  7. Cutting and paste the correct createinstallmedia text into Final (the code volition depend on the version of macOS, then we suggest getting it from this article: createinstallmedia commands for versions of macOS. Information technology volition look something similar the below image.)
  8. You'll then need to enter your admin password. And so enter "y" and printing Render. Information technology volition commencement wipe your wink drive, then plough information technology into a bootable installer.

How to restore a Mac without a recovery partition: Create installer media

Expect to wait a while for the procedure to terminate.

Install macOS from the bootable installer

Now you lot can follow these steps to use the bootable installer:

  1. Make sure the bootable installer (USB flash drive) is continued to your Mac.
  2. Shut downwards your Mac.
  3. Hold down Option/Alt and press the Ability button.
  4. The startup device list window should appear displaying a yellow drive with Install (software proper name) below it.
  5. Select information technology and press Render. Await for the progress bar to fill.
  6. Select Disk Utility.
  7. Select the bulldoze under Internal (your main hard bulldoze).
  8. Click Erase.
  9. Give the drive a name; "Macintosh HD" is traditional but you can choose. Ensure that the Format is Mac OS Extended (Journaled) and the Scheme is GUID Partitioning Map.
  10. Click Erase.
  11. Click Done.
  12. Choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.
  13. Select Install macOS and click Keep.
  14. Follow the install macOS options.
  15. Select Macintosh Hd as the installation disk, when presented, and click Install.

MacOS will now be installed on your difficult drive from the bootable installer. The whole process tin have around one-half an hr. Afterwards this has finished you will have a new installation of macOS along with a Recovery partition.

You may get the message: "This copy of the Install [macOS name] application can't be verified. It may accept been corrupted or tampered with during downloading." If so you lot need to adjust the date and time in macOS.

How to reinstall Mac Bone X on an older Mac without Recovery mode

As we mentioned above, if your Mac is running Snow Leopard or older, it won't have a Recovery sectionalization. So if everything goes pear shaped and you need to reinstall your operating arrangement what can you do.

If you lot take the original discs that shipped with the Mac, you lot should be able to utilize them.

If yous don't have those discs, you may be able to purchase them from Apple. Apple tree used to sell Snow Leopard until relatively recently for £19.99 but it is no longer available hither. Apple tree does still explain how to get older Os X versions here.

You can however buy a copy of King of beasts from the Apple Shop here, but what y'all will receive is a download code, rather than physical discs.

Once you have the Mac App Store on your Mac you volition be able to go a newer version of macOS.