After booting up in macOS Recovery mode, Internet connection disappears. What to do?

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Level 1

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After booting up in macOS Recovery mode, Internet connection disappears. What to do?

After a system re-install of Sequoia on my 2019 MacBook Pro, I am unable to boot up normally - I get the folder with the flashing question mark.

I boot up in macOS Recovery mode using an Wi-Fi connection and it subsequently tells me I can't reinstall Sequoia because I need an Internet connection. It presents no way to connect.

It obviously had an Internet connection – it downloaded from the Internet to get me into recovery mode.

I am unable to connect via Ethernet – how can I proceed now?

[Edited by Moderator]

Posted on Jun 18, 2026 10:07 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Courcoul

Level 6

18,838 points

Jun 18, 2026 12:05 PM in response to mbabc

That means the internal storage is hosed but may still be causing some "noise". Can't test right now, but isn't there a network menulet on the right hand corner, from which you can verify the connection?

Else try doing the full formal Internet Recovery Mode by <OPT><CMD><R>, that will ditch trying to access internal storage at all and dispense with any potentially corrupted info there.

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Answer 2

mbabc Author

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Jun 18, 2026 1:19 PM in response to mbabc

And I do see that I can join Wi-Fi in the upper left corner. It was obscured by the lines and I didn't notice before. I am now installing in the disk "MB Pro.

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Answer 3

Jun 18, 2026 10:44 PM in response to mbabc

mbabc wrote:

What now?

I guess there is no important data in the internal disk, right? Then you might try the following which erases all data:

Just in case first reset SMC and especially reset PRAM (cold boot and press Option-Command-P-R when the Mac chimes and keep pressing those keys until the Mac chimes 1-4 times).

Then again reboot the router (just in case) and then boot to Internet Recovery Option-Command-R. Then launch Disk Utility > View > Show All Devices and erase the topmost device (not any volume under it) 1st as MS-DOS (FAT), Master Boot Record (...just in case to clear any potentially corrupted partition data...), then pick the desired name like "Macintosh HD" and again erase the topmost device as GUID, APFS, case insensitive. Then quit Disk Utility and switch to macOS installer and try if it now successfully installs and then boots.

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Answer 4

Courcoul

Level 6

18,838 points

Jun 18, 2026 10:28 AM in response to mbabc

How are you booting into Recovery?

If by holding down <CMD><R> before startup chime, then it is managing to find the Recovery partition on the obviously damaged internal storage.

If by holding down <CMD><OPT><R> before startup chime, should prompt you to select a Wi-Fi network and its credentials before loading and can take awhile depending on your network speed.

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Answer 5

mbabc Author

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Jun 19, 2026 5:38 AM in response to mbabc

I booted up again in macOS Recovery mode and erased "MB Pro". I then did a reinstall of Sequoia. It worked.

Issue over.

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Answer 6

mbabc Author

Level 1

5 points

Jun 19, 2026 6:03 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks for your answer.

I suspect this would have worked. On my own I simply erased the boot disk as GUID APFS and did a re-install. IT worked.

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Answer 7

mbabc Author

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5 points

Jun 18, 2026 11:06 AM in response to Courcoul

I am holding down <CMD><R>. It sends me to this screen:

After connecting to my home Wi-Fi network it takes awhile and eventually gets to this screen (not asking to log in).

From there I click on "installing new copy . . ." and get the message that an Internet connection is required.

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Answer 8

mbabc Author

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5 points

Jun 18, 2026 3:28 PM in response to mbabc

After apparently successfully installing Sequoia to "MB Pro", I went to boot up. The apple appeared, as if it was starting, and then disappeared with a whooshing sound followed by a blank screen.

I started up with the option key down and got this:

Ofter connecting to a network I had this:

When I clicked on the arrow under "macOS Installer" I got the same Apple and whoosh.

What now?

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Answer 9

Jun 19, 2026 6:53 AM in response to mbabc

mbabc wrote:

I suspect this would have worked. On my own I simply erased the boot disk as GUID APFS and did a re-install. IT worked.

Good. In my longer workflow I just tried to cover all the bases.

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