Technically, simply reinstalling macOS won’t erase your drive, nor will it delete any files. You probably don’t need to erase it unless you’re selling or giving away your Mac or have a problem that you need to erase.
Can you reinstall macOS without losing data?
Option #1: Reinstall macOS without losing data from Internet Recovery. Click on the Apple icon > Restart. Hold down the key combination: Command+R, and you will see the Apple logo. Then choose “Reinstall MacOS Big Sur” from the utility window and click “Continue”.
What happens if I reinstall macOS?
Two answers. It does exactly what it says it does: reinstall macOS itself. It only touches operating system files in a default configuration, so any preference files, documents, and applications that may or may not have been modified in the default installer are left alone.
How do you make sure your Mac is backed up?
Make sure your Mac Pro is on the same Wi-Fi network as your external storage device, or connect the storage device to your Mac Pro. Open System Preferences, click Time Machine, and select Back Up Automatically. Select the drive you want to use for Backup, and you’re all set.
What to do if the macOS installation cannot be completed?
If the macOS installation cannot be completed? Restart your Mac and try the building again. Set your Mac to the correct date and time. Create enough free space for macOS to install. Download a fresh copy of the macOS installer. Reset the PRAM and NVRAM. Run First Aid on your startup disk.
How long does it take to reinstall macOS?
It depends on what kind of Mac you have and the installation method. If you have a standard 5400 rpm drive, it usually takes about 30 – 45 minutes to use a USB installer. The internet recovery route may take more than an hour, depending on internet speed.
Does reinstalling macOS fix problems?
However, reinstalling OS X is not a universal balm that fixes all hardware and software errors. If your iMac has caught a virus, or if a system file installed by an application is “damaged” by data corruption, reinstalling OS X probably won’t fix the problem, and you’ll be back where you started.
How do I reinstall Catalina on my Mac?
The correct way to reinstall macOS Catalina is to use your Mac’s recovery mode: Restart your Mac, then press and hold ⌘ + R to enter recovery mode. Select the hard drive where you want to reinstall mac OS Catalina and click Install. In the first window, select Reinstall MacOS ➙ Continue. Agree to the terms and conditions.
Do I need to encrypt my Mac backup?
The best way to keep your backups safe is to encrypt your Backup drive. When you change a Time Capsule or network backup drive from unencrypted to encrypted, your existing backups are erased, and new encrypted backup sets are created.
Can I back up my Mac to Google Drive?
Google Backup & Sync on Mac Open a browser and go to www.google.com/drive/download. Follow the steps to install from a disk image download. Sign in to Google Drive. Click Next a few times to complete the installation. Google Drive has been added to your sidebar. Wait for Google Backup & Sync to download your files.
How do I cancel a pending Mac update?
To cancel the entire update process, find and hold the option button. Within a few seconds, the option button changes to a Cancel button. Tap the Cancel button that appears on the screen.
Why can’t macOS Big Sur install?
Sign out of the App Store and sign back in. Logging in to the App Store again can sometimes fix issues where Big Sur doesn’t download properly. Use recovery mode. Restart your Mac and hold Control + R before clicking Disk Mode to reboot your Mac into Recovery Mode, and then try installing the updates from here.
Why doesn’t macOS install Catalina?
Usually, a macOS download will fail if there isn’t enough storage space on your Mac. If you’re still having trouble downloading macOS Catalina, try finding the partially downloaded macOS 10.15 files and a file called “Install macOS 10.15” on your hard drive.
How much time does it take to install macOS Catalina?
macOS Catalina installation time macOS Catalina installation takes about 20 to 50 minutes if everything works properly. This includes a quick download and an easy installation with no issues or errors. At best, you can expect to download and install macOS 10.15. Seven in about 30-60 minutes.
How long does it take to erase Mac hard drive?
Since the actual formatting of the drive takes less than a minute with Apple’s Disk Utility, the time to format the drive is negligible. Therefore, the 7-pass wipe on the 500-gigabyte drive took 18 hours and 22 minutes (1,102).
Is it OK to factory reset your Mac?
When you want to sell or trade-in your computer, be it an iMac or a MacBook, it’s a good idea to factory reset it. This means factory resetting your computer and reinstalling the latest macOS software.
How do I restart my Mac after uninstalling it?
Go to Recovery (either by pressing Command + R on an Intel Mac or holding the power button on an M1 Mac). A macOS Utilities window will open, showing you the options to recover from Time Machine backup, reinstall macOS [version]Safari (or Get Online Help in older versions,) and Disk Utility.
How do I reinstall OSX Catalina from USB?
Then follow these steps: Use the mouse pointer or the arrow keys on your keyboard to select the drive named Install macOS Catalina from the drive list that appears on the screen. After the USB drive boots up, select Disk Utility from the utility window, choose your Mac’s startup drive from the list, and click Erase.
How do you see what has been backed up to iCloud?
Check your Backup by tapping Settings > iCloud > Storage > Manage Storage and then select your device. You should see your latest Backup listed.
How do I restore my Mac from iCloud?
Go to Settings > General > Reset and then tap Erase all content and settings. On the Apps & Data screen, tap Restore from iCloud Backup and sign in with your Apple ID. Proceed to “Choose Backup” and then choose from a list of available backups in iCloud.
