Backup data and fresh-install macOS
If the repair installation discussed above cannot fix your problem, you need to fresh-install the macOS. It is always a good idea to do a fresh installation regularly. Fresh installation not only can fix all your software issues but also give you a faster, virus-free and more stable system.
If you don’t have a backup copy of your personal data, time to backup your data now. Use these steps to backup your data to an external drive:
1. Connect an external USB, Thunderbolt, or FireWire drive to your Mac. The drive needs to be the same size or larger than your current startup disk.
2. Use macOS Recovery to erase the external drive, then install macOS onto the external drive. Make sure that you select the external disk as the one you want to erase and install macOS. Take extreme care when you select the drive. Don’t select your built-in startup disk, usually named Macintosh HD.
3. After installation is finished, your Mac automatically restarts from the external drive. When Setup Assistant appears, select the option to migrate your data from another disk. Choose your built-in startup disk as the source to migrate your data from.
4. When the migration is done, complete the steps of the setup assistant. After the desktop appears, confirm that your data is present on the external drive.
Now you’ve made a backup to your external drive, follow these steps to fix your internal startup disk by performing a fresh installation:
1. Remove your external drive from the Mac. You don’t want to accidentally delete the data you have just backed up.
2. Use macOS Recovery to erase your built-in startup disk and reinstall macOS. This time, you need to select the built-in startup disk as the one you want to erase. When the installation is finished, your Mac automatically restarts from your built-in startup disk. It may take several reboots to complete the installation depending on the macOS version you are installing.
3. At the end of the installation, the setup assistant appears. You will be presented with an option to migrate your data. Plugin your external drive and wait for a while, your external drive should appear on the desktop.
4. To copy your personal data back to your startup disk, select the option in the setup assistant to migrate your data from an existing Time Machine backup or other disks. Choose the external drive as the source to migrate your data from.
5. Your Mac will restart again on completing the data migration. Verify your data before deleting the data in the external drive. It is a good practice to keep an updated copy of your valuable data regularly. If you have not yet used the Time Machine feature, use it now!
If you’re unable to erase your startup disk or reinstall macOS, your Mac most likely has a hardware issue. Make an appointment with an Apple Genius Bar or an Apple Authorized Service Provider to confirm the issue type. The technicians of these official services are trained well in solving the software issues, but with limited knowledge in hardware. They cannot repair your Mac logic board or SSD drive apart from replacing them. But they are good enough to tell whether your Mac has a software or hardware problem and the service is free.
If they cannot help due to a hardware logic board issue, try a component-level (chip level) repairer to get your Mac repaired. There are very few component-level repair services available due to the complexity of the mac logic board and Apple’s repair policy. If you cannot find one in your city, you may consider posting your Mac to another city. Search for a reputable component-level repairer and get a quote before sending out your Mac.
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