Some Mac customers could have to reinstall their present macOS system software program; sometimes that is needed solely as a troubleshooting approach, although there could also be different causes to reinstall Sierra or Excessive Sierra as effectively. The strategy we're going to define right here will reinstall macOS system software program versioned as Excessive Sierra or Sierra with out formatting or erasing the Mac, as a substitute solely macOS Sierra 10.12 system software program can be reinstalled (or macOS Excessive Sierra 10.13, whichever is relevant). The plain benefit to this strategy is that it goals to protect consumer information, apps, paperwork, knowledge, footage, and customizations, whereas solely reinstalling Mac OS system software program itself.
This isn't the identical as a clear set up. A clear set up erases every thing, a reinstall doesn't.
You must again up your Mac earlier than starting this course of. Although the intention is to solely reinstall macOS system software program and never influence anything, issues can nonetheless go flawed. Don't skip a backup, backing up with Time Machine is straightforward and each Mac consumer ought to carry out common backups with the service.
The way to Reinstall macOS Sierra / macOS Excessive Sierra
You may reinstall macOS Sierra or macOS Excessive Sierra by doing the next:
- Again up the Mac earlier than starting
- Reboot the Mac and maintain down COMMAND + R keys concurrently proper after you hear the boot sound, this may boot the Mac into Restoration Mode
- On the “macOS Utilities” display screen select “Reinstall macOS”
- Click on “Proceed” and stroll via the setup display screen
- On the drive choice display screen, select “Macintosh HD” or regardless of the title of your laborious drive is, that is the drive the place macOS Sierra can be reinstalled to, then click on on “Proceed” or “Unlock” if you happen to use FileVault
As soon as the reinstall course of begins the display screen will flip black and an Apple emblem with a progress bar will seem, this provides you with a unfastened estimate of how lengthy it's going to take to reinstall macOS Sierra, however bear in mind it’s not at all times correct and the precise set up course of can generally be sooner or slower.
After reinstallation has accomplished, macOS Sierra / Excessive Sierra will robotically boot up as normal. Your consumer account, consumer information, functions, and all knowledge and configurations ought to be preserved and untouched, solely macOS Sierra / macOS Excessive Sierra system software program has been reinstalled. Reinstalling will trigger Highlight and different background indexing processes to run once more which can provide the notion that Sierra is operating sluggish however that can resolve itself after indexing has accomplished.
If you wish to erase every thing and begin contemporary with a very clean slate, you'd carry out a clear set up of macOS Sierra as a substitute, a completely totally different process.
Some customers have reported that reinstalling macOS Sierra / macOS Excessive Sierra this manner has resolved a few of the difficulties they've skilled with Sierra or Excessive Sierra, so if you're having issues with macOS Sierra it could be a worthwhile troubleshooting step. In my private expertise I reinstalled and clear put in but nonetheless bumped into the identical kernel file desk full errors, Safari points, and software launch issues, which is what led me to downgrade from macOS Sierra to El Capitan on a specific Mac. Nonetheless your mileage could differ, and it's actually price making an attempt to reinstall utilizing the steps above earlier than turning to extra drastic measures.