possible to create recreate recovery partition on 2015 iMac 5K running Big Sur?

[DekuBleep]

The topic title is basically my question. I have a 2015 iMac 5K with a 4GHz quad-core i7 processor and 32GB of ram and a 500GB SSD.

I am running the latest version of MacOS Big Sur on this computer. And for some reason, it does not have a recovery partition.

When I installed Big Sur last year I did a clean install and tried to create a recovery partition and I did not succeed at it...

So is it possible to create recreate recovery partition on my 2015 iMac 5K running Big Sur? If so can someone who knows please tell me how to do it. (If I can avoid wiping my internal SSD that would be ideal.)

Thanks a lot!

 

[Brian33]

Sorry I'm in a hurry, but hopefully this will help you...

I have the same iMac (imac 17,1) with a different processor, but importantly, the same SSD. Mine (and many others with this model) cannot get the firmware to update, and as of Big Sur, it seems to prevent use of a Big Sur recovery partition. It's a bug, and Apple hasn't addressed it.

It is still possible to boot into Internet Recovery (google for the right key combination) but that will put you into an older OS version of recovery.

It appears that if you disassemble your iMac, connect a SATA drive (with a purchased Apple SATA cable), and install macOS on that, THEN the firmware update will work. Whew, no easy task!

There are lots of details:
https://eclecticlight.co/2021/02/06...the-imac-retina-5k-27-inch-late-2015-imac171/
https://eclecticlight.co/2021/03/23/how-to-update-your-macs-firmware/
this MacRumors thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...te-2015-efi-firmware-update-failures.2228324/

 

[DekuBleep]

Sorry I'm in a hurry, but hopefully this will help you...

I have the same iMac (imac 17,1) with a different processor, but importantly, the same SSD. Mine (and many others with this model) cannot get the firmware to update, and as of Big Sur, it seems to prevent use of a Big Sur recovery partition. It's a bug, and Apple hasn't addressed it.

It is still possible to boot into Internet Recovery (google for the right key combination) but that will put you into an older OS version of recovery.

It appears that if you disassemble your iMac, connect a SATA drive (with a purchased Apple SATA cable), and install macOS on that, THEN the firmware update will work. Whew, no easy task!

There are lots of details:
https://eclecticlight.co/2021/02/06...the-imac-retina-5k-27-inch-late-2015-imac171/
https://eclecticlight.co/2021/03/23/how-to-update-your-macs-firmware/
this MacRumors thread:
https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...te-2015-efi-firmware-update-failures.2228324/

OMG that is crazy! Thanks a lot for the info!! I guess I will just stick with my USB thumb drive Big Sur bootable installer for my recovery needs.

 

[chabig]

If you boot to internet recovery and reinstall macOS from there, I think the installer should create the recovery partition.

 

[Fishrrman]

Just as a reminder... internet recovery is:
Command-OPTION-R
...at boot.

If by any chance you need to erase the internal drive (don't do this unless you're backed up!)...
After you open disk utility, you MUST go to the "view" menu and choose "show ALL devices" to see the actual, physical drive inside (in the list on the left).

 

[DekuBleep]

Just as a reminder... internet recovery is:
Command-OPTION-R
...at boot.

If by any chance you need to erase the internal drive (don't do this unless you're backed up!)...
After you open disk utility, you MUST go to the "view" menu and choose "show ALL devices" to see the actual, physical drive inside (in the list on the left).

If you boot to internet recovery and reinstall macOS from there, I think the installer should create the recovery partition.

Thanks to both of you! I am setting up my new M1 MacBookPro13 right now, so I'm not going to do a wipe and an internet recovery just for the recovery partition. My iMac17,1 is becoming a backup machine... maybe I will do the internet recovery thing when I am ready to wipe my iMac17,1's SSD... anyhow thanks a lot for the advice!

 

[Rodan52]

Just as a reminder... internet recovery is:
Command-OPTION-R
...at boot.

If by any chance you need to erase the internal drive (don't do this unless you're backed up!)...
After you open disk utility, you MUST go to the "view" menu and choose "show ALL devices" to see the actual, physical drive inside (in the list on the left).

Command - Option - R takes me to Internet Recovery, that is definitely not what you want.
Command - R for macOS Big Sur on a 2015 MBP takes you to the Recovery Partition.

Like DekuBleep Disk Utility does not display a Restore Partition on my device. See below
So I would question the assumption that there is no Restore Partition or the need to "Recreate" one.

For a 2015 iMac you use Command - R just as I do. Here is the Apple Startup key combination list for all startup functions. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201255

Check again that it will not start up into Recovery. Hold down the keys before pressing the power button and keep holding till you see the Restore window.
PS If you have a Bluetooth keyboard that may cause issues.