Revive Mac OS

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  2. How To Restore A Mac

Start up from macOS Recovery

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

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. LXLE Linux, Revive your old PC. LXLE is a remastered version of Ubuntu/Lubuntu LTS releases, using the LXDE desktop interface. LXLE provides a complete drop in and go operating system coupled with style, speed and capability.

Apple silicon

Turn on your Mac and continue to press and hold the power button until you see the startup options window. Click the gear icon labelled Options, then click Continue.

Intel processor

Make sure your Mac is connected to the Internet. Then turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R until you see an Apple logo or other image.

If you're asked to select a user you know the password for, select the user, click Next and enter their administrator password.

Reinstall macOS

Select Reinstall macOS from the utilities window in macOS Recovery, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.

Follow these guidelines during installation:

  • If the installer asks to unlock your disk, enter the password you use to log in to your Mac.
  • If the installer can't see your disk or notifies you that it can't install macOS on your computer or volume, you may need to erase your disk first.
  • If the installer offers you the choice between installing on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD – Data, choose Macintosh HD.
  • Allow installation to complete without putting your Mac to sleep or closing its lid. Your Mac may restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen may be empty for minutes at a time.

When the installation is complete, your Mac may restart to a setup assistant. If you're selling, trading in or giving away your Mac, press Command-Q to quit the assistant without completing setup. Then click Shut Down. When the new owner starts up the Mac, they can use their own information to complete the setup process.

Other macOS installation options

When you install macOS from Recovery, you get the current version of the most recently installed macOS, with some exceptions:

  • On an Intel-based Mac: if you use Shift-Option-Command-R during startup, you'll be offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version that is still available. If you use Option-Command-R during startup, in most cases you'll be offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac. Otherwise you'll be offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version that is still available.
  • If the Mac logic board was just replaced, you may only be offered the latest macOS that is compatible with your Mac. If you've just erased your entire startup disk, you may only be offered the macOS that came with your Mac, or the closest version that is still available.

You can also use these methods to install macOS, if the macOS is compatible with your Mac:

  • Use the App Store to download and install the latest macOS.
  • Use the App Store or a web browser to download and install an earlier macOS.
  • Use a USB flash drive or other secondary volume to create a bootable installer.

Not too clear on just what you have done, but if you reformatted the disk at some point, you may have erased the Recovery HD on the disk itself. So that would leave you having to try Internet Recovery (Option-Command-R) to install the original OS.


The problem may well be that Lion is not the original OS. This Mac originally shipped with Snow Leopard install discs, which you do not have. It did not originally ship with Lion, so there may be some issue there which is keeping you from completing the installation of Lion using Internet Recovery since Internet Recovery is intended to install the OS the Mac originally shipped with.


Are you wanting to sell or give away this Mac? If so, it needs to have the OS it originally shipped with installed, which would be 10.6.6 or 10.6.7 Snow Leopard. If you have access to an Apple Store, they could probably do this for you from their store feed. Snow Leopard can be updated to where the Mac App Store is available, and the new owner can install anything they want under their own Apple ID. This Mac can be upgraded to run Sierra.


I don't know if replacement install discs are still available from Apple for this Mac, but if you can get it done for free at the Apple Store that would be a better option for you.


Revive Mac And Cheese

Good luck!

How To Restore A Mac

Revive Mac OS

Mar 19, 2017 7:21 PM