1. Using Recovery Partition (Command + R):
- This method utilizes the built-in recovery partition on your MacBook’s internal storage.
Steps:
- Shut down your MacBook completely.
- Power on your MacBook while holding down the Command (⌘) + R keys.
- Keep holding these keys until you see the Apple logo or a spinning globe appear.
This will boot your MacBook into macOS Recovery mode. Here you can access various utilities including reinstalling the macOS, Disk Utility for erasing and formatting drives, and getting online help.
2. Bootable USB Installer (Requires a Different Mac):
- This method involves creating a bootable USB installer with a desired macOS version on another Mac with an internet connection.
Requirements:
- A secondary Mac with internet access.
- A USB flash drive with at least 16GB of free space.
Steps:
- On the secondary Mac, download the desired macOS version from the App Store.
- Once downloaded, use Disk Utility to erase and format the USB flash drive.
- Create a bootable installer of the downloaded macOS on the USB drive using the downloaded installer file. (Instructions for this process can be found on Apple’s Support website depending on your macOS version).
Restoring with Bootable USB:
- Shut down your MacBook.
- Insert the bootable USB drive into an available USB port.
- Power on your MacBook while holding down the Option (⌥) key.
- You should see a boot menu with available drives, select the bootable USB drive.
This will boot your MacBook from the USB drive and allow you to reinstall macOS.
Important Notes:
- Using the Recovery Partition (Command + R) will reinstall the macOS version that originally came with your MacBook, or the latest version it was upgraded to.
- Using a bootable USB installer allows you to choose a specific macOS version compatible with your MacBook.
- Before reinstalling macOS, it’s highly recommended to back up your important data using Time Machine or another backup method. Reinstalling macOS will erase all your data on the drive.