If you lot're installing a new hard drive, or your Mac is completely messed upwardly, yous might think information technology's fourth dimension for a fresh installation of macOS. Simply if y'all've got a Time Auto backup, that's non necessary: you can fully restore your Mac, and accept all your applications and files exactly as you left them.

We've shown you how to back upwardly and restore macOS from Time Machine, but today we're going to dive in a little more and evidence y'all how restoring from Recovery Manner looks. Let'due south dive in!

Step One: Boot Into Recovery Mode

The first thing yous need to do is access Recovery Manner. Shut down your Mac, and then hold down Control+R while turning your Mac back on.

RELATED: viii Mac System Features Y'all Can Admission in Recovery Mode

Note that this but works if y'all have a recovery sectionalization, which you volition non have in the instance of a new hard bulldoze. Don't worry: yous tin kicking into macOS recovery without a recovery partition using another keyboard shortcut: Option+Command+R.

Either way you lot should eventually boot into Recovery Mode. On the utilities screen, select the "Restore From Time Machine Fill-in" option.

On the Restore From Fourth dimension Machine folio, striking the "Go on" button.

Step Two: Choose Difficult Bulldoze

Adjacent, you'll be asked which Fourth dimension Motorcar drive you'd like to recover from.

Connect your USB drive, if y'all're using 1. If you're restoring from a network drive, you lot may have to connect to a wireless network before proceeding. A wired connectedness volition be lot faster, so if that's an option utilize that instead.

Also note that restoring from an encrypted Fourth dimension Machine fill-in will require the password.

Step Three: Cull Backup

Later on you've chosen a drive to restore from, it's time to choose which backup to use.

If y'all fill-in multiple Macs to a unmarried drive yous'll need to pick your computer from the "Restore From" dropdown. Side by side, pick which time you lot'd similar to restore from. If you're setting up a new difficult drive it's best to pick the near recent ane, but if you're recovering from a crash y'all should pick a backup from earlier you started having problems.

Make your selections, and and then click the "Go on" button to begin the restore.

This may take a while, specially if you're restoring from a network backup, but when it's done you'll have all of your files.

Culling Choice: Install Fresh, And And then Restore With Migration Banana

In some cases the above method volition fail, but don't panic: you can still recover your files. Only install macOS from scratch, and so use Migration Assistant to transfer all your files from a Fourth dimension Car backup. Your Mac will offer this tool after installation is complete, or you lot can run it manually later installation is complete.

RELATED: How to Migrate Your Files and Apps From One Mac to Another

The above commodity may contain affiliate links, which help support How-To Geek.