step by step guide to not lose a single data (2022)

Reinstall macOS it is something that you only consider if there is a persistent bug on your Mac. Your computer may be a few years old, you have gone through one or several betas and you want it to return to its original state. In general, reinstalling your Mac’s operating system isn’t necessary unless you have a good reason.

If you are determined to do so, we will see below how to reinstall macOS step by step. It is not a complex processbut you are going to need to make a hole in your agenda that can be several hours.

What happens when I reinstall macOS, do I lose my data?

Do not, all your data is preserved when you reinstall macOS. The most important thing when reinstalling macOS is that you don’t lose any of your data. What the Mac does is rewrite the files of the operating system, without touching the data that you may have on the computer.

It is a way to update macOS to its latest version available (You can check here all versions of macOS). In a normal update, only the items that have changed in the latest version are changed. But if you reinstall macOS it is done completely, replacing the entire operating system.

Reinstall macOS on a Mac with Apple silicon

As you probably know, Apple started the transition to chips of its own architecture Two years ago. The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro M1 were the first to come with them, but now we have a 2021 iMac and 2021 MacBook Pro. Regardless of which model you have, you should follow these instructions to reinstall macOS if you have a Mac with this chip:

• Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet to download macOS.
• Tap the Apple menu  and tap Power off.
• Wait for it to turn off completely.
• Press and hold the power button until you see the message “Loading boot options” appear.
• Choose your username and enter the password.
• An app called “Recovery” will appear. Click on “Reinstall your version of macOS”.
• Click Continue and follow the steps you see on the screen.
• Choose the default system volume to reinstall macOS.

Now you will have to wait for your Mac’s operating system to download and reinstall. It is better to be attentive during the process in case you need to confirm or click on an option before it ends.

Reinstall macOS on an Intel-chip Mac

For those Macs with an Intel processor inside, the process of reinstalling macOS is slightly different. If this is your team, follow these steps:

• Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet.
• Tap the apple menu  and tap Restart.
• Don’t wait for it to finish shutting down.

Here are three options we must press immediately after choosing Restart. We will choose each one depending on what we want to achieve:

1. Press the Option + Shift + Command + R keys if you want to reinstall the original version of macOS that your computer had.
2. If you prefer, you can reinstall the macOS version that your team now has with Command + R.
3. If you don’t have the latest version installed, you can install it with Option + Command + R.

From here, follow the indicated steps. You probably have to put your user password to validate the process. You’ll also need to choose the default system volume to reinstall macOS.

Whatever your computer, reinstall macOS on your Mac it’s quite simple. But we reiterate that it is a process that requires time available, since the software to be reinstalled must be downloaded and that will depend on your internet connection. As an added bonus, reinstallation also takes its own time.