2011 Mac Pro with windows installed and I can't get High Sierra back on it.

[BladeParker]

I have posted this in hardware considering the built-in restore settings are hard coded. (i.e. command+r and internet recovery) Please let me know if there's a better topic board I should be posting on. I need access to those settings on my Mac Pro,

Mac Pro with Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU - E5620 @ 2.40GHz - 2.53GHz (2 processors)

I installed windows a year ago on my Mac Pro and I want High Sierra back. The recovery partition is gone. I created a bootable USB using TransMac but it doesn't show up from the boot menu after holding the option key.

None of the following works, they all boot to Windows, even after resetting the PRAM

• Command + R
• Command + Option + R
• Shift + Command + Option + R

I somehow got the internet recovery to load by pushing F1, F2, F8 and/or F10. The globe loaded then it went to a folder with a question mark.

If anyone has some tips I could try to restore my Mac it would be appreciated.

 

[pigoo3]

Looks like you have a 2010 Mac Pro.

Officially Apple computers from Late 2011 onward support Internet Recovery automatically. Apple did release a firmware update that does allow SOME slightly older Mac's from 2010 & 2011 to do Internet Recovery. Unfortunately 2010 Mac Pro's are not included.

Computers that can be upgraded to use OS X Internet Recovery - Apple Support

Some computers that came with OS X Snow Leopard and earlier installed can use the OS X Internet Recovery feature after applying a firmware update.

support.apple.com

Here are 2 options for getting the macOS reinstalled on your Mac Pro:

1. Purchase a macOS Snow Leopard install DVD from somewhere like eBay. Then install via the Mac Pro's optical drive. Then upgrade to the macOS you desire (this may need to be done in multiple steps).

2. Purchase a USB thumb drive that's at least 8GB (if you don't have one)...then create a bootable USB installer of the macOS you desire (sounds like High Sierra was what you were looking for).

Here are instructions:

How to Create a Bootable Install Drive for macOS High Sierra

Some Mac uses like to create a bootable USB installer drive for macOS High Sierra. A bootable install volume of macOS 10.13 allows users to perform a variety of tasks including formatting and clean…

osxdaily.com

HTH,

Nick

 

[Randy B. Singer]

...I want High Sierra back...

You can download the High Sierra installer from:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/macos-high-sierra/id1246284741?mt=12

or

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208969

If neither of those sources work for you, there is a free App called MacOS High Sierra Patcher,

http://dosdude1.com/highsierra/

whose main purpose is to let you install High Sierra on unsupported Mac’s. This app has a built-in download feature that will download the High Sierra installer (Tools > Download High Sierra). This app might be able to download High Sierra for you if all else fails.

You may have to put the High Sierra installer on an external boot disk for it to work.

 

[BladeParker]

Thanks for your help. I was able to obtain a DVD of OS X Lion and restore my Mac once that was installed.

 

[pigoo3]

Thanks for your help. I was able to obtain a DVD of OS X Lion and restore my Mac once that was installed.

Technically Lion did not come on DVD (primarily digital download)...since it was the 1st macOS to be offered as a download. Or Lion came on an expensive USB thumb drive.

Congrats on getting things going with macOS Lion.

Hopefully getting back to High Sierra won't be too difficult. I've found when I've done this that it can take multiple steps to get to where you want to be (Lion straight to High Sierra is too much to do in one shot).

Nick