When to use macOS Recovery

RESTORE OR RE INSTALL?

IF YOU’RE HAVING serious problems and no fixes work, restart in macOS Recovery. Hold Cmd+R immediately after pressing the power button to turn on your Mac.

When you see the Apple logo or a globe (meaning your Mac lacks a Recovery system but supports Internet Recovery; or hold Opt+Cmd+R to force use of Internet Recovery), you can then release the keys.

You’ll see four options: Restore From Time Machine Backup, Reinstall macOS, Get Help Online (which lets you browse support. apple.com and others for help), and Disk Utility. Restoring from Time Machine is the easy option – after a while, your Mac should return to normal.