Deleted MacOS partitions and installed Ubuntu, now can't boot with DVD, USB, recovery

[Petruza2]

I deleted all partitions on the MacBook's HD and installed Ubuntu.
Now I want to reinstall MacOS but nothing will work.

Holding option on startup shows the grey screen with the pointer but no removable media or HD partitions show up to boot from.

Holding command R at startup for recovery mode will just boot regularly into ubuntu.

Holding option command R at startup for internet recovery will boot on Grub, Ubuntu's boot loader.

How can I reinstall MacOS in this situation?
Is there any other kind of low-level reset or something else that will let me boot from a DVD or USB device?
Is there a way to access something like the setup you get to by holding F2 on regular PCs?

 

[pigoo3]

I deleted all partitions on the MacBook's HD and installed Ubuntu.
Now I want to reinstall MacOS but nothing will work.

Holding option on startup shows the grey screen with the pointer but no removable media or HD partitions show up to boot from.

That's because if you successfully deleted all macOS partitions (as the thread title says)...there is no mac OS to boot from.

Holding command R at startup for recovery mode will just boot regularly into ubuntu.

If you successfully deleted all macOS partitions (as the thread title says)...then you also got rid of the "Recovery Partition"...which is what command + r does (boots into the Recovery Partition...if present).

Holding option command R at startup for internet recovery will boot on Grub, Ubuntu's boot loader.

Command + r is NOT the proper command for Internet Recovery...the 3-key combo...command + option + r is for Internet Recovery. And this assumes that this computer is capable of internet recovery (not all Mac models are).

How can I reinstall MacOS in this situation?
Is there any other kind of low-level reset or something else that will let me boot from a DVD or USB device?

I would try Internet Recovery first (if this model computer is capable of Internet Recovery). It would also be great to know the exact specs of this computer. Then we can help further.

Is there a way to access something like the setup you get to by holding F2 on regular PCs?

Apple computers are "REGULAR PC's"! Lol

- Nick

 

[Raz0rEdge]

None of the recovery options will work since as Nick has pointed out you've removed the macOS partition and the recovery partition which contains the recovery "tool". However, you should be able to get to the boot device selector by holding down the OPTION key since that feature should be built into the firmware of the Mac which you can't erase.

However, getting to the right boot selection menu is a bit annoying, you have to hit the OPTION key immediately after powering on the Mac util the menu appears, try a few times..

 

[Petruza2]

command + option + R doesn't work either, it boots to a grey screen with a flashing folder icon with a question mark
I've used startup manager in the past multiple times, to boot from the bootcamp partition, USB stick, etc. But after I installed Ubuntu, holding option at startup only takes me to a light gray blank screen with the cursor and nothing else.
No partitions, USB devices, DVDs, nothing shows up there.
I know from experience and from the mac mini I'm writing this on, that startup manager even shows partitions and drives that aren't even bootable, but they are shown anyway. But now, nada.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

One possibility is that the startup manager is part of the "boot loader" of macOS and when you put GRUB on there it blew that away and now you are stuck with only Ubuntu.

 

[Petruza2]

Yep, now not even ubuntu will load. Not sure what made it, maybe NVRAM reset.

 

[ferrarr]

Do you have a Time Machine backup? Do you have a clone? You mention a USB, is it a bootable USB Mac OS X/OS X/macOS installer?

If you have another Mac available to use, you can use Target Disk Mode, to wipe the internal drive of the MacBook. Here’s an older article, but still useable, http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/13/install-mac-os-x-lion-target-disk-mode/.

 

[IWT]

@Petruza

Welcome to our Forums.

You don't give much away when it comes to which OS was on your MacBook, nor which OS is on your Mac mini, but you could try the following:

On your Mac mini, you could go into the App Store and download the Installer for whatever OS is on the mini, or higher if your MacBook will support it.

When the Installer of the OS (whatever it is you choose) is downloaded, use Diskmaker X to create a bootable OS on a USB stick of at least 8GB.

When that is done, you can use the USB stick as the bootable option on your MacBook, then erase the MacBook's HD and install the OS.

I acknowledge that this is a very cryptic message, but I'm assuming that you are fairly well up on Apple computer matters given your experimentation.

I can't promise this will work, but worth a try and if you need step-by-step advice on what I've posted, just ask.

It would still be very helpful to us if you published the specs of your MacBook and mini (year, model, OS of each etc).

Ian

 

[Petruza2]

I tried several times with USB bootable sticks made from Mountain lion, Mavericks and El Capitan. But startup manager didn't recognize and show them to boot from them so there's no use to it.
Although I just tried an advice someone else gave me, about installing the full OS to an external HD, I did it, and booted the Macbook with that.
Now I'll try to install MacOS in the internal HD.

 

[pigoo3]

command + option + R doesn't work either, it boots to a grey screen with a flashing folder icon with a question mark
I've used startup manager in the past multiple times, to boot from the bootcamp partition, USB stick, etc. But after I installed Ubuntu, holding option at startup only takes me to a light gray blank screen with the cursor and nothing else.
No partitions, USB devices, DVDs, nothing shows up there.
I know from experience and from the mac mini I'm writing this on, that startup manager even shows partitions and drives that aren't even bootable, but they are shown anyway. But now, nada.

Mentioned above that we need to know the exact spec's of this computer (at least what year & model it is). Some Apple computers are not capable of Internet Recovery.

- Nick

 

[Petruza2]

Mentioned above that we need to know the exact spec's of this computer (at least what year & model it is). Some Apple computers are not capable of Internet Recovery.

- Nick

It's a late 2009 MacBook, people just mentioned that macs prior to 2010 didn't have internet recovery, but mine did, maybe it was a firmware update introduced by the latest OSs, don't know.
Anyway, option-command-R does seem to get the mac into some state, but then it proceeds to boot either ubuntu or grub, but at least I can tell it recognizes the key combination for internet recovery.

But anyway, as I stated above, I'm being able to boot from an external HD now.

 

[pigoo3]

I tried several times with USB bootable sticks made from Mountain lion, Mavericks and El Capitan. But startup manager didn't recognize and show them to boot from them so there's no use to it.

Are you pressing the Option key upon startup? If not...it will just boot into Ubuntu as mentioned above. Also...do these bootable USB sticks work on other Mac's?

And again...need to know (at least) what year & model this is. At this point we don't even know what OS limitations this computer has. If it's super old...it may not be able to run Mountain lion, Mavericks and El Capitan.

Although I just tried an advice someone else gave me, about installing the full OS to an external HD, I did it, and booted the Macbook with that.
Now I'll try to install MacOS in the internal HD.

Yes...this is something I suggest all the time. Great to know this worked...since it tells us the computer is ok. But still...you should have told us what OS version is on this external HD (so we know).

- Nick

 

[pigoo3]

It's a late 2009 MacBook, people just mentioned that macs prior to 2010 didn't have internet recovery, but mine did, maybe it was a firmware update introduced by the latest OSs, don't know.

Sorry...but nope. Needs to be at least 2010 or newer:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202313

If it had or has Internet Recovery...then it's not a late 2009 MacBook.

- Nick