Reinstall macOS without losing data
If your macOS is not badly damaged, the “repair installation" discuss here may help you to fix the software issues. It requires an internet connection to download macOS from Apple’s server and run the macOS Recovery. If carried out carefully, all your data should be intact. If you already have a bootable external drive containing the macOS, you can speed up the process by running the macOS Recovery directly from your external drive.
If you don’t have a backup, you need to reinstall the macOS without overwriting the data. The idea is to replace your corrupted system file and fix other software issues without deleting your personal data. Follow the instructions discuss above to download the macOS from Apple’s server through a WIFI connection.
Once you are in macOS Recovery windows, choose option 2 “Reinstall macOS", and follow the on-screen instructions. The macOS will be installed into your startup disk without overwriting your data.
Note: Make sure to NOT use the option 4 “Disk Utility" to erase the disk. It is a good idea to connect the charger to your Mac before starting the installation process. In fact, the recent models of MacBook will insist that you must connect a charger before presenting you an option to proceed with the installation.
After the installation, your Mac should boot up normally. If your Mac still gets the flashing folder with question mark, you may need to perform a fresh-installation instead of this repair installation. Of course, you need to backup your data first.
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