My HDD on mid 2011 Mac Mini completely died. I installed a new SSD. How do I reinstall OS?
I tried several options on Disk utility when it started but it says can't be done.
PS: I am low IQ on this stuff.
Mac mini, macOS Sierra (10.12), I think that is the OS
Hi
Read this guide here on installing MacOS it may be usefull to print it out so you can reffer to it during instalition
Hi
Read this guide here on installing MacOS it may be usefull to print it out so you can reffer to it during instalition
Hi Brutus,
The article linked by tethfrog2321 details how to reinstall macOS. Here's a simplified version of the steps in that article.
1. Boot Recovery Mode over the Internet. Hold down Option-Command-R while you turn on or restart your Mac. Release the keys when a spinning globe appears. If prompted, select a Wi-Fi network to continue. You'll want an excellent Internet connection for this step, as Recovery Mode alone is approximately 650 MB large.
2. Open Disk Utility. When the Utilities menu finally appears, select Disk Utility, then continue. For added safety, eject all external drives that are connected to your Mac. Then, click on View, and choose Show All Devices.
3. Format (erase) the SSD. Select the top level of the drive, then click Erase. Format your SSD as follows:
Name: Whatever you want, but the default name is Macintosh HD
Format: APFS
Scheme: GUID Partition Table
Note: If you're unsure whether your new drive is an SSD or not, select Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for the Format instead. Your drive will automatically be converted to APFS if it's an SSD.
When the erase process is complete, quit Disk Utility.
4. Install macOS. Select Install macOS from the list of utilities, then click Continue. You'll be guided through the process of installing macOS onto your new SSD, and your Mac will download a fresh copy of macOS (approximately 5 GB large). Your Mac will restart a couple of times.
5. Complete Setup Assistant. When a grey background appears and you're prompted to choose your region, you've arrived at Setup Assistant. It will guide you through the process of setting up your Mac. If you made a Time Machine backup prior to installing the new SSD, you can import all of your previous data into your SSD. You can even resurrect old user accounts and all of their data if you wish. Alternatively, you can also start fresh and create a new administrator account on your Mac.
Hope this helps!
Install OS on new SSD
