Boot Mac For Recovery

Other options in Recovery Mode Terminal. Start up in Recovery Mode as above. Click on Utilities in the menu bar. Click on Terminal. You can read about. Startup Security Utility. This will allow you to make sure your Mac starts up from a trusted startup disk. Network Utility. Mac will enter the internet recovery mode if the boot sector is missing or recovery partition is damaged or corrupted. To start Mac in recovery mode, here are the steps that you need to follow: Restart or power on Mac and hold the Command + Option + R keys after you hear the start-up chime.

Oct 26, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

'My Mac recovery mode is not working, and I have searched the internet for some valid solutions. Can someone help me to get to the recovery mode safely? Thanks in advance!'

Just like any other device, the MacBook is also vulnerable to working issues. Usually, when a fault or error arises on the MacBook, the users opt for Recovery Mode to fix the issue. But the worst situation is when the macOS recovery mode gets stuck.

Luckily, you don't even have to worry about this problem as we can help you resolve it and even recover lost partition files.

Now, let's discuss how to fix 'Mac can't boot into Recovery Mode' and also get some extra helpful information, for example, what's Recovery Mode. Even you can also learn the best solution to recover lost partition files.

Part 1. What Is Recovery Mode?

As we are trying to fix the Mac stuck in recovery mode, you must know about this mode as much as possible. Mac Recovery Mode is like a program that loads the Mac built-in recovery tool from a specific disk partition that holds the duplicate OS X installer with a recovery image.

MacOS Recovery mode, also known as Recovery Partition, is part of the built-in recovery system of your Mac. You can start up from macOS Recovery and use its utilities to diagnose disk problems, recover and restore data from Time Machine, re-install macOS, get help online, fix and wipe the data on the hard disk.

Just think about a situation when your Mac couldn't be recovered using any other method. Then the last option left would be using the Recovery mode to diagnose disk problems. It is a multifunctional Mac utility that enables the users to recover and restore data from Time Machine safely. The users can also fix and wipe the data on the hard disk and even re-install macOS.

You can use the Mac Recovery Mode to:

  • Scan, verify, erase, and repair the connected drives with Disk Utility.
  • Restore Mac from Time Machine Backup
  • Erase, Install, or re-install factory version of OS X
  • Check the Internet connection or get help online.
  • Reinstall the macOS system

After this, you'll need to know how to enter and exit the recovery mode.

How to Enter Recovery Mode?

  1. Start with clicking on the Apple menu and choose the Restart option or Power on your Mac.
  2. When the Mac restarts, hold the Command + R keys together until the Apple logo appears. Within a few minutes, the macOS utility window will appear on the screen.

This is how to enter recovery mode. In case the login window doesn't appear on the screen, you might have to restart your Mac and try again.

How to Exit Recovery Mode?

It often happens that you enter the Recovery mode but don't know how to exit recovery mode. But it is straightforward.

  • You only have to choose the 'Restart' option from the Apple menu to exit the mode.
  • You can also use the Startup Disk option from the menu if Mac keeps returning to the recovery mode. Your Mac will be good to go by selecting the normal boot disk and clicking on the Restart button.

Part 2. Four Ways to Fix 'Mac Won't Boot into Recovery Mode.'

In some instances, Mac users try to resolve some common disk errors or some other issue with Mac, and they find out that the Mac recovery mode is stuck. If the Mac won't boot into recovery mode, it means you have to use the Internet connection and Apple server to look for a possible solution.

Here are four common macOS recovery methods that can resolve almost any issue on your Mac to ease up your tension and worries.

Way 1. Use Time Machine Backup:

Mac users make a smart move as they keep their Backup external drive connected to Time Machine. If any file is lost or corrupted, the users can restore the files using the Backup. It often comes in handy when you can't boot into recovery on Mac.

  1. Restart Mac and click on the Options tab during start-up. Connect your Time Machine, and it will boot in a while.
  2. Choose the Recovery Drive to boot Mac and click on Use Disk to update the system storage.

