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Resolved Can't get to install MacOS [Windows not installed with Boot Camp]

I

isamznaslol

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 1, 2020
7
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I've got a MacBook Pro 2010 and I can't get to install High Sierra on it.
The problem is because Windows 7 is improperly installed on the machine. It wasn't installed with bootcamp so it automatically goes to Windows. Recovery tool doesn't work, problably because it's erased. There is no MacOS on it. I've tried installing with a USB. While holding option button it goes to boot menu but it only shows Windows, that's with a dmg on it. Also I tried to covert it to iso and get it on a USB, and same thing only Windows showing up... Any solutions???
 
If that's truly a mid-2010 MBP then you should be able to start up in "Internet Recovery" mode. Not sure if you'll have to reformat and nuke your W7 installation.

Check out these articles:

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

You can use macOS Recovery, your computer's built-in recovery system, to reinstall the Mac operating system. Reinstalling macOS doesn't remove your personal data.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

How to start up from macOS Recovery - Apple Support

macOS Recovery is your computer’s built-in recovery system, with utilities to reinstall macOS, repair or erase your startup disk, restore from a Time Machine backup, and more. Follow the steps for your type of Mac.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
Thanks for replying, but I still can not get to macOS Recovery. The computer starts to a white screen and goes to Windows (apple never shows up). And right now I can't get to a boot menu, I could last time I tried holding alt button. I would like to get to Internet Recovery but i can't and MacBook is a mid-2010 13inch.

Also when windows starts up it's buggy, right click on a trackpad doesn't work, and lines go through the screen sometimes probably because drivers aren't installed correctly...
 
How are you trying to get into recovery? It's Opt-Command-R for internet recovery. If the drive has been hosed by Windows then local recovery probably won't work. Depending on your internet connection, the download can take a long time. You will have to run Disk Utility first to partition and format the drive properly.
 
@isamznaslol get an ethernet cable and see if the internet recovery doesn't kick in properly with that.

You'll have a hard time getting to create a Yosemite usb on Windows but I think there are methods.
The USB key is probably not formatted the right way?!
 
Yes, I am definitely trying alt-cmd-r and nothing's happening. Also tried with and Ethernet cable connected, also tried with an external keyboard. When the machine starts there is no chime in the beginning also. I tried getting it to work with a TransMac. When the dmg file is on it my PC can't get to read it. Any other ideas?
 
As per the document linked above the key combo you need to try for internet recovery is Option-⌘-R.

I don't see an actual Apple document stating which models can start from internet recovery. This article says a "mid-2010" MBP is capable…however, I wonder if that's true for all of them as a couple of models described at Everymac.com as "mid-2010" have the earlier processors (Core 2 Duo). If those are excluded and that's what you have then you're going to have to use another Mac to create a USB installer.

 
BrianBaughn said:
As per the document linked above the key combo you need to try for internet recovery is Option-⌘-R.

I don't see an actual Apple document stating which models can start from internet recovery. This article says a "mid-2010" MBP is capable…however, I wonder if that's true for all of them as a couple of models described at Everymac.com as "mid-2010" have the earlier processors (Core 2 Duo). If those are excluded and that's what you have then you're going to have to use another Mac to create a USB installer.
Click to expand...
Internet recovery was added in a very early firmware update on the mid-2010 computers, after Lion was shipped.
 
As mentioned above, do you understand the difference between "the recovery partition" and "internet recovery"?

Internet recovery:
Command-OPTION-R at boot

You will need a wifi password (if you're using wifi) and you should see "the spinning globe" appear. It takes some time to load.

Be aware that NOT ALL 2010 MacBooks can do internet recovery.
Some can, but others cannot. (also mentioned above)

So... there's a chance you might NOT be able to "get there".

Having said that...
Do you have access to another Mac?

If you do, you could download a copy of the OS installer (at this point I'd accept almost ANY installer capable of booting a 2010 MBP), then use "DiskMaker X" to create a BOOTABLE USB flash drive. You'll need a 16gb flash drive for this.

If you DO NOT have access to another Mac, be aware that there are ebay sellers who will sell you a USB flash drive with a bootable copy of the OS installer ALREADY ON IT. This will cost you around $20 (US).

With that, you could
- boot from the flash drive
- use Disk Utility to ERASE the internal drive
- start over with a fresh install of the Mac OS
 
Alright, so, I do understand the difference beetween the two and tried them both. None of them work. Also I don't have another Mac.

I've got the ssd out of the machine and connected it to a PC and formated it. And now if the ssd is out of the machine and i start it. The folder with a question mark on it pops up. But if i connect a ssd it shows a message saying "no bootable device - insert boot disk and press any key" (which is usually a windows thing to do, and I can't get my Mac to turn off holding any buttons, I've tried everything), but when i insert my windows installation it goes to it.
 
Did your MacBook Pro 2010 come with any physical media? A Dual Layer DVD with some version of OS X on it specific to your Mac? This might be the easiest way to get started again and get up and running with OS X and then update to later OS X from there. Or just format to correct GUID partition table and HFS Extended Journaled formatting.

What about trying to reset NVRAM and or SMC on your Mac too? Somethings might be saved in the NVRAM. The SMC is probably not a thing to be reset as of right now.

If your USB key wont get read - perhaps it's because of the selected USB port - choose one the closest to the power port and use the MacBook Pro on an adapter while performing all these eperiments getting up and running.
 
I've tried to reset NVRAM and nothing new is happening. I don't have any physical media other than an usb because i've got it used. When I try to run my dmg on a system a blinking underscore keeps flashing like on Windows 7.
 
isamznaslol said:
I've tried to reset NVRAM and nothing new is happening. I don't have any physical media other than an usb because i've got it used. When I try to run my dmg on a system a blinking underscore keeps flashing like on Windows 7.
Click to expand...
Are you holding the option key as the computer starts? Try pressing it as soon as you hear the startup chime. This should bring up the boot picker to allow you to choose the USB installer.
 
Alright guys, so I've got it to work. Now thanks to all of you who was trying to help, but you weren't getting my point after all.

Ok, I've started with a Windows 7 on a MBP 2010. Everything I've tried to get it to Recovery wasn't giving it. Only thing that working is when holding alt (option) a boot menu, but only after I've restarted the computer from Windows.

I've got it to a MacOS Utilities by downloading a Base System from https://github.com/corpnewt/gibMacOS .

When I got it there I had to change the whole drive to a Mac OS Extended (Journaled) because the whole drive was set to open Windows type of system and all that. I've got it work thanks to this video:
.

And after about a hour, I've got it installed.

So if anybody has some kind of a same problem, this can maybe help.

Thank you all for helping. <3
 
That's great. I wasn't aware of that script. How clever of them!

This does actually come up a lot around here…someone needs to revive an old Mac that isn't internet recovery enabled and they don't have access to another Mac with which they can create a USB installer.

This solution requires a Windows machine and is kinda geared towards Hackintoshing.

Further investigation shows there's a similar thing for Linux machines.
 
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isamznaslol said:
Alright guys, so I've got it to work. Now thanks to all of you who was trying to help, but you weren't getting my point after all.


So if anybody has some kind of a same problem, this can maybe help.

Thank you all for helping. <3
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that we weren't getting your point at all.

Also happy to read that you found a solution.
 
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