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Macs Compatible With Internet RecoveryĪs mentioned at the beginning of the article, not all Mac models carry this special feature. This allows you to download a copy of the macOS from Apple's servers and begin the installation process.
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If it finds that everything is okay then it will ask you to select the preferred wireless network.Īfter successfully connecting to the internet the recovery partition image is downloaded from Apple's servers and the Mac then boots into it, presenting you with the same utilities and functions as a built-in recovery partition. If at this point you see a spinning globe instead of an Apple logo, you are on the right path to using Internet Recovery.īefore installing a limited user interface onto the machine, macOS Internet Recovery first runs a quick test of the Mac's memory and storage disk. By pressing the Command + Option + Shift + R or Option + Command + R keys immediately after the chime or startup, Internet Recovery will open and give users access to the same recovery features online through Apple's servers. This special feature of macOS is used in less common situations such as hard drive failure or when you know the startup disk has no recovery partition.
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Available on all new Macs and some older models released after 2010, Internet Recovery kicks in when the Mac is unable to start from the built-in recovery system. Alongside the bootable copy of the operating system, the storage disk also contains a hidden recovery partition that can be turned to when installing the OS, repairing disk drives and performing other actions.īut what if the startup disk gets damaged or you need to replace the hard drive? Fortunately, there is one more ace up your sleeve: Internet Recovery. Since the release of OS X 10.7 Lion in 2011, every Mac's startup disk has two partitions. What happens to a user who got their hands on a Mac with just a blank startup disk and no operating system? A rookie might call Apple Support, but an advanced user will perform a macOS install without any bootable pen drive or DVD by just pressing the right key combination and letting the machine do the rest.
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