How to recover a 2018 Intel Macbook Pro stuck in recovery mode after wiping?

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How to recover a 2018 Intel Macbook Pro stuck in recovery mode after wiping?

I recently wiped a 2018 Intel Macbook Pro before giving the laptop away and now it's stuck in recovery mode. Every time the laptop goes into internet recovery it fails after about 10 minutes, I've tried this over both WiFi and Ethernet and it still fails. I have also tried creating a bootable USB drive with Big Sur, however when I hold the option key and click on the button to install the OS the laptop immediately goes into internet recovery and proceeds to fail.

Lastly, I've tried putting the Macbook into DFU mode and restoring/reviving with Apple Configurator on another Mac laptop. This process initially works but then the Intel laptop will randomly shut down on Step 4 and then it exits DFU mode before being restored.

Is there anything else I can try to get this laptop working? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: 2018 Intel Macbook Pro stuck in recovery mode after wiping - internet recovery fails, bootable USB drive doesn't work and DFU keeps failing with Apple Configurator

Posted on Feb 12, 2026 11:13 AM

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HWTech

Community+ 2026

Level 9

71,030 points

Feb 12, 2026 2:28 PM in response to BroadSTBeast

If you are following the Apple DFU Firmware Restore instructions exactly, then not being able to complete the process indicates a hardware issue of some sort. The only hardware you can modify is the USB-C USB-only cable you are using, or the host Mac which is performing the DFU Firmware Restore.

Make sure the USB-C cable is not a Thunderbolt cable. Thunderbolt cables generally have a lightning bolt symbol on their connectors so you want to avoid them for this process.

Make sure the power adapter is connected to the laptop that is in DFU Mode.

Also, make sure the host Mac is running macOS 15.7.3+ or macOS 26.2+ or the DFU Firmware Restore process will fail. Apple just released macOS 15.7.4 or 26.3 so make sure to install the OS update patch.

Make sure you are also using the most recent version of Apple Configurator which is v2.19.

FYI, forget about booting from USB....that is not an option at this point due to the default security settings on the laptop which cannot be changed until you have a fully installed OS on the internal SSD along with a macOS admin user account needed for authentication. Internet Recovery Mode is the only way to reinstall macOS on this T2 Mac at this time, but you do need to complete the DFU Firmware Restore process first.

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How to recover a 2018 Intel Macbook Pro stuck in recovery mode after wiping?

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