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Title says it all. I’ve looked through the various solutions for similar problems on this forum, but since I’m not able to boot into OSX at all, those fixes listed can’t be done.

I removed the partition I used for Windows using the Disk Utility. But after a restart, it’s trying to load into a partition that isn’t there anymore and gives me the Windows recovery splash screen. Even when trying to get into boot disk select or into recovery mode at reboot, it still bypasses all of that and loads the Windows recovery screen.

Since I cannot boot into OSX using any of the normal methods, I was wondering if there’s a workaround for a system that cannot even get into recovery mode or selecting the appropriate startup disk. Until I can get there, I can’t do the EFI change using the Terminal.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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  • Please edit your post to include the output from diskutil list. Then we can see what the layout is like after your deletions in Disk Utility, and someone may be able to suggest a solution. Commented Jan 28 at 17:55
  • That’s the thing.. I can’t get into OSX at all to give you that. I’m completely locked out Commented Jan 28 at 23:40
  • Ok, what hardware, what version of macOS (you should have added that in the OP, but I missed prompting you about it....), and how are you attempting to enter recovery mode? Commented Jan 29 at 8:51
  • 2015 iMac Pro. Running Catalina, not sure of the specific update number, but it’s the very last one. Tried the Option Restart, as well as CMD+R, Opt+CMD+R, and Shift+Opt+CMD+R. None of them worked on multiple tries. Commented Jan 31 at 19:27

1 Answer 1

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If your Mac's OSX is severely corrupted, you may need to create a bootable USB to access Disk Utility. Follow these steps to recover your Mac:

Step 1: Create a Bootable USB

Get a USB drive: Ensure you have a USB drive with at least 8GB of free space.

Follow Apple's guide: Visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/101578 for instructions on creating a bootable USB.

Step 2: Boot from the USB Insert the USB: Plug the bootable USB into your Mac.

Restart your Mac: Hold the Option (⌥) key while booting up your Mac.

Select the USB: Choose the USB drive as the startup disk.

Step 3: Use Disk Utility

Open Disk Utility: Launch Disk Utility from the Utilities window.

Select your main drive: Choose your MAIN DRIVE (not the Bootcamp one) from the list.

Partition: Click Partition, then click Partition again. You'll see a pie chart.

Remove Bootcamp: Click the blue space used by Bootcamp and click the minus (-) icon. Repeat this step for any other non-macOS partitions until your pie chart is completely gray, then click Apply.

Delete unnecessary partitions: Right-click and delete any APFS partitions other than your Main Disk, macOS Base System, or the USB drive.

Step 4: Erase and Reinstall

Erase the main drive: Select your main drive and click Erase. This will delete all data, so be sure to back up any important files.

Format as APFS: Ensure the format is set to APFS. Name the drive: Give your drive a name.

Click Erase: Confirm the erase process. Install macOS: Exit Disk Utility and install macOS on your main drive.

By following these steps, you should be able to recover your Mac from a corrupted state. Remember to back up your important files before erasing your main drive.

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