Way 2. Create a bootable installer:

You can also use if the Mac recovery mode is not working to create a bootable installer using the Disk Utility feature. It is advised that you use a dedicated USB for this process. The steps you have to follow are given below:

  1. Get to the Utility window by restarting your Mac and accessing the Options tab during start-up.
  2. Choose the Disk Utility mode and connect a bootable installer drive with the Mac.
  3. You have to select the drive from the pop-up list, and Mac will restart. Now you can repair Mac easily so that it can be used like before.
Related: Disk Utility is an inbuilt tool on Mac. You can also use it to resize a volume on your device.

Way 3. Use Mac Internet Recovery:

If you have no idea what to do to resolve the macOS recovery, not working issues, you can rely on the Internet recovery feature! As you get your Mac online, it will automatically look for a viable solution to repair Mac.

  1. Directly access the internet recovery mode by long-pressing the Option + Command + R during the restart. A globe icon will appear on the screen with a status bar.
  2. Connect to a network and follow the steps guided by the utility. When you finish the process, Mac repair will be done, and you will access it.

Way 4. Reinstall Mac OS X:

Recovery

If none of the methods work out to repair the Mac OS X, then the last option left will be re-installing. It is the final logical solution. It will be better if you already have a backup of the data files stored on Mac; otherwise, they will get lost.

Choose the 'Reinstall Mac OS X' option from the Utility window and wait while the new copy of Lion is set up and installed on your device.

Part 3. How to Start Mac in Recovery Mode?

When the Mac system or volume is damaged, it is better to use the Internet recovery mode instead of standard recovery. Internet recovery starts up Mac from Apple's servers directly. It can run a quick test of the memory and hard drive to look for issues.

Mac will enter the internet recovery mode if the boot sector is missing or the recovery partition is damaged or corrupted. To start Mac in recovery mode, here are the steps that you need to follow:

  1. Restart or power on Mac and hold the Command + Option + R keys after hearing the start-up chime. Release the keys when you see the animated globe on the screen.
  2. Depending on your Internet connection, it might take a while, so keep your Mac connected to a power source.
  3. Once the connection is established, you will see the macOS utility window on the screen. You only have to click on the option to select one of them.

The recovery tools allow the users to re-install the version of macOS or restore the computer. Apart from this, you can run Disk Utility to fix errors and look online for solutions too.

Video Tutorial on How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode

Part 4. How to Recover Lost Files

If you don't have a backup copy of your data files and lost them because of the recovery mode, you will need Recoverit Data Recovery Mac.

It is a complete data recovery tool that can restore a lost file from Mac's recovery mode, along with other data loss scenarios. This tool is skilled in getting the important files back on your device from any storage space.

You can download the software from their official website. The software is available for Mac and Windows both. So, you can easily download it on your Mac OS X. After it is installed, follow the steps given below to recover the lost files:

Boot Mac For Recovery Mac

Step 1: Select a partition.

Launch the software and select the drive from where the data files are lost. If you don't know which drive to search, tap on the 'I can't find my partition' option and hit the Start button.

Step 2: Scan the partition.

Typically, the software will run an all-around scan and search for the lost and deleted files on the entire drive.

Step 3: Preview and recover partition

When the scan completes, the files will be listed on the screen. The software will sort out the files according to format to make the search easier. You can select multiple files at a time and have a preview of them.

Finally, tap on the Recover option, and the files will be restored on your drive. During recovery, make sure that you don't save the files in the same location because it may lead to data loss again.

Hopefully, you have gathered more than enough information if your Mac won't boot into recovery mode. You can repair your device by using the Mac Utility. But if the Utility can't help you out, then you can rely on Recoverit Data Recovery. This way, you will be able to recover lost data from your Mac.

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Oct 13, 2020 • Filed to: Solve Mac Problems • Proven solutions

Recovery Mode in OS X provides a set of solutions for users to utilize when users need to repair and reinstall their operating system in an emergency. You can also reset the Mac password using recovery mode if needed. There are several ways to boot Mac into recovery mode. If you find one method overwhelming, there are several other alternatives you can use. We will walk you through the different ways on how to boot Mac into recovery mode so that they will become undoubtedly useful in a rare emergency.

Part 1: How to Boot Mac in Internet Recovery Mode

Along with the introduction of a locally stored recovery volume, Apple introduced its Internet Recovery service that allows your operating system to download contents of the recovery hard disk partition from the company's service. This option is great to use when your local drive is completely corrupted and you no longer can access locally-stored recovery tools.

Related: If you boot your Mac for lost data recovery, we suggest that you can try recovering files from dead Mac on your own.

To launch Internet Recovery, make sure your Mac is connected to a WiFi network and follow the steps below:

  1. Reboot your Mac.
  2. Hold the 'Options', 'Command', and 'R' buttons until the boot chimes are triggered.
  3. Wait until the system finished downloading the recovery tools from Apple's website.

It is noted that you are unable to boot Mac into Recovery Mode if you are using devices older than the ones below:

  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
  • MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)
  • MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
  • iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2011)
  • iMac (27-inch, Mid 2011)
  • MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010)
  • MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010)
  • Mac mini (Mid 2010)
  • MacBook Pro (15-inch and 17-inch, Mid 2010)
  • iMac (21.5-inch and 27-inch, Mid 2010)
  • MacBook Air (11-inch and 13-inch, Late 2010)

Part 2: How to Create a bootable drive into Recovery Mode

You can create a bootable drive to store an OS X Recovery Disk so that you can access recovery tools anytime, anywhere. It would be great if you could invest in a high-capacity USB 3.0 flash drive to store the required tools.

There are plenty of articles outlining how you can create a bootable OS X Recovery Disk, including ours. Once you have this established, you can follow these steps to get your Mac into Recovery Mode:

  1. Reboot your Mac.
  2. Hold down 'Option' on your keyboard once you hear the chime sound.
  3. Attach your bootable OS X Recovery Disk to your Mac and select it from the prompt list.
  4. Your Mac will launch into Recovery Mode and you can start fixing your Mac.

As you can see, there are plenty of methods you can use to boot Mac into Recovery Mode. There is no need to panic when you find yourself in trouble - just choose and master the method that seems least intimidating to you and you will be well on your way. After you boot Mac into Recovery Mode, you can also restore your data on Mac.

Related: read and know more complete details on how to create a bootable drive on Mac.

Part 3: How to Boot Mac with Installation Disk

Boot Mac Recovery Mode Terminal

If you are using an older Mac, it probably comes with a grey recovery DVD that you can use to run recovery routines. If you had bought a copy of a newer operating system, you can also use the installation disk to perform recovery.

It is the easiest way to go into Recovery Mode and here is how you can do it:

  1. Insert the grey DVD and reboot your Mac.
  2. Hold down 'C' on your keyboard until you hear the boot chimes.

The recovery tool will take some time to load. Follow the wizard that will put your Mac into Recovery Mode.

Part 4: How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode with Local Recovery

  1. Reboot your Mac.
  2. Hold the 'Command' and 'R' buttons until the boot chimes are triggered.
  3. You will see the OS X utility window that will prompt you to choose one of the four options.

Part 5: How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode from Time Machine

Restart In Recovery Mode Mac Os

It is really important to keep backups of your machine and Apple facilitates this with its Time Machine feature. It would be best to store your backup on an external drive so that you can initiate Recovery Mode using this when your hard drive is wiped out.

Follow these steps to boot Mac into Recovery Mode:

  1. Reboot your Mac.
  2. Hold down the Option button when the startup chimes sound.
  3. Connect your Time Machine drive. It will take some time for the system to detect the drive. You might need to key in your password.
  4. Choose the drive to launch your Mac into Recovery Mode.

Boot Mac For Recovery Mode

After all the above methods, you finally fail to boot your Mac into Recovery mode. Don't worry. We also provide further solutions for you - Fix 'Cannot boot into Recovery mode'. For those who need the data recovery solution, Recoverit would be a nice option. Free download and try it now.

Video Tutorial on How to Boot Mac into Recovery Mode

What's Wrong with Mac

Recover Your Mac
Fix Your Mac
Delete Your Mac
Learn Mac Hacks