The Ultimate Guide on How to Recover Data after Installing macOS on a New SSD
Last Updated on March 9, 2023 by Yulia Ilina
If you need to fix a crashed or stunk MacBook, installing macOS on a new SSD is always the optimal choice. Internet Recovery is the most frequently used way to install your macOS on a new SSD, especially when you need to upgrade your Intel Mac to macOS Ventura. There is an essential step to erase the content with Disk Utilities, which means you will lose some unsaved files on your MacBook. When you need to install macOS on a new SSD, here is the ultimate guide you should follow.
Part 1: How to Use Internet Recovery Mode to Install macOS on a New SSD
Whether you install macOS on a new SSD via a bootable installer or a carbon copy cloner, you have to use an external drive or flash drive. It is convenient to use the Internet Recovery mode to install macOS on a new SSD, which you only need to connect to a stable Internet. But you should know the process for an M1/2 Mac is different from an Intel Mac.
Installing macOS on a New SSD for an Intel Mac
Step 1: Press the Power button to restart your MacBook. Hold and press the Command + Option + R keys as your Mac boots up. Once you have found the Starting Internet Recovery popup, you can release the keys when the Recovery is starting.
Step 2: Choose your Wi-Fi network to connect your Mac to the Internet. You can find the macOS Utilities window once the Recovery has finished loading. After that, you can choose the Disk Utility button to format the new SSD before installing macOS.
Step 3: Select the new SSD and click the Erase button. After that, you can fill in the required details for your new drive, such as the name and format. Just choose the APFS option or choose the Mac OS Extended option as APFS for macOS Sierra or older.
Step 4: Once you have finished erasing and formatting, press the Command + Q keys to return to the main menu. Then, click the Reinstall macOS button and follow the on-screen guide to select the new SSD drive as the destination for installing macOS.
Installing macOS on a New SSD for an M1/M2 Mac
Step 1: Choose the Apple menu and choose the Shut Down button to close your MacBook. After that, you can press and hold the Power button on your Mac until you find the Loading startup options message. Choose the Options button and click the Continue button.
Step 2: Enter the password or press the Power key for the administrator account. Go to the macOS Utilities screen and choose the Disk Utility button before clicking the Continue button. After that, you can click the Erase button to get rid of the data before installing macOS on the new SSD.
Step 3: Once you have entered the name and choose the APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled), as recommended by Disk Utility. Click the Erase button or the Erase Volume Group button to erase the files you have saved in the new SSD.
Step 4: When you get everything done, it will quit the Disk Utility window and return to the utilities window. After that, you can click the Install macOS Ventura button before clicking the Continue button to install macOS Ventura on the new SSD.
Part 2: An Easy Way to Recover Data after Installing macOS on a New SSD
When there are any unsaved or deleted files after installing macOS on a new SSD, Mac Data Recovery is a versatile method to retrieve the files from both the new SSD and the original hard drive. It enables you to restore audio files, videos, photos, documents, Emails, and others. Moreover, there are different modes to restore the files completely and thoroughly.
1. Restore the data from Mac, SSD, flash drive, memory card, and more.
2. Provide a high success rate to retrieve files with the deep scan mode.
3. Preview the recovered lost files before purchasing a license or recovery.
4. Search for retrieved files with name, path, and other via the Filter menu.
Step 1: Once you have installed Mac Data Recovery, you can launch the app on your MacBook and click the Start button within the Mac Data Recovery menu. When you use the bootable macOS installer, you should connect it to your MacBook beforehand.
Step 2: Select the data type you wish to recover from videos, images, Emails, documents, and others. After that, you can choose the Mac hard disk as well as the new SSD. Click the Scan button to perform a quick scan to restore files after reinstalling macOS on the new SSD.
Step 3: Just see the entire recovered files and folders. From the left panel section, you can open the category under Path List or Type List. You can also try to double-click the file to check. Enter the file name or path on the Search engine section to find the Mac file you need.
Step 4: Tick the check box before recovering deleted folder on Mac and click the Recover button to retrieve Mac files after installing macOS on the new SSD. Of course, you can also switch to the deep scan mode by clicking the Deep Scan button in the upper-right corner.
Conclusion
When you need to install macOS on a new SSD, here is the ultimate guide you should know, whether it is an Intel Mac or an M1/M2 Mac, you can find the detailed process via the Internet Recovery mode. Recovering data after installing macOS on the new SSD in MacBook has never been this easy via Mac Data Recovery. It not only retrieves the files from the original Mac hard drive but also works with the new SSD.