Trying to install catalina on my late 2012 imac but my HD is greyed out. Help appreciated.

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dc_in_nc Author

Level 1

4 points

Trying to install catalina on my late 2012 imac but my HD is greyed out. Help appreciated.

iMac 27″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Sep 18, 2021 10:17 AM

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Answer 1

Jack-19

Level 8

46,008 points

Sep 18, 2021 11:04 AM in response to dc_in_nc

First, since Time Machine is on, I would run a backup first! Your Mac hasn't been backed up since 2020.

After a backup, follow these steps:

Shut down the Mac.
Turn on the Mac, and immediately press and hold Option + Command + R until you see a spinning globe.
Once you are in macOS Recovery, verify you are connected to WiFi in the top right corner. If possible, connect directly to the internet with Ethernet.
Go to the reinstall macOS app.
Follow the prompts, and install on Macintosh HD.

Jack

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Answer 2

dc_in_nc Author

Level 1

4 points

Sep 18, 2021 11:11 AM in response to Jack-19

Unfortunately, I ran out of space on my external to do a full back up. I am considering getting a newer system. Probably time to get a new external drive, run a full back up and replace this old 2012 with a newer system. As you may have guessed, IT trouble shooting isn't my thing. This old imac has been good to me, so I thought it might be worth updating the OS, as I have been running on High Sierra since 2019.

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