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Macbook Pro Stuck in recovery mode

A couple of weeks ago Internet Recovery was used to reset a 2019 Macbook Pro to its factory state and at the time everything was fine.


Because no one was going to use it at the time, it didn't go through the setup process that you do with a new Macbook and it was kept in stock.


A couple of days ago, one of the team members decided to switch to the mac for a project but when turned on, it went up in recovery mode, internet recovery was attempted but after completion, the laptop turned back on in recovery mode.


We have tried resetting the NVRAM, PRAM, SMC, as well as multiple Internet recovery attempts but nothing has solved the problem.

Posted on Sep 28, 2022 8:19 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Sep 28, 2022 8:03 PM

So after multiple clean installs which include erasing the whole physical SSD you are having this problem? And before migrating/restoring from a backup? Have you installed any third party apps?


You can try "Restoring" the firmware which will reset the T2 security chip as well as pushing a clean OS onto the laptop's internal SSD (similar to how you restore an iPhone or iPad).

Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator - Apple Support


Make sure to disconnect all external devices in case one of them is causing a problem.


If you can boot the laptop into a full copy of macOS you can try running DriveDx to check the health of the SSD. Post the complete text report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper. While the Apple SSDs don't contain much health information, once in a while you may find something useful in the SSD's health report.


Did you perform the SMC Reset properly? The procedure has changed with the 2018+ Intel Macs. See this Apple article for details:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support


You can also try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately the diagnostics won't detect most drive failures. Plus the only useful diagnostic is one which fails or freezes.


I suspect the SSD is failing (probably taking too long to go ready), but you could have some other issue with the Logic Board. If the above tips don't help, then you will likely need to have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider examine the laptop to provide you with a repair estimate.


1 reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 28, 2022 8:03 PM in response to SuperkiwiDevelopment

So after multiple clean installs which include erasing the whole physical SSD you are having this problem? And before migrating/restoring from a backup? Have you installed any third party apps?


You can try "Restoring" the firmware which will reset the T2 security chip as well as pushing a clean OS onto the laptop's internal SSD (similar to how you restore an iPhone or iPad).

Revive or restore an Intel-based Mac using Apple Configurator - Apple Support


Make sure to disconnect all external devices in case one of them is causing a problem.


If you can boot the laptop into a full copy of macOS you can try running DriveDx to check the health of the SSD. Post the complete text report here using the "Additional Text" icon which looks like a piece of paper. While the Apple SSDs don't contain much health information, once in a while you may find something useful in the SSD's health report.


Did you perform the SMC Reset properly? The procedure has changed with the 2018+ Intel Macs. See this Apple article for details:

Reset the SMC of your Mac - Apple Support


You can also try running the Apple Diagnostics to see if any hardware issues are detected. Unfortunately the diagnostics won't detect most drive failures. Plus the only useful diagnostic is one which fails or freezes.


I suspect the SSD is failing (probably taking too long to go ready), but you could have some other issue with the Logic Board. If the above tips don't help, then you will likely need to have Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider examine the laptop to provide you with a repair estimate.


Macbook Pro Stuck in recovery mode

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