How to reinstall macOS on a MacBook Pro with erased SSD

I totally erased my solid state hd and now my MacBook Pro will not be found in recovery to reinstall


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Posted on Feb 6, 2025 10:32 PM

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Posted on Feb 7, 2025 3:55 AM

If you have erased the internal drive, including its recovery partitions, then you may have a couple options for reinstalling the OS. The easiest will be to restart in internet recovery and reinstall the OS that way. Otherwise you'll need to use another Mac to create a bootable USB installer.


The steps for booting in recovery depend on whether your Mac is newer with Apple Silicon or an older Mac with an Intel cpu. Guidance for recovery booting either can be found here: How to start up from macOS Recovery - Apple Support


Once in recovery boot you can use the "Reinstall macOS" application to reinstall the OS to the internal drive.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support


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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 7, 2025 3:55 AM in response to sherryfrommidway

If you have erased the internal drive, including its recovery partitions, then you may have a couple options for reinstalling the OS. The easiest will be to restart in internet recovery and reinstall the OS that way. Otherwise you'll need to use another Mac to create a bootable USB installer.


The steps for booting in recovery depend on whether your Mac is newer with Apple Silicon or an older Mac with an Intel cpu. Guidance for recovery booting either can be found here: How to start up from macOS Recovery - Apple Support


Once in recovery boot you can use the "Reinstall macOS" application to reinstall the OS to the internal drive.

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support


Feb 7, 2025 7:32 AM in response to sherryfrommidway

what model-year MacBook Pro? there are various complications depending on these Broad groups:


pre 2011 MacBook Pro may not have Internet recovery in its ROM, so a whole 'nother discussion needs to take place over this case.


Later than 2011 but before 2018 DO have Internet recovery and do NOT have T2 chip, so re-install is usually straightforward.


Intel Macs from 2018 have a T2 chip, and the "approved method" for ERASE is to use the "erase all data and settings" function. if you instead brute-force Erase the entire Device, you may require a firmware revive or restore to put back part of the firmware and settings that were stored on the drive:


How to revive or restore Mac firmware - Apple Support


apple-silicon MacBook Pro has their own article on the subject:


Use Disk Utility to erase a Mac with Apple silicon - Apple Support



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How to reinstall macOS on a MacBook Pro with erased SSD

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