While this official troubleshooter works well most of the time, it has had its fair share of issues. So, if Mac Recovery Mode is not working and you can’t figure out why the usual Command (⌘) + R process has gone south, you’re at the right troubleshooting guide.
1. Possible reasons why Command + R isn’t working on Mac
First and foremost, make sure you’re using the right keyboard shortcut. While Command (⌘) + R works on most Macs for entering macOS Recovery, it isn’t the only option. That aside, there are many other reasons why macOS Recovery Mode may not work.
Have a Mac With a T2 Chip? Try A Different Keyboard Shortcut
Command (⌘) + R shortcut may not work on your Mac with a T2 Security Chip. If it’s the case, try Option/Alt + Command (⌘) + R to enter macOS Recovery Mode. For the uninitiated, T2 Chips are the second generation custom silicon for Mac. It endows an advanced level of security by leveraging enclave coprocessors. The following Macs come with Apple T2 Security Chips:
iMac ProMac Pro 2019Mac mini 2018MacBook Air 2018 or later MacBook Pro 2018 or later
Note: There’s also an option to check whether your Mac has a T2 chip or not. Click the Apple icon at the top left corner of the screen. Now, press and hold the Option key and select System Information. Next select Controller or iBridge in the sidebar. Now, you should see the Apple T2 chip on the right if your Mac supports it.
Make sure your keyboard works properly
Another thing worth keeping in mind is ensuring your keyboard isn’t faulty. Test both your R key and Command keys independently. If you have any trouble, try another keyboard. If you find that everything works properly now, you can be certain your Mac’s keyboard is at fault. You need a new Mac keyboard, check out this extensive roundup.
2. Did you accidentally delete the Recovery partition?
Maybe you accidentally deleted the Recovery partition while installing Windows via Boot Camp or replacing the HDD on your Mac. Or, perhaps the Recovery partition has been corrupted. Note: You can also use the Shift + Option/Alt + Command (⌘) + R on your Mac to install the macOS version that came preinstalled.
3. If your Mac is running macOS Sierra or earlier
If your Mac is running anything older than macOS Sierra (introduced in 2016), it won’t have all the Recovery options.
4. If your Mac runs macOS X Snow Leopard or earlier
Does your Mac support recovery partition? If your Mac computer is running OS X Snow Leopard or older, it won’t be equipped with a Recovery partition. In this scenario, you need to use the original discs that came preinstalled with your Mac to get the job done. If you don’t have those discs, you can purchase them from Apple.
5. How to check if Recovery partition is working on Mac
Sometimes, the macOS Recovery partition just doesn’t seem to kick in. So, if you’ve done everything right but still can’t activate or use it, be sure to check if the partition is working correctly. Note: On the latest macOS versions, you’ll see macOS Utilities; while in the older macOS versions, OS X Utilities will appear. If this screen appears, your Mac is working properly. Now, reinstall macOS as usual. But if a blank screen appears, or the Mac boots up to a different screen, the Recovery partition is not working.
6. Use Terminal to check if your Mac has a Recovery partition
With the help of the Terminal, you can quickly check if your Mac has a Recovery partition or not.
7. Try this fix to force the Recovery partition to appear
Sometimes, macOS Recovery partitions seem to completely disappear without any reason what-so-ever. If you’re facing this scenario, reset PRAM, or reset SMC. To do so, shut down your Mac. After that, hold down Command (⌘) + Option + P + R during the booting process. When you hear the chimes, release the keys. Now, use the Command (⌘) + R process to see if the macOS Recovery partition has appeared. If it has, you’re good to go! If none of the tricks so far have worked, it’s time to get on with the possible solutions to reinstall macOS without a Recovery partition. But before getting started, back up your Mac using Time Machine.
8. Restore a Mac without a Recovery partition
Did you know that you can restore your Mac even without the Recovery partition? On newer Macs, the process is a little easier when compared to the older ones. There are a couple of straightforward ways to restore a Mac without a Recovery partition.
Use Internet Recovery to reinstall macOSCreate a boot drive to install a copy of macOS
9. Use Internet Recovery to reinstall macOS
We think this option is the easiest of the two. Moreover, modern Macs can boot directly from an internet connection without relying on the Recovery partition. It’s worth reiterating that it only supports networks using WEP and WPA security. You may face issues if you’re using a proxy/PPPoE network.
10. Create a macOS bootable installer on a flash drive
If you’re unable to access Internet Recovery, create a bootable installer from a flash drive. There are a couple of major requirements for making a bootable install drive.
A 128GB Flash Drive (Minimum Requirement): Make sure the flash drive is at least 12GB in size). Keep in mind that it will completely wipe out the USB flash drive. So, remember to save all files upfront.Installation File: The process of getting the installation file varies based on a macOS version
11. How to get macOS installation files
The process of getting installation files slightly differs from one macOS version to the other. So, follow the below steps to get them with ease. How to get Big Sur installation files if your mac is running Mojave or earlier: Make sure to copy the installation file before installing so that you can have access to it to create a bootable installer.
12. Make a Bootable macOS installer
Creating a bootable installation of macOS is pretty straightforward (since OS X Mavericks) now since it only needs you to put in a single command in the Terminal. What’s more, the createinstallmedia command also lets you make a bootable copy of an installer on any drive connected to your Mac. Again, it’s worth noting that the createinstallmedia command will erase everything on your external disk. So, make sure to save your important files elsewhere beforehand.
13. Createinstallmedia commands for different macOS versions
The createinstallmedia command will vary based on the macOS version you wish to use. Big Sur Monterey Catalina Catalina beta Mojave High Sierra Sierra El Capitan Yosemite Mavericks That’s it! You’ve created the installer on an external drive, which you can use to install multiple copies of macOS. Side Note:
Once the bootable installer is ready, you can simply plug the external drive into the Mac and start it up by holding down the Option/Alt key while it’s booting up.When the Startup Manager appears, click your external drive to choose it as the startup disk. Now, the computer will start up in Recovery Mode. After that, click Install macOS and hit Continue. The chosen macOS version will begin to install.
14. Install macOS from the bootable installer
If you’ve already created a bootable installer, you can use it to reinstall macOS at any time. To do so, follow these steps: Now, go ahead with the instructions to install macOS options. Along the way, choose Macintosh HD as the installation disk and click Install. After the process completes, you’ll have a new installation of macOS along with a Recovery partition. Side Note: Now, you might see an alert. “This copy of the Install [macOS name] application can’t be verified. It may have been corrupted or tampered with during downloading.” Try adjusting the date and time in macOS to get rid of it. Wrapping Up… There you go! Hopefully, you’ve sorted out the macOS Recovery issues and reinstalled the latest macOS version or otherwise cleaned up your Mac. Especially when dealing with an issue of such magnitude, it pays to have multiple alternatives so that you don’t get stuck, doesn’t it? Did you find this guide helpful? Share your feedback with us in the comment section. You may also like to read:
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