How to Install macOS on a New SSD using Internet Recovery (Mac)

Duration: 45 minutes

Steps: 8 Steps

Heads up! Internet Recovery is a feature that only works on Apple computers released after 2009. If your trusty device is from 2010 or 2011, make sure to update to the latest version of macOS to unlock this handy option.

Internet Recovery is packed with some handy tools! In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the steps to use Internet Recovery for installing a fresh copy of macOS on a blank or corrupted SSD. Just a heads up, Internet Recovery is available for Apple computers made after 2009. If your machine is from 2010 or 2011, you might want to give it a little update to the latest macOS version to get Internet Recovery up and running.

Step 1

If you’re setting up MacOS on a brand new drive using Internet Recovery, feel free to breeze right past this step.

– Go ahead and power down your computer.

Step 2

– First, make sure your computer is totally powered down. Then, give that power button a press, and right after, hold down the cmd + option + R keys together. You’ve got this!

Step 3

– Once you see that spinning globe animation, feel free to let go of those keys! You’re on the right track.

– The globe will keep spinning while Internet Recovery gets rolling. If you’re not plugged into a wired connection, a prompt will pop up asking you to choose a network. Just use that menu to connect your computer to a WiFi network and keep moving forward!

Step 4

Sometimes this process can be a little slow, and you might run into a timeout. If that happens, give it another shot using a cable connection to get online instead of WiFi. Depending on your device, you might need an adapter to make that happen, but no worries! You’ve got this!

– After you’ve locked in that network connection, you’ll see a cheerful progress bar pop up right under the twirling globe. Keep your eyes peeled!

Step 5

– Once Internet Recovery has kicked in, you’ll be greeted by the macOS recovery screen. Let’s get this show on the road!

Step 6

Before diving into the exciting world of installing macOS on your shiny new drive, let’s get that drive formatted so the installer can give it a warm welcome.

– After you’ve given your new drive a fresh format, simply hit Command + Q to gracefully exit Disk Utility and make your way back to the recovery menu. You’re doing great!