Catalina Internet Recovery

  1. Macos Catalina Internet Recovery
  2. Catalina Internet Recovery
  3. How To Install Catalina From Internet Recovery
  4. Catalina Internet Recovery Tool

What I ended up having to do was the Internet Recovery method, which is how I know it will only allow you to install the last installed OS. Then I installed Catalina over that fresh install of Mojave.

  • Learn how to reinstall the OS through Internet RecoveryHow to Install Mac OS Catalina from Internet Recovery.How to Install Mac OS Catalina from Internet Rec.
  • Use Internet Recovery to Reinstall macOS Probably the best way to reinstall macOS on Mac even without a recovery partition is to use internet recovery. Moreover, modern Macs can boot directly from an internet connection without relying on the recovery partition.
  • 2019 16 inch MBP. Using command+option+shift+R to boot into internet recovery mode for Catalina. I launch disk utility and try to erase my drive, but nothing happens.


Os x catalina internet recovery

Catalina on (1) 2011 MacBook Air 13″, buttery smoothly. Only 4GB’s but works buttery smoothly. Catalina on (1) 2008 iMac 24″, internet, mail photo’s, and all default apps work fine, but only 4GB ram so it can be a tad slow. 8GB’s might be better. Catalina on (1) Late 2012 iMac 27″, buttery smoothly (officially supported machine). MacOS Catalina, aka macOS 10.15, is an older version of the operating system that runs on the Mac. MacOS Catalina's name was inspired by Santa Catalina Island, popularly known as Catalina and one. How to create a bootable macOS Big Sur USB install drive Step 1: Download macOS Big Sur. After Big Sur launches later this year, you’ll be able to download it directly from the Mac App Store.

These advanced steps are primarily for system administrators and others who are familiar with the command line. You don't need a bootable installer to upgrade macOS or reinstall macOS, but it can be useful when you want to install on multiple computers without downloading the installer each time.

Macos Catalina Internet Recovery

What you need to create a bootable installer

Macos Catalina Usb Restore

  • A USB flash drive or other secondary volume formatted as Mac OS Extended, with at least 14GB of available storage
  • A downloaded installer for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, or El Capitan

Download macOS

Mac Os Catalina Recovery Usb Flash Drive

  • Download: macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, or macOS High Sierra
    These download to your Applications folder as an app named Install macOS [version name]. If the installer opens after downloading, quit it without continuing installation. To get the correct installer, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise administrators, please download from Apple, not a locally hosted software-update server.
  • Download: OS X El Capitan
    This downloads as a disk image named InstallMacOSX.dmg. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or .pkg installer.

Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal

  1. Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer.
  2. Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
  3. Type or paste one of the following commands in Terminal. These assume that the installer is in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you're using. If it has a different name, replace MyVolume in these commands with the name of your volume.

Big Sur:*

Catalina:*

Mojave:*

High Sierra:*

El Capitan:

* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath argument and installer path, similar to the way this is done in the command for El Capitan.

Macos Catalina Recovery Usb Windows


After typing the command:

  1. Press Return to enter the command.
  2. When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
  3. When prompted, type Y to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the volume is erased.
  4. After the volume is erased, you may see an alert that Terminal would like to access files on a removable volume. Click OK to allow the copy to proceed.
  5. When Terminal says that it's done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Big Sur. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.
RecoveryHow to install catalina from internet recovery

Use the bootable installer

Determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps:

Catalina Internet Recovery

Apple silicon

Mac Os Catalina Recovery Usb Stick

  1. Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
  2. Turn on your Mac and continue to hold the power button until you see the startup options window, which shows your bootable volumes and a gear icon labled Options.
  3. Select the volume containing the bootable installer, then click Continue.
  4. When the macOS installer opens, follow the onscreen instructions.

Macos Catalina Usb Restore-v1.1.dmg

Intel processor

  1. Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
  2. Press and hold the Option (Alt) ⌥ key immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac.
  3. Release the Option key when you see a dark screen showing your bootable volumes.
  4. Select the volume containing the bootable installer. Then click the up arrow or press Return.
    If you can't start up from the bootable installer, make sure that the External Boot setting in Startup Security Utility is set to allow booting from external media.
  5. Choose your language, if prompted.
  6. Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Learn more

For more information about the createinstallmedia command and the arguments that you can use with it, make sure that the macOS installer is in your Applications folder, then enter the appropriate path in Terminal:

  • Big Sur: /Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • Catalina: /Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • Mojave: /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • High Sierra: /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
  • El Capitan: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia

A bootable installer doesn't download macOS from the internet, but it does require an internet connection to get firmware and other information specific to the Mac model.

Catalina Internet Recovery

What is Mac Recovery Mode?

Apple recovery mode is available in an emergency when your macOS is running into serious difficulties. There are four main features of Mac’s Recovery Mode, whether that is the regular recovery or internet recovery:

  • Restore from Time Machine Backup: Use a previous version of your Mac stored on an external drive. You will have had to prepare this is in advance by connecting an external hard drive and using Time Machine to copy all of your data, including files, OS, and settings. If you have an external copy, you can use this to restore your data under the ‘Restore from Time Machine Backup’ in Recovery Mode, which will erase the current disk.
  • Reinstall macOS: This wipes your current OS and its data and replaces it with a clean version. If you have any files you need saving, make sure that they’ve been uploaded to the iCloud or some other storage, whether online or on a separate hard drive. Which version of macOS that is reinstalled may depend on whether you run the normal Recovery Mode or Internet Recovery Mode.
  • Get Help Online: Recovery Mode allows you to use Safari to troubleshoot issues you may be experiencing.
  • Disk Utility: If you suspect there’s something wrong with your drives, you can scan, verify, and repair them from the recovery screen, which might be a quicker and more convenient alternative than erasing and reinstalling your macOS.

Now, if you are considering a complete restart in Recovery or Internet Mode, it’s recommended that you give your Mac a thorough clean first. Otherwise, this is like cleaning the house, then dumping everything you’ve hoovered back onto the carpet. The muck has only been moved around. With a tool like CleanMyMac X, you can declutter everything you don’t need, then back up safely (always best doing before restarting or rebooting), which means it should run much faster once restored to full working condition. By the way, this app removes up to 74 GB of junk on an average Mac computer. So, give it a try — you can download CleanMyMac X for free.

The differences between Internet Recovery and regular Recovery

Normal Recovery Mode accesses Recovery HD, an emergency cache of essential utilities that is saved to a partition in your Mac's startup drive, meaning that it’s kept separate from the rest of your disk space.

Because it’s been partitioned from the rest of your disk space, the data can’t be cleared in cleanup scans or manually deleted. It’s small (650MB) so it won’t affect your Macs performance, but it may be useful if something goes wrong.

If you do need to reinstall your macOS, Recovery Mode will reboot with the most recent version that has been installed on the computer.

Internet Recovery, however, can only reinstall the version of macOS that was originally on your computer when it was new from the box, which likely won’t be the most up-to-date version. This is because Internet Recovery uses code embedded into your Mac that includes an image for the appropriate OS. When you begin Internet Recovery, the image is transmitted to the Apple servers to request the correct codes for reinstallation.

Booting from Internet Recovery takes much longer than a normal partition-based recovery and, naturally, requires an internet connection, so ensure your connection is stable and that you have adequate power (keep your Mac charged).

When to use Internet Recovery

If your Mac has been unable to create a partition for the Recovery HD, you will not be able to use normal Recovery Mode. This might be because you’re using a RAID volume, which doesn’t support the recovery partition, or your drive has been partitioned with Boot Camp Assistant and subsequently modified.


Your Mac may have successfully created the Recovery HD partition but Recovery Mode may not be able to access it. This might be due to damage to the drive or a more serious error in your system.

If your computer is unable to access normal Recovery Mode, it will automatically begin Internet Recovery. If you have a working recovery partition, you will not be able to access internet Recovery Mode.

How to enter Recovery Mode on Mac

Hopefully, you’ll never have to use either the normal or internet Recovery Mode for your Mac, but if you do it’s simple to access. For both recovery modes, you will need enough power to see you through the process as well as your Apple ID to reinstall macOS.

1. To start your Mac in Recovery Mode, first, if your Mac is turned off, switch it on. If you’re currently using it, hit Restart. You can only use Recovery Mode from the startup drive.

2. As soon as you hear the startup chime, hold Command (?) + R.

You will need to hold the keys until a new screen appears.

3. If you have a working recovery partition, you will enter the normal Recovery Mode. The macOS Utilities window appears, which will list the four options to recover your Mac (Restore, Reinstall, Get Help, and Disk Utility). Select Reinstall macOS.

From there, your Mac will be cleared and rebooted with the latest version of macOS that had been installed on it.

How to access Internet Recovery Mode

1. Turn on your Mac or restart it as with normal Recovery Mode. As soon as you hear the startup chime, press and hold Command (?) + Option (?) + R.

If your normal Recovery Mode isn’t available, pressing Command (?) + R should automatically redirect you to Internet Recovery mode.

2. After a few seconds, a globe will appear onscreen with the text: Starting Internet Recovery. This may take a while.

Note: This is your computer entering internet Recovery Mode; it is not yet reinstalling OS X.

3. You will then be given a network list to choose your internet connection for the download. Press the check mark to continue or hit Enter once you have selected your network.

4. You will be asked to resubmit the network password even if you have previously connected to it, so make sure you have it available. Hit Enter or the check mark symbol to continue.

5. The screen will then show the image of a globe again, as well as a status bar. This is your computer sending the information about its original state to Apple to request the appropriate drivers and may take some time depending on your internet connection.

6. Once complete, you will see the same Utilities screen as the regular Recovery Mode, which gives you the same options to restore your system.

Mac Recovery Mode: A last resort

It is always worthwhile to run a Disk Utility scan if possible before reinstalling your macOS. It’s even better to keep your Mac maintained with regular scans for issues that can accumulate to cause problems. Give your Mac a complete tidy up before restarting in Recovery Mode. Clean out the junk, declutter and restore your beloved Mac to full health.

Caches and system junk quickly build up to clog your system and cause performance problems that might lead you to believe you need to reinstall your macOS, when really all it needs is a thorough clean-out. CleanMyMac X has cleared 737 million GB of junk files that wear down your system and uninstalled 10.5 million unnecessary applications and their forgotten extensions.

How To Install Catalina From Internet Recovery

CleanMyMac X can also run diagnostics without entering either Mac Recovery Mode, meaning you can fix operating issues before you need to initiate a full reinstall.

Catalina Internet Recovery Tool

Get CleanMyMac X to improve the longterm performance of your Mac!