Restoring a Macbook without Internet Recovery and using a Windows device is a bit more involved, but definitely doable. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
Things you’ll need:
- Your Macbook
- A Windows PC with internet access
- An empty USB flash drive with at least 16GB of storage space ( ideally 32GB)
- Apple ID (needed to download the macOS installer)
Preparing the USB drive on Windows:
- Download the macOS Installer:
- Head over to Apple’s official website. Search for “Download macOS”.
- You’ll need to choose the specific macOS version compatible with your Macbook. Identify your Macbook model and year of manufacture to find compatible versions.
- Download the installer in .dmg format.
- Format the USB drive:
- Plug the USB drive into your Windows PC.
- Open the Disk Management tool (search for “Disk Management” in the Windows Start Menu).
- Locate your USB drive in the list, it will be identified by its size and drive letter.
- Right-click on the USB drive and select “Format”.
- In the Format window, choose a name for the drive (e.g., “Mac Recovery”).
- File system should be set to “FAT32” (important for Mac compatibility).
- Allocation unit size can be left at default.
- Ensure “Quick Format” is unchecked (performs a more thorough erase).
- Click “Start” to format the drive.
- Create a bootable macOS installer on the USB drive:
- After formatting, you’ll need a third-party tool to create a bootable macOS installer on the USB drive. Important Note: Downloading and using third-party software comes with inherent risks, make sure you download the tool from a reputable source. A popular option is Disk Utility for Windows: [Disk Utility for Windows software] by TransMac.
- Follow the tool’s specific instructions to create a bootable macOS installer using the downloaded .dmg file and your USB drive.
Restoring your Macbook:
- Boot your Macbook into Recovery Mode:
- Shut down your Macbook completely.
- Locate the appropriate key combination based on your Macbook model:
- For Apple Silicon Macbooks (with Apple M1 chip or later): Press and hold the power button while turning on the Macbook until you see the “Loading startup options” screen. Then choose “Options” and click “Continue”.
- For Intel-based Macbooks: Turn on the Macbook and immediately hold down the following key combination (choose based on your desired restore):
- Option-Command-R: Installs the latest compatible macOS version.
- Option-Shift-Command-R: Reinstalls the macOS version that came with your Macbook (including available updates).
- Command-R: Reinstalls the currently installed macOS version.
- Release the keys once you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe.
- Use the bootable USB drive:
- In the macOS Recovery window, you should see a list of utilities. Look for “Disk Utility” and launch it.
- In Disk Utility, verify your Macbook’s internal drive (usually named Macintosh HD or similar). Make sure it’s healthy and recognized.
- Exit Disk Utility and return to the main Recovery window.
- You should now see an option titled “Install macOS” (or similar wording).
- If you don’t see this option, it means your Macbook wasn’t able to detect a bootable macOS installer. Double-check your USB drive creation process.
- Restore your Macbook:
- Click on “Install macOS” and choose “Continue”.
- The installer will guide you through the process. Select the target disk (your Macbook’s internal drive) and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore.
- Additional Notes:
- Restoring can take some time depending on your internet speed (downloading the installer) and the size of the macOS version.
- If you have a Time Machine backup of your Macbook, you can use it to recover your files and settings after the macOS restore is complete.
Overall, creating a bootable USB drive on Windows and restoring your Macbook requires extra steps compared to using Internet Recovery. If you’re comfortable using third-party software and following detailed instructions, this method can be a viable option.