What disk do you install macOS?

If the installer doesn't see your disk, or it says that it can't install on your computer or volume, you might 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.
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What disk do I need to install macOS High Sierra?

You will need a 16GB or larger USB drive, and the complete macOS High Sierra installer from the App Store.
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Can you install macOS on a hard drive?

You can install macOS only on disks with the GUID Partition Table scheme. Use Disk Utility to check your external disk's partition scheme to make sure it's the required scheme.
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How do you install macOS?

Install macOS
  1. Choose Reinstall macOS (or Reinstall OS X) from the utilities window.
  2. Click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions. You'll be asked to select your disk. If you don't see it, click Show All Disks. ...
  3. Click Install. Your Mac restarts after installation is complete.
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How do I reinstall Mac from scratch?

Restart your Mac. Choose Apple menu > Shut Down, press and hold the power button until “Loading startup options” appears, select Options, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions. In the Recovery app window, select Reinstall for your macOS release, click Continue, then follow the onscreen instructions.
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NO DISK TO SELECT "Select the disk where you want to install Mac OS"



How do I reinstall Macintosh HD?

As your computer is restarting, hold down the Command + R keys. Keep holding them down until you see the Apple logo appear on your screen. When the Apple logo appears, release the command and R keys. When you are in recovery mode, click Reinstall macOS and then click continue.
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What if there is no startup disk on my Mac?

What to do if you accidentally delete your startup disk. If you somehow managed to delete your startup disk, you will need to reinstall macOS after restarting in Recovery mode. If you deleted the Recovery partition, your Mac would use Internet Recovery to reinstall. You will need to be connected to the Internet.
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How do I add Macintosh HD to Disk Utility?

After booting in the recovery mode, select Disk Utility from the macOS Utilities menu.
  1. Select Mountable Macintosh HD and click on "Erase"
  2. Update the parameters when prompted and then select Reinstall macOS.
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What is Macintosh HD?

Macintosh HD — The storage drive volume where macOS files and apps are stored. The volume is read-only, and the Mac user cannot create, delete, or edit any system files. Macintosh HD Data — The storage drive volume where Mac user data is stored.
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How do I install OSX on a new SSD?

If your SSD is initialized, select the option to Restore From Time Machine Backup from the main Utilities menu. Select your Time Machine backup disk. Select the Time Machine backup you want to restore. Select Continue and follow the instructions to reinstall OS X and your files onto your Crucial SSD.
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Can I install macOS on external SSD?

If you want to run macOS on an external drive you will need a few things including a drive with a good amount of storage available. Make sure that you opt for flash storage because Apple's APFS (Apple file system) is optimized for SSD and the computer will be sluggish if you attempt to boot from a hard drive.
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Can I install macOS on a USB drive?

You can run macOS from a bootable USB installation much like you'd run one from from an internal drive. There's no operational difference between the two systems. Though, running off of a USB drive is going to be slower than the internal SSD.
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Can I have 2 operating systems on my Mac?

It's possible to install two different operating systems and dual-boot your Mac. This means you'll have both versions of macOS available and you can choose the one that suits you on a day-by-day basis.
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How do I install the latest macOS?

Update macOS on Mac
  1. From the Apple menu  in the corner of your screen, choose System Preferences.
  2. In the System Preferences window, click Software Update. ...
  3. Click Update Now or Upgrade Now:
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How do I install macOS Sierra?

Download macOS Sierra installer: Download the installer from the Mac App Store. Get a 16 GB USB flash drive: You need a flash drive for a clean install on your Mac's startup drive. If you plan to use the clean install on a non-startup drive, you don't need the USB flash drive.
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How do I install macOS High Sierra from scratch?

How to Perform a Clean Install of macOS High Sierra
  1. Step 1: Backup Your Mac. As noted, we're going to completely erase everything on the Mac. ...
  2. Step 2: Create a Bootable macOS High Sierra Installer. ...
  3. Step 3: Erase and Reformat the Mac's Boot Drive. ...
  4. Step 4: Install macOS High Sierra. ...
  5. Step 5: Restore Data, Files and Apps.
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Do I install macOS on Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD data?

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 might restart and show a progress bar several times, and the screen might be empty for minutes at a time.
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What should I choose for Macintosh HD or Macintosh HD data?

Macintosh HD - Data is the other separate entity of the Mac hard drive. The Macintosh HD - Data volume is used to store Mac user files such as documents, videos, photos, and audio. Mac users have read-write access to this volume, which means Mac users can edit and manage files on Macintosh HD - Data directly.
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Why do I have 2 internal hard drives Mac?

If your Fusion Drive appears as two drives instead of one in the Finder, it's no longer working as a Fusion Drive. This can happen after replacing either drive of your Fusion Drive, or using software to intentionally split them into separate volumes.
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What is the startup disk on Mac?

The startup disk is the hard drive or SSD that holds the operating system for your Mac. For most people, this is the built-in drive on their Mac. And unless you set up an external drive, it's probably also the place where all your other local files are stored.
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What happens if I delete Macintosh HD?

In short, it acts as the central hub for all the other files that are available on the Macbook/iMac. So, when you delete the Macintosh HD drive, everything (including the macOS) gets erased from the device and it gets restored to factory settings with nothing but Disk Utility flashing on the screen.
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Why do I have a Macintosh HD and Macintosh HD data?

macOS Catalina runs on a dedicated, read-only system volume called Macintosh HD. This volume is completely separate from all other data to help prevent the accidental overwriting of critical operating system files. Your files and data are stored in another volume named Macintosh HD - Data.
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Why does my Mac say choose startup disk?

The Startup Manager lets you choose a different startup disk during boot. So if you have your Mac partitioned to run Windows or a macOS beta, for example, you can select that startup disk instead of the default disk. Start or restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the option key on your keyboard.
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What does Target Disk Mode do?

A feature used to transfer files between two Macs directly cabled via FireWire or Thunderbolt. Booting one of the Macs with the T key held down starts the computer in Target Disk Mode (TDM), and its drives appear on the desktop of the other Mac (the host Mac). Files can be dragged and dropped without permissions.
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How do I reinstall macOS when startup volume is deleted?

If you can't boot into macOS because your startup volume has been erased, then you might need to reinstall your operating system from Recovery:
  1. Turn on your Mac and immediately press and hold Command (⌘)-R.
  2. Choose Reinstall macOS from the Utilities window.
  3. Click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
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