Recovery is driving me crazy

[ssls6]

I have a iMac Pro and I can't make local recovery "Cmd-R" work for the life of me. Cmd-R just throws me into some internet based thing that always ends up with error -1008F. I can use internet recovery "Alt-Cmd-R" which loads recovery base system 10.15.5. This started when I upgraded to Catalina but then downgraded to Mojave.

I have done a fresh Mojave install 3-4 times (using a complete internal disk wipe) with no joy. I have tried to access cmd-r with secure boot set to high, medium, and low with no joy.

Not sure what to do next, any comments appreciated.

 

[Fishrrman]

What are you trying to accomplish?

Are you trying to "go back" to Mojave after installing Catalina?

Have you tried this "special version" of internet recovery yet?
shift option command R

 

[ssls6]

What are you trying to accomplish?

I want to make Cmd-R work. That is to say, I want the recovery portion of the apfs container to actually boot my machine into recovery and not fault out to the internet based recovery.

Internet recovery via the alt-cmd-r loads the latest version of recovery compatible with my machine. That works as expected. The version of recovery that was installed during the clean install of Mojave does NOT work.

 

[Taz Mangus]

Open the Console app and see what the specific error says of why Recovery mode is not working.

 

[bogdanw]

I've read on another thread about this app https://bitbucket.org/twocanoes/recovery-selector/ I haven't tested it.

 

[ssls6]

Thanks, will check it out

 

[ssls6]

I figured it out. Apple released a note that cleared things up for me.

1) If you have a T2 mac
AND
2) If you tried Catalina
AND
3) If you enabled "Find My"
AND
4) If you then erased Catalina to go back to Mojave without turning off "Find My" and then signing out of "iCloud"

You create a situation where activation lock will prevent you from loading the local Recovery. You can load a Catalina version of recovery (alt-cmd-r) which will load an internet version of Catalina recovery. Catalina recovery understands activation lock. Mojave recovery does not.

The solution is to log into iCloud from another Mac. Locate the T2 Mac in question from the devices tab and erase it over the internet as if it was stolen. You'll be prompted for a firmware password in case you find the missing Mac. This process can take hours. Now you can enter your firmware password to shut off activation lock and reinstall Mojave.

Apple Support

This is a scary process but it works. I now have Mojave working along with its local recovery partition. I guess the moral of the story is "T2 Macs on Catalina are now like iPhones, sign out before wiping them"

 

[madrich]

I figured it out. Apple released a note that cleared things up for me.

1) If you have a T2 mac
AND
2) If you tried Catalina
AND
3) If you enabled "Find My"
AND
4) If you then erased Catalina to go back to Mojave without turning off "Find My" and then signing out of "iCloud"

You create a situation where activation lock will prevent you from loading the local Recovery. You can load a Catalina version of recovery (alt-cmd-r) which will load an internet version of Catalina recovery. Catalina recovery understands activation lock. Mojave recovery does not.

The solution is to log into iCloud from another Mac. Locate the T2 Mac in question from the devices tab and erase it over the internet as if it was stolen. You'll be prompted for a firmware password in case you find the missing Mac. This process can take hours. Now you can enter your firmware password to shut off activation lock and reinstall Mojave.

Apple Support

This is a scary process but it works. I now have Mojave working along with its local recovery partition. I guess the moral of the story is "T2 Macs on Catalina are now like iPhones, sign out before wiping them"

Better yet, just stay away from Catalina (Natalie Wood.)