Well, you’re on the right page. Recovery Mode was launched in 2010 with the release of OS X 10.7 Lion to let users play geek when their Macs need it most. Let’s walk through this step-by-step guide to start your Mac in recovery mode.
What is Mac Recovery Mode? How to boot a Mac in Recovery Mode? Does Recovery Mode delete everything on a Mac? How to exit Mac Recovery Mode How to open Terminal on Mac in Recovery Mode What to do If Recovery Mode doesn’t work on Mac?
What is Mac Recovery Mode?
In layman’s terms, it’s a built-in recovery system for your Mac. The feature operates through various utilities from a particular disk partition that’s set apart during macOS installation. The tool can be of immense help in accomplishing numerous tasks. Let’s take a look at them:
Erase your computer before passing it over to someone. To delete your data and remove Apple ID. Completely erase your disk. Restore the older macOS version. Fix a startup failure issue. Scan and repair a disk. Set up your Mac to boot from an external drive. Fix a Network Connectivity Error.
Note: There are times when Recovery Mode fails to work. Under such scenarios, you can use Internet Recovery Mode.
How to boot a Mac in Recovery Mode?
If you couldn’t boot Recovery Mode or the Apple logo didn’t appear, make sure you press and hold the keys in combination together when your Mac restarts. The press and release of the keys have to be in a certain manner. If you still couldn’t use it, shut down your Mac, switch it on, and try again by holding down the same keys at the moment the screen awakes. When your Mac finally boots in recovery, there will be four major tools on your screen.
Restore From Time Machine Backup: If you have a Time Machine backup available, you can restore your Mac using this feature. Reinstall macOS: This can help you download and reinstall macOS as per the key combination you use. Get Help Online: Using this mode, you can browse the web in Safari and get help online. There are built-in Apple Support links you can access to resolve your error. However, a point to be noted here is you can’t use plug-ins and extensions in the recovery mode. Disk Utility: This option can help you repair or completely erase your disk and other compatible storage devices.
Apart from these major tools, there are additional options available in the menu bar. In the Utilities Menu, you can use Startup Security Utility, Network Utility, and Terminal.
Does Recovery Mode delete everything on a Mac?
Loading Recovery Mode doesn’t delete anything from your Mac unless you go one step ahead to reinstall macOS or use Disk Utility without having a backup. Otherwise, you can comfortably boot your Mac in Recovery Mode without worrying about your data loss while stuck with a major technical issue.
How to exit Mac Recovery Mode
Before moving forward with one of the macOS recovery tools, make sure you have a basic understanding of each tool. It’s also necessary to have your Mac’s data backed up if you’re proceeding with reinstallation. If you don’t know much about these macOS recovery tools and don’t want to proceed without backing up your data, it’s safe to exit. You can also choose a different Startup Disk option if you want to switch to another disk from the menu.
How to open Terminal on Mac in Recovery Mode
You can run a terminal using Recovery Mode:
What to do if Recovery Mode doesn’t work on Mac?
Due to some odd reason, you may not be able to boot macOS in Recovery Mode. However, finding the exact reason can be tricky; you can consider these workarounds and get it fixed quickly. Signing Off A massive “thanks!” to macOS X 10.7 which introduced Recovery Mode and made disk repair and macOS reinstallation process easier. As you’ve learned in the tutorial, starting your Mac in Recovery Mode isn’t harmful to your data in any way. It’s made for providing technical support when it’s needed. You may want to read these:
